That’s right, you don’t need a new pair of glasses. The O2 is actually planning to allow 100 animals into its arena for the stage adaptation of Ben Hur. We’ve had countless emails, phone calls and pleading letters from the public and media asking us to do all that we can to stop the performance from taking place. So we’ve sent letters to the O2 and world famous producer, Franz Abraham, calling on their sense of logic and hoping they’ll see sense in time for the September 09 opening.

For all its talk of grandeur and excitement, things will be very different for the animals of Ben Hur Live. This will be one nightmare of a rollercoaster (or, ahem, chariot race) that they cannot get off. And it doesn’t bode well for the actors and audience either. Picture the scene, the lights are dimmed, the cast are amazing, you’re getting stuck into the show… then WHAM! Suddenly god knows how many animals take to the stage, and boy are they frightened. Who knows what could go wrong if just one animal decides he’s had enough of this stage malarkey and flips out. It could be carnage (let’s not forget the reported death of animals during the making of the orignial film), and yes, it’s making its world debut to London.

The stresses of travel, confinement and unfamiliar environments are just starters for the animals who, unlike actors, have to be coerced to perform, often under threat of punishment. Animals ‘used’ in this production will be shipped from all over Europe and kept captive for months on end, unable to fulfil their basic nature and be with their families in the wild. And don’t even get me started on the reported use of pyrotechnics, a storm machine and light projection.

Keep an eye out for updates and calls to action. This is one theatrical show we will not take lying down!

Image: SportsFanMagazine / CC

So, who watched Britney Spears’ documentary on Sky One and her, erm, performance on The X-Factor last week? Ok people, I admit, I tuned in to learn more about Britney’s fall from grace over the past few years, and gawk at her various mishaps, all the while being ’subtly’ encouraged to feel sorry for her. And yeah, I could’ve been tempted, until I caught wind of just how much she depends on using live animals as part of her ‘act’. Elephants dressed in circus attire to promote her new album and single “Circus“? Talk about scraping the barrel.

As Britney is such a victim of the paparazzi and always complaining and crying about how she hates to be held up in her guarded house and can’t feel free, she of all people should be able to relate to the horror that captive animals go through when they’re used for entertainment. Except Britney chooses to perform, and the lifestyle just comes with it. Animals are ripped away from their mothers at a young age, kept in chains, and prodded with electric shock devices to make them perform. There’s not a lot of choice in that.

And the good ole folks at PETA US are not taking this sitting down. Visit their action alert if you want to tell Brit to stop using animals in her acts, once and for all.

C’mon Britters, I know you have a heart of gold somewhere amongst all the animal props.

Image: Hollywoodtoday / CC

Michael Jackson seems to be in a spot of bother. Again. PETA US’ Captive Animal Rescue and Enforcement Department has fired off a letter to the artist insisting that he take responsibility for the giraffes he once owned at his Neverland Ranch property. Due to Jackson’s millions of dollars of unpaid debt, he sold the animals who were living at his private zoo after becoming incapable of caring for them.

Four giraffes from the ranch were relocated to Arizona in the States after being purchased by a couple who apparently intend to open a zoo. But there has been a lot of concerned talk about the well-being of these giraffes. A former volunteer caretaker for the animals has reported that the giraffes do not receive adequate foot care. According to this person, the giraffes have been housed in small, 15 ft. by 15 ft. “temporary” enclosures since the day they were purchased… over a year ago. And, with the exception of one giraffe – who reportedly was allowed to bleed for days after giving birth before the couple finally requested assistance – none of the animals have been seen by a vet.

So, it’s time for Jackson to put his money where his mouth is and pay to have these animals, whom he once supposedly loved so dearly, transferred to an accredited sanctuary. It’s the least he could do considering the length of time these giraffes have been suffering. They deserve to live out the remainder of their lives in a clean, safe environment, where they will receive adequate food, shelter, and veterinary care.

Cue dodgy ‘Bad’ puns…

Image: Foreclosure / CC

Yes, the credit crunch stories are starting to wear thin now (except for this ace one, of course), but when they involve any PETA-friendly tips my ears prick up and suddenly I want to accept these strangers’ kind advice.

There’s one good thing about families with children not having as much money to dabble with these days (I know, bear with me), especially during the school holidays, it’s how they look for cheaper alternatives to summer staples like the zoo, aquaria and animal circuses. So when the Independent suggested camping trips to see the UK’s amazing wildlife – without all the bar biting, head bobbing and general misery in captivity – naturally I just had to share it with you.

We may all moan about British weather but you’ve gotta admit we’ve got some pretty gorgeous landscapes and countryside, just waiting for us to delve into and appreciate for what it really is. Teaming with animals like badgers, wild horses, deer, rare birds and even dolphins and seals on the coast, there’s never been a better time to say a firm ‘No’ to animals in captivity. Seeing animals in their natural habitat provides much more of an education for inquisitive children, than seeing them crammed into a cage or alone without family and no environmental stimulation.

Remember, however, to leave the cute critters alone, and watch from a safe distance – for both of your sakes!

Image: © 2008 Jupiterimages Corporation

Crabbing around the UK’s seaside resorts is one those traditions that Brits seem to be keen on maintaining, possibly in fear of losing our unique island culture. Ahem…But like fox hunting, does a shared pastime really need to indulge in harassing animals for fun?

For residents and tourists in the Norfolk town of Wells-next-the-Sea, it’s time to start thinking about the crabs’ health and safety and not just the darling children’s fingers and toes. A leaflet produced by University of Cambridge zoology students and paid for by the Norfolk Coast Partnership, tells children how to properly care for crabs after catching and keeping them captive in buckets. The Cambridge students have revealed that crabs get stressed and risk badly injuring each other when contained together in buckets. Here are three pointers in their leaflet being given out to 10,000 people this weekend:

• Keep only ten crabs or fewer in a bucket at a time;

• Hold the captives in seawater - and change the water every hour;

• Make sure your bucket isn’t in direct sunlight.

Nice to see how they include the word ‘captives’. Now just to translate that mindset into ‘oohhh, I see, so we shouldn’t be keeping crabs captive at all’. But hey, great start guys.

Image: Sivacracy / CC