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Waorani People win landmark legal victory against Ecuadorian Government

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Indigenous peoples protect Amazon

Indigenous peoples from all over the Ecuadorian Amazon came to Quito to demand respect for an historic court ruling. The natives of Ecuador came to the rescue of several hundred acres of Indigenous territory in the Amazon rainforest from oil drilling by 52 mining concessions granted by the government.

As Yahoo News reported more than 32, 000 hectares were freeing up by Pastaza Provincial Court immediately and stopped plans to sell 180,000 hectares of restricted Waorani territory of oil exploration to firms from the devastating cultural and environmental impact of gold mining.

The tribal Kofan people of Sinangoe, with the help of Amazon Frontlines and the Ceibo Alliance, have succeeded in forcing the Ecuadorian government to cancel all mining concessions on its ancestral territory, a landmark achievement for native rights in Ecuador.

The Waorani people of Ecuador save the planet and their homes from destruction by winning a historic lawsuit. The community of Sinangoe and the surrounding provincial ombudsman presented the court with environmental evidence that the court imposed on the government for not having consulted the tribe and the judges recognized had violated the rights of the natives to life, liberty, and liberty and to keep informed of information.

“This is a great victory for our community, for our people and for all indigenous peoples. We are not just fighting for our people, but for everyone who depends on clean water and clean air. This victory is a huge step forward for our children and for future generations. We will remain vigilant in our territory and will continue fighting until we have legal title over our entire ancestral homeland.”– Mario Criollo, President of the community of Sinangoe.

The lawsuit alleged that under the Ecuadorian constitution the Waorani’s rights granted to them “were violated due to an improper consultation process”. The Ecuadorian Human Rights Ombudsman co-filed with Pastaza CONCONAWEP against the Secretary of Hydrocarbons and the Ministry of Environment, and the Ecuadorian Ministry of Energy and Non-Renewable Natural Resources.

Ecuador is ranked among the smallest oil producers in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

The most biodiverse place in the world is currently the area which has been freed from coal mining activity. It’s home to not only the Kofan people who are accustomed to relying on its fresh water for their survival, but also to 3,725 species of plants and more than 650 species of birds and 50 species of mammals.

“This is a major win for indigenous rights in Ecuador, and a huge wake up call to the Ecuadorian government. Before viewing the land for the minerals underneath it, the Courts now forces authorities to obtain consent from the indigenous peoples who call it home, and to properly evaluate the environmental and cultural costs of allocating such biodiverse hotspots to gold miners.”– Maria Espinosa, Amazon Frontlines’ legal coordinator and Sinangoe’s lawyer.

It took months to raise awareness of destructive mining practices by using land patrols, satellite imagery, indigenous-driven media campaigns as well as the use of special equipment such as drones, camera traps.

The Kofan people have succeeded in demonstrating the importance of indigenous-led environmental monitoring along with the support from indigenous partners from the Ceibo Alliance, Amazon Frontlines and innovative legal methods sustained them in protecting their land and rights.

“Now is the time to put even more pressure on the appeals court to ratify this ruling and for the government to respect our right to free, prior and informed consent and self-determination. Tonight, we celebrate, but tomorrow we go back to work to ensure that our territories are oil-free forever,” added Oswando Nenquimo.

The Ecuadorian Government has announced that they will appeal the court’s decision. For centuries, the indigenous Waorani have lived on their land. They have continuously called upon the international community to help them protect their land. You can help them by signing this letter to Ecuador’s government to demand respect for Indigenous Rights and the court’s ruling.

References:
independentmediainstitute.org
leonardodicaprio.org
amazonfrontlines.org

Animals

Dog Befriends Horse & Learns to Give Hugs

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Horse
Photo: Aussie Orion facebook

What could be cuter than a dog and horse interacting with one another? A video of the two pets has gone viral, showing the horse slowly approaching the dog to sniff her. The dog gets scared at first, but once she feels comfortable she will even give the horse a hug! These two animals are so different creatures but yet they have so much in common!

An Australian shepherd in Härryda, Sweden has a horse as its best friend. Two furry BFFs from Härryda, Sweden have become an overnight sensation after becoming viral on social media for their friendship.
The Australian shepherd named Orion and the horse, called “Destiny” bring some warmth to people’s online hearts.
Orion fascinates Destiny- they match! She leans in when he jumps up and seemingly enjoys his attention.
The story is about the unique relationship between two very different animals, such as a dog and a horse.

Orion even has his own Facebook page. Need a smile? You can support them by following their facebook. Click here for more adorableness. 

Photo: Aussie Orion facebook

Sources:
petrescuereport.com
upbeatnews.com

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Animals

Orphaned Elephant Returns to Human Rescuers So She Can Introduce Them to Her Newborn Calf

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Sheldrick Wildlife Trust
Photo: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

A 14-year-old elephant remembered an amazing act of kindness that happened years before. Thanks to the kindness that she experienced when she was younger, Loijuk grew older and become a mother.

In 2006, at only 5 months old an orphaned elephant was found all alone and it was rescued by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (SWT) in Kenya. The SWT hand-raised her until she was old enough to be able to survive in the wild.

Loijuk often returns to the SWT’s Ithumba Stockades, even she now lives in the wild, but she never forgets her human caregivers.

Loijuk’s most recent visit at the beginning of September, however, marked a very special occasion: she had just given birth to a female calf and she wanted to introduce the baby to the SWT rescuers.

Loijuk was an orphan from the tender age of just five months. She was taken to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, an organization in Kenya that is run by many caring people. They took her in, fed and cared for her as she grew older, and eventually released her back into the wild.

However, Loijuk wasn’t about to forget the humans who took such good care of her when she was a baby. Even though she has adapted very well to living in a natural setting, Loijuk goes back to visit with her caretakers once a month.

“It is so special to witness Loijuk welcome and encourage the interaction, inviting head Keeper Benjamin to enjoy her newborn baby, unperturbed by their shenanigans together, and to immediately see the joy this new life brings the whole Ithumba Unit of dependent orphans and ex-orphan’s alike,” writes the SWT staffers.

Wild Elephant Brings Her Newborn

“Watching her heal, flourish and transition to a wild independent life again in the span of 14 years, surrounded by ex-orphans and wild elephant friends, and now to see her transform into a mother is the ultimate affirmation of a job well done.”

Loijuk stayed close to the sanctuary during the week that followed. It was as if she wanted the keepers to make sure her baby was healthy, so that is exactly what they did. They checked on her often to make sure that everything was well with her. They also supplemented her diet to make sure that she was getting enough nutrition during the dry season.

To support orphaned elephants being cared for by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, you can make a donation.

Photo credit: Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

Sources:
www.thedodo.com
www.apost.com
www.goodnewsnetwork.org
www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

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A Parrot and an Alaskan Malamute Make For the Best of Friends

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Parrot and an Alaskan Malamute
Photo: trez_and_tydus Instagram

Have you heard about Alaskan Malamute breed? How about an Alaskan Malamute with a parrot for a best friend. A 4-year-old Alaskan Malamute by the name Tydus, living in South Africa with his owner and Trez – is a mischevious African Grey parrot and Tydus’ loyal companion.

 

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Trez : “This dog is crazy” #AlaskanMalamute #Tydus #Trez #AfricanGrey #dogsofinstagram #trez_and_tydus

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Dogs are not only man’s best friend, but they can also be amazing friends with other animals as well. We always love to hear stories about unusual animal friendships and Tydus and Trez are giving us some serious friendships inspiration.

The 5-year-old Alaskan Malamute is already a star with more than 160 thousand followers on Instagram. You won’t see Tydus and Trez posing together that often on Instagram. They have appeared on numerous websites and social media pages such as 9gag, The Dodo, and Unilad.

In an interview for Hello Bark, the owner explained that the dog and the parrot are both dominant and that makes their friendship a bit complicated.

“They don’t really get along that well. Trez is very dominant and won’t think twice about biting one of Tydus’ paws. We always monitor them and would never leave them alone with each other.”

 

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Love this photo ? #Throwback #throwbackthursday #AlaskanMalamute #Tydus #minitydus

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“Tydus starts howling as soon as he hears an ambulance or whenever he is bored. Trez will then pitch in and say: “Tydus stop it. Good boy!”. Trez comforts him by talking to him while they are alone,” their owner said.

Look at some of these adorable and lovely photos.

 

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Good Morning! #AlaskanMalamute #Tydus

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Peek-a-boo! Look who took a break from taking over the world to take a picture ?. #AfricanGrey #parrot #Trez

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Fave pic of these 2. #alaskanmalamute #Tydus #trez

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Jumping into the weekend like… #AlaskanMalamute #Tydus

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Banner photo: trez_and_tydus Instagram

Sources:
ourfunnylittlesite.com
playjunkie.com
www.unilad.co.uk
9gag.com
www.thedodo.com

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