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Denis Giles

21 May 2013

Created: 21 May 2013

Last Updated: 21 May 2013

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My sister is a middle child and she says that part of her personality is shaped by being that. The eldest is the boss. The youngest is the cutest baby of the family. But middle children, especially if they are the same sex as the eldest, often feel left out and invisible, as if they are not unique at all and nothing belongs to them. Studies say that middle children are more flexible, better listeners and better talkers than their siblings but are far more prone to depression.

A manager in the middle rung of the government or company would probably be also stressed terribly. He is not senior enough to be followed implicitly. He has to maintain order and progress, yet he can be unseated whenever the bosses want. He has to toady to the people upstairs and rule the people downstairs and yet his salary is as insecure as the people he rules. He faces challenges both from above and below. No wonder most of the heart problems occur in the middle ranks.

Is this a unique human feature or does it exist in all animals. I am certain all colony creatures like ants, wasps and bees would have different management executives as well. Monkeys, who live in troops and certainly have all the features and probably as much intelligence as humans, would also have management levels.

A recent study, done by Liverpool’s Institute of Integrative Biology on Barbury macaques, showed that middle-ranking Barbury macaques experience the most stress of their troop. The team spent 600 hours monitoring a group of varying ranks. They were monitored on how long they spent eating or resting, and recording any threatening behaviour or chases and positive group behaviour such as grooming or close contact. This was combined with hormone readings taken from their faeces. Macaques, like humans, release specific hormones to cope with periods of high stress, including hydrocortisone (cortisol) from the adrenal gland to increase blood sugar and accelerate the fight or flight response.

Samples were collected throughout the day and analysed to take into account differences between morning and afternoon samples. The study also took into consideration personality type, availability of social support within the group, or previous experience. The findings showed that when individuals faced antagonistic behaviour such as threats, chases and slaps, their levels of cortisol were highest. Middle ranking monkeys recorded the highest levels of cortisol almost all the time.

In any group with a hierarchy, there are rules on who can have the best food and the best grooming partners. A middle monkey might want them, but if the high ranking monkeys want the same, then the middle ones have to give them up. This could be done passively – the lower rankers moving away from the source of food, or aggressively with threats.

And, similar to human beings, those in the middle were more likely to be challenged by those higher up, while simultaneously batting away advances from lower ranking individuals that would not dare attack those at the top of the hierarchy. The team found that unlike the small fry monkeys on the front lines—and , unlike those that reign supreme who distance themselves from any conflict, middle-managing monkeys are getting hit from both sides while being tasked with keeping the peace amongst everyone. Other macaque observers say that middle monkeys have a really hard time. “Middle-ranking individuals are under more stress because their interactions are less predictable. They're not exactly sure how others are going to respond to them and how they should respond to others." says National Geographic macaque observer Agustin Fuentes.

According to the 2012 annual Employee Outlook report by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), Europe's largest professional institute for people management, 49 % of middle managers said they are under excessive pressure every day or once or twice a week – which was 12 percent more than the top or the bottom of the hierarchies. The report revealed they were generally less satisfied with their work-life balance, more concerned about job security and most likely to be looking for a new job. And this doesn’t apply only to civilians in a cubicle but also to middle rankers in the military.

How are the monkeys, stuck in middle management, taking out their frustrations?

A common stress reliever among macaques is taking care of infants. Both males and females spend time and groom younger members of the troop, whether their own infant or someone else's. That helps them calm down. This is similar to how humans pet their dogs or cats when they come home from a long and stressful day. Macaques scratch themselves more if they are stressed. So do people. (Watch out for an itchy boss before you confront him). A stressed-out macaque will seek an individual within their network for companionship. Female macaques, who tend to stay close to their relatives, will go to their mothers to be embraced. Those that are really annoyed at being where they are will use threats, slapping the ground and chasing opponents till they calm down. The report records “agonistic behaviour like threats, chases and slaps, submissive behaviour like displacing, screaming, grimacing and hind-quarter presentation.”

Can you see the same happening in your office?

Maneka Gandhi

To join the animal welfare movement contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.peopleforanimalsindia.org

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Denis Giles

06 May 2013

Created: 06 May 2013

Last Updated: 06 May 2013

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I was in Nagpur last week. I was told of an illegal bird market and so I went on Sunday morning. I saw hundreds of small cages with budgerigars and pigeons in them. Of course the team of People for Animals, Nagpur took the birds and went to the police station. The police helped them – even though they had been mute spectators of this market every week. But as usual the forest department people, who are illiterate and wicked most of the time, refused to take the birds as they were foreign – obviously they had never heard of the Gujarat judgment which says that no birds can be sold – specially not love birds or budgerigars.

But what broke my heart was this: I was looking at the bird cages and I saw a budgie crouching in the corner. She looked unwell so I put my hand in and took her out. She had no legs at all; obviously the result of inbreeding and over-breeding. As I held her in my palm, she flew off to a tree in front. This brave little creature could not sit on the branch because she had no legs so she clung with her mouth to a leaf till her grasp weakened and she fell down on the road. We picked her up and she tried weakly to fly again but she went back into a special cage and I do not think she lasted the day.

Do not buy love birds and budgerigars. Both originally came from Australia and Africa but they are now grown by dealers in Kolkata and sent illegally through the railways, in packed cardboard boxes with little holes for breathing, all over India . Many of them die from the lack of oxygen.

Lovebirds are social and affectionate small parrots. They live, in nature, in small flocks and are monogamous. They pair for life, sitting only with their mates. They do not live very long when separated: like humans they pine. But the dealers and you the buyer, encourage this terrible hardship on them. In nature, they live upto 15 years. In captivity, one to two at the most. They are bred by dealers for their colours. If blue is the fashion or the order placed, then all the babies that are not blue are killed by the breeder.

Many lovebirds are captured and brought into India by smuggling them through the Kolkata port. Captured wild lovebirds don’t last very long and they die mourning the loss of a mate or a flock.

Many people keep lovebirds without understanding their needs. Single-sex birds are bought because they look pretty together. They can’t mate, don’t interact and die of loneliness. Determining a lovebird’s sex is difficult. After it is a year old it may show behavioural signs - females rip papers and males vomit. But this is mainly hearsay and is not a reliable indicator. The only sure method is DNA testing. No seller knows anything at all and he will say anything to get the bird off his hands.

Birds kept individually or brought up hand-fed require frequent attention to stay happy, and if the owner has limited time to spend daily with a single lovebird, they wilt. Since they are social birds, they require companionship the entire day. No one who keeps a bird spends any time at all with it except to call its name while passing by and occasionally poke a finger into its cage.

Lovebirds require large cages of more than a metre each way per bird. Their beaks are made of keratin, which grows continuously. Chewing and destroying wood toys and perches helps to keep beaks trim. They need cuttlefish bones to help provide beak-trimming, calcium and other necessary minerals. They require plenty of toys, such as branches, swings, tunnels, boxes and safe things to chew on and play with. Lack of toys, keeping the birdcage covered too many hours, and lack of companionship or social stimulation leads to boredom, stress and psychological or behavioural problems (nervousness, aggression, feather-plucking, screaming, depression, illness). Lovebirds are intelligent, enjoy baths and like to sun themselves daily. No buyer knows this or cares. He simply wants a noisy pretty bird to keep his children amused – till it dies.

Lovebirds are vegetarian. A fresh mix of various seeds, grains and nuts: millets, canary seeds, peeled oats, safflower, barley, amaranth, uncooked rice, linseed , hempseed , buckwheat, wholegrain bread, cereals, fruits, lentils, weeds, pulses and vegetables, peas, beans ,cauliflower leaves, cabbage leaves, chicory, collard greens, dandelion leaves, endives, mustard leaves, wild grass, sprouted beans, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds – are to be given everyday. How many owners do this? They eat flowers : carnations, chives, herbs' blossoms, hibiscus, honeysuckle, impatiens, lilac, nasturtiums, pansies, passion flowers, roses, sunflowers. Many lovebirds die of malnutrition.

So many of the lovebirds are children of different species. They are sterile hybrids – and the breeder deliberately does this so that no more are born to the buyer. People are so strange that when their bird dies, they immediately want to buy more – because otherwise the cage will go waste - and the breeder needs that to happen.

Everything I have said so far applies to the budgerigar, also commonly sold in illegal pet shops and bazaars. It is a small, long-tailed, seed eating parrot which is captured from Australia and brought here where it is grown in the slums of Kolkata. Budgerigars are naturally green and yellow with black, markings on the nape, back, and wings, but have been bred in captivity to become blue, white, yellow, grey– more than 32 different shades. They are the most mutilated birds and, like dogs, those that are not exactly as the breeder wants them to be are killed immediately. You will see them with crests and mixes of strange colours – all of this is unnatural. So many have now eyes that are bigger than normal and squashed faces and tiny legs. Budgerigars in their natural habitat in Australia are noticeably smaller than those that have been bred. Since these are bred to be bigger and fatter with puffier head feathers, their legs can hardly hold them up and the eyes and beak are sometimes completely obscured by the feathers. In the wild they live 20 years. In captivity, under the best conditions of diet and exercise,  2-4 years. They do not produce children without a nest box.

These birds will be eaten by kites and other large predators if you release them. So they are condemned to a life in captivity. It is your desire for a live toy that keeps breeders in business.

Please don’t buy lovebirds or budgies, and inform me about any markets that they are sold in.

Maneka Gandhi

To join the animal welfare movement contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,  www.peopleforanimalsindia.org

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Denis Giles

13 May 2013

Created: 13 May 2013

Last Updated: 13 May 2013

Hits: 1057

Have you reached that state of evolution where you are ready to get a pet dog? Congratulations. You will add a loving member to the family and make a true and loyal friend. 

Where are you going to get the dog from?

Please don’t buy one. You will add to the burden of misery in the world by encouraging a criminal who breeds female dogs till they die and separates them from her children early so that they remain sickly. You will encourage a criminal who takes the money in black, pays no taxes and kills his dogs as soon as they stop breeding. Most pet shop puppies come from slum puppy mills where dogs are not bred for good health and temperament, and where they are often raised in inhumane conditions. 70% of bought dogs die after a few weeks because they are the result of inbreeding – mother with brother/ father/ son etc. so you will make yourself and your family so miserable that the joy of having a dog will go away.

The best place to find a dog or puppy is your local animal shelter or rescue group. They have plenty of pedigrees, mixed-breeds, big dogs and little dogs -- you’re sure to find a great companion.

When you adopt from a shelter or rescue group, you’ll give a dog a second chance at finding a home. Dogs die in shelters, some from a broken heart at being abandoned, some from disease that they have picked up from a sick dog. Dogs in shelters are at the mercy of all – if food does not arrive they cannot do anything. If they get sick, they cannot get specialized treatment because their symptoms go unnoticed in a crowd. So many of them are euthanized -- many because they could not find families to adopt them.

The abandoned pedigreed ones are the worst. They cannot be left on the road as they have no means to fend for themselves. They have seen love and now their hearts ache to belong to someone. They are as frightened and confused as a child would be – one day in a loving home, and the next day in an orphanage. First they wag their tails at any human who passes by, hoping to be loved and taken away. Then, after a few weeks they get despondent and give up hope. They refuse to eat, fall ill quickly and within a few months they are dead.

So choose a rescued dog. Here are some reasons why:

1. Pet stores often source their dogs from puppy mills. Puppy mills are breeders who are simply growing dogs to make money. They have no affinity to the animals and keep them at near starvation level so that they have to spend no money. They do not give them vaccinations and certainly no medicine. Any puppy that does not sell is killed. The mothers are forced to breed through every heat cycle until their body physically cannot support it any more, & then they’re either killed or sold to a laboratory. These dogs are stuck in cages all the time and often have extremely serious illnesses. They often die young. The puppies suffer from major psychological problems and end up abandoned by the families that bought them.

2. An adult cat or dog is always a better option than getting a puppy or kitten! As adorable as little babies can be, they are a LOT of work! You have to housebreak them, clean up after them, go to the vet frequently, socialize them. While most shelters have hundreds of young animals available, if you want to get an animal who fits in without the bother of so much work then an adult is already trained and more than happy to be part of your family.

3. Having a pet is good for you. Pets combat so many problems, from old age illnesses like dementia to loneliness, depression even autism. People become less agitated & more interested in social interaction. Pets control blood pressure, make you exercise and reduce stress. Children get into a routine and become more disciplined.

4. No animal has been dumped in a shelter because he is bad. Their owners are the bad guys. They are going on transfer and don’t want to pay for the animal’s ticket. Their children have left and they don’t want to look after the animal. They have a new baby and don’t want the hassle of looking after both. Some can’t afford to feed them anymore. Some animals that have been in shelters have been abused and have been rescued from bad families. But the dog is still perfect and is still hoping for a good home.

5. Adopting a shelter animal is a lesson in compassion. When you welcome an abandoned cat or dog into your family, you are leading by example. The only way to teach compassion is by showing it. If you have children, one of the best things you can teach them is how to take care of something which needs their love. The idea, of course, is that they take these lessons they’ve learned from having a pet and extend them to their future relationships.

6. All deeds of compassion are good for you. Scientists all over the world have found that children below six years old who get pets will have better social skills, better speech, better co-ordination, more confidence and will be less likely to suffer from allergies.

7. You are saving a life. Most shelters in India do not euthanize abandoned dogs. But some do because they do not have the resources to look after them forever. Which means that when you adopt an animal, you have literally saved a life. That brings brownie points with all the gods in every religion!

8. Knowing that you rescued an animal will amplify the joy of having it in your life even more. And the dog never forgets. They will love you more, try even harder to please you. Every day is a miracle for them and you are their miracle. No matter what happens, they adore you, are happy to see you every time you walk through the door and want to be with you as much as possible. They will protect you from intruders and keep you warm at night if you let them.

There is one waiting for you now in a shelter. Go get him or her and you will be rewarded beyond anything you could possibly imagine.

Maneka Gandhi

To join the animal welfare movement contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.peopleforanimalsindia.org

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Denis Giles

29 April 2013

Created: 29 April 2013

Last Updated: 29 April 2013

Hits: 1229

I am still reading the book Zoobiquity and one chapter is about the similarity of heart attacks in people and animals. According to the author, a doctor and head of internal medicine in a teaching hospital, whenever a shocking event like an earthquake or tsunami or even a war close by takes place, people get far more heart attacks than normal. Chest pains, arrhythmias and deaths rise. For instance when the Iraqi forces sent Scud missiles into Tel Aviv and civilians faced the possibility of being blown up at random, more Israelis died from heart attacks than from the missiles. Fear and dread is a terrible weapon. I know because I have lived with it most of my life and working with sick and dying animals can literally weaken and break your heart. During the 9/11 time, heart attacks reached an all time high across America. Doctors say that people watching sports matches often keel over from anxiety.

But are humans the only ones that die of fright? No. Bird trappers see that when they throw a net over forest birds and then move to put them into capture boxes, many have died on the spot, terrified by the sudden capture. The heart and the mind are inexorably linked. People die of emotional stress- even though their hearts and arteries are clean and healthy. The only thing that doctors find in such cases is a lightbulb shaped bulge at the bottom of the heart, now known as Takotsubo- direct physical evidence that severe stress (fear, grief, shock, intense negative emotion) can alter the shape of the heart and the way it pumps blood. It is now called the “broken–heart syndrome”. Not just human, every animal gets it. Watch an elephant that lies down by its dead friend or child and dies a few days later. That is Takotsubo. Stress hormones called catecholamines gush into the blood stream, poisoning muscles, causing clots, and causing the heart to beat wildly and dangerously.

Many years ago, a very prominent wildlife scientist in South India was arrested when the tigers that he had captured in order to radio-collar, died immediately on capture. There was no explanation except that the animal had simply died of stress. In zoos, deer die when they are being relocated from one enclosure to another. One deer is darted, the others start running around and then heart attacks kill them. Ignorant zoo officers then try to put the blame on stray dogs.

The catechocholamines in a chased animal rise so high that they overwhelm the skeletal and cardiac muscles and cause them to break down. The skeletal muscles break down and their proteins enter the bloodstream and shut down the kidneys. A sign common to both humans and animals is rust coloured urine. Sports that call for extreme performances often result in this: Horses, dogs and other animals that are used for races simply collapse and die.

Animals that are chased die from the stress of being hunted by predators, hunters, zoologists and wildlife “experts”. Some crumple to the ground and die immediately. Some linger for weeks, listless and depressed till they die. Giraffes that are caught to be relocated die quickly. Deer deaths can go up to 50%. Even wild horses, that are chased and caught, die from what scientists call capture myopathy. Post-capture deaths are 10% – an extremely high figure. In birds it is more.

Human beings are so frightened of being captured and restrained that the number of sudden cardiac deaths in new prisoners is very high. Similarly, nothing is more frightening for an animal than to be captured or restrained. It means they are going to be killed. The brain and heart goes into overload immediately. Even lobsters caught in pots die of fright. Their meat is discoloured and rots faster. Leopards that are caught in Uttarakhand almost never survive their capture. They die by the time they are taken into the zoo – often it is thought to be that the anaesthetic has been badly calculated, but see the thrashing and head butting of a leopard against its cage and you will see an animal that is scared enough to kill itself rather than be killed. Bears and wolves react the same way.

Physical restraint on an animal on a medical table invites terror. Dogs with muzzles overheat and die very quickly – more from fright than the weather.

Noise has the same effect. During the terrible senseless noise and firecrackers of Diwali, thousands of birds and animals die in their nest and trees, not hit by missiles but scared by the terrible sudden noises. Every city loses 20% of its birds during October-November and it can never make them up which is why you don’t see birds around any more. Dogs crouched in the open sewers die. Dogs under the beds of their owner’s homes shiver and die.

Rabbits and sheep die. Rabbits die suddenly when rock music is put on. Sheep and goats die from the noise of a helicopter above them. It has often been thought that music is good for animals but concerts held near zoos has often resulted in several sudden deaths. Dalmatian dogs are especially vulnerable to sudden noise related death. The takotsubo malfunction shows up in all their hearts.

Baby animals that are frightened into hiding, from baby fish, fawns, alligators, rats to birds, have their heart rate decreased out of fear. But in the tension of hiding, a sudden loud noise and the heart literally bursts. Doctors say this is what happens in most crib deaths of human infants as well.

Flocks of small birds often react like this to predatory birds. A raptor swoops down and snatches a bird. The birds near the victim often keel over with fright. Some faint. Others die.

The terror of an animal needs to be understood so that captured or confined animals can survive. We need to understand that the connection between the heart and brain is the same in the human as it is in the tiniest of all creatures.

Maneka Gandhi

To join the animal welfare movement contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., www.peopleforanimalsindia.org