Press Release: Office of Jean Lambert MEP
4th October 2005
ON WORLD ANIMAL DAY GREEN MEP CALLS FOR ACTION TO PRESERVE GREEN HABITATS
As the UK celebrates World Animal Day today, Green Euro MP, Jean Lambert, has called for action to protect animals from cruelty and preserve our green habitats.
Launched in the UK on October 4th 2003, World Animal Day commemorates our love and respect for animals and heightens awareness of issues surrounding them.
Mrs Lambert, who previously campaigned against the live transportation of cattle and the horrific treatment of Asiatic Black Bears (also known as Moon Bears), urged people to enjoy World Animal Day but also remember those animals that are still subject to torture; "Thousands of cases of animal cruelty are reported every year and it must be stopped. Animals must be seen as valuable assets shared by us all and not expendable, expensive luxuries for the few.
“Both domestic and wild animals need protecting. With many rare species under threat it is vital that we protect the green habitats they thrive in. The way land is used has the single largest impact on the environment and on the quality of our lives. It would be impossible for animals and people to have a decent quality of life if the environment was poorly maintained. By restoring habitats for wildlife we are taking direct action for threatened wildlife and birds as well as improving the environment we live in.”
With a variety of events taking place across the UK, World Animal Day gives everyone the opportunity to get involved, pledge to make a difference and celebrate animals everywhere.
ENDS
For more information please contact:
Morwenna Holland, Media Officer
tel: 020 7407 6280 or 07813149812
email: media@jeanlambertmep.org.uk
Notes to editors:
Jean Lambert : Jean Lambert was first elected Green Party Member of the European Parliament for London in the 1999 European elections. She was re-elected in 2004. She is one of nine MEPs representing London and one of two UK Green representatives in the European Parliament.
Asiatic Bears: The bears, also known as Moon Bears because of the yellow crescent of fur splashed on their chests, have been kept in tiny wired cages with rusting metal catheters implanted in their abdomens through which bile was being extracted for use in traditional medicine – Doctors now say herbs could be used for the same effect.
World Animal Day: Started in 1931, highlighting the plight of endangered species, at a convention of ecologists in Florence. The day has grown to encompass all kinds of animal life and has been widely celebrated in countries as diverse as Australia, Malta, Singapore and Lithuania.