Monsanto, the multinational agricultural biotechnology corporation responsible for Agent Orange and the production of genetically engineered seeds, is now in the coyote exterminating business, at least in and around one of its chemical plants in Luling, Louisiana.

Last week, a friend of mine in Hong Kong brought to my attention an animal-related news story. It seems “scores of crocodiles perished” in a Shenzen, China zoo called Rural Grand View Garden, after “suffering a barrage of trash and projectiles from callous visitors.” Why? Apparently, the reptiles weren’t moving enough for the paying visitors and were subsequently “pelted with random objects” to see if they were alive.

In July of 2001 I adopted a vegan diet. Prior to this I had not given much thought to the suffering and exploitation of the billions of nonhuman animals who are raised and killed for food. Oddly enough, years of seeing flesh on a plate rarely, if ever, gave rise to thoughts of slaughter. But when the details on the process where filled in, the argument for veganism was straightforward. Only profound intellectual dishonesty could have prevented a change in diet.

In a recent article, my colleague Robert Jensen describes the “obvious” problem: “We face multiple, cascading ecological crises that should spur us to rethink our economy, politics, and society, but the existing rules rule out such thinking. If we can’t transcend these intellectual limits, it is not clear that an ongoing large-scale human presence on the earth will be possible.”

Animals in circuses spend up to 11 months of the year traveling. For thousands of hours, over long distances, they may be chained, transported in vehicles that lack climate control, and forced to stand or lie in their own waste. Performing animals such as elephants, lions, and tigers endure years of physical and psychological suffering in traveling acts.

On Wednesday morning, the Riverfront Times in St Louis posted excerpts from a memo purportedly distributed to faculty at Washington University's medical school. The memo warned staff to "be on high alert for potential terrorist activity" during the time of this weekend's "Free The Animals Conference" in St Louis.

A conference focused on winning the war against animal research is scheduled for later this month, put on by Stop Animal Exploitation Now and St. Louis Vegans. "The Free the Animals Conference will empower and energize activists across the U.S. to attack the animal experimentation issue head-on and make concrete changes for the tens of millions of animals who are imprisoned in laboratories."

In a communique posted by Bite Back, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for releasing "dozens" of pheasants from Primrose Pheasant Farm in Canby, Oregon. The communique alluded to the purpose of the farm: breeding birds for both their flesh, and canned hunts.

Following up on last week's posting of an ALF-prevention security manual for fur farmers, I am posting another internal document from the Fur Commission: the agenda for the FCUSA's annual meeting, held every year in Park City, Utah. This is where most of the major decisions affecting fur farmers are made, and the industry's heaviest hitters get together to strategize.

Animal Liberation Frontline has been leaked a 20-page document for fur farmers titled "Site Security: Strategies and Protocols" This manual is circulated to mink and fox farmers by the Fur Commission USA, and provides the most detailed look to date into security protocols fur farmers use to protect themselves against the Animal Liberation Front.