Sierra Club has created a petition urging the United States Forest Service to stop the building of The Mountain Valley Pipeline, which is set to carry high-pressure fracked gas across the Appalachian Trail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, and the Jefferson National Forest.

"From explosions to landslides, to slashing through our wild forests and ruining back country hikes, this pipeline could bring unprecedented changes to our Appalachian wildlands."

The pipeline developer has failed to show that the proposed pipeline cannot be built on non-Forest Service lands.

"A private company cannot exploit our public lands just because it is cheaper or easier than another pipeline route."



Sierra Club is an environmental preservation organization founded in 1892. Their mission is a successful transition to a resource-efficient clean energy economy that better serves people and nature, promoting healthy ecosystems and communities, fighting for clean air and water etc.

Join their fight to stop this pipeline by signing and sharing the petition: Protect the Appalachian Trail from the Mountain Valley Pipeline

There is also a petition on Care2: Save The Iconic Appalachian Trail. Stop the Mountain Valley Pipeline!

Please sign and share.


"These lands allow people to enjoy the great outdoors and sustain our way of life. They are a haven for wildlife and people and provide us with clean drinking water, healthy air, and endless recreation opportunities."

For more information on Sierra Club and their work you can visit their official website and follow them on social media:

Wilson’s Wild Animal Park, a roadside zoo in Winchester, Virginia has various animals: lions, buffaloes, reptiles, bears etc. And they are all suffering! The bears there are confined to a concrete-floored cage, left without water, which is bad anytime, but especially dangerous during summer and the hot weather. They bears were seen panting. One bear was eating water- and urine-soaked food, and another repeatedly paced inside the enclosure, which is a sign of severe psychological distress.

"The roadside zoo has been repeatedly cited by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failing to meet the minimum requirements of the federal Animal Welfare Act. The violations include inadequate caging for dangerous animals, a lack of a veterinary-care program, and failing to provide primates with adequate enrichment. Eyewitnesses also recently observed deer panting in the heat, a goat with nasal discharge, an alpaca with overgrown nails, lynxes and a lion cub confined to enclosures on concrete slabs, a lynx repeatedly pacing, and birds with apparent injuries and missing feathers."

1. There is a petition on Care2 asking the USDA to shut the zoo down. Please sign and share: Bears Are Suffering From Heat Exposure at Roadside Zoo!

2. In the meantime the Wilson’s Wild Animal Park has a phone number you can call, and you can ask them to provide water for the bears and all animals there. To provide a basic necessity. Please remain polite, no matter what their reaction. The number is: 540-662-5715.

On PETA's site there is a sample script you can use:

"I’m calling to urge you to provide the desperately hot bears at your facility with at least natural terrain and an adequate pool and to consider retiring them to a reputable sanctuary. I was appalled to learn that they’re confined to a concrete-floored enclosure and that they’ve been seen panting with no means of escaping the heat. These animals deserve to live in vast habitats where they can exhibit normal types of behavior, such as digging, roaming, swimming, and foraging, rather than spending their lives on a hot concrete slab in enclosures in which they can barely take a few steps in any direction. Thank you for your time and consideration."

But of course you can tell them your message in your own words.

3. You can leave a comment on the tripadvisor page: Wilson's Wild Animal Park

The original article can be found here: Help Bears Suffering in the Heat at Wilson’s Wild Animal Park

A lot has happened since I posted an update regarding this action. I apologize for that, I will try to be more frequent with the updates. I think this campaign is very important and that it can help animals in Indonesia.

To remind ourselves, it all started with P Holmes, who has created a petition regarding the malnourished bears in the Bandung Zoo, in Indonesia. You can see the first post on my blog regarding that here:Skeletal sun bears begging for food in Indonesian zoo.


The article where you can find the video from the zoo: Shocking video shows skeletal sun bears BEGGING visitors to feed them junk food - as they are trapped and starving in an Indonesian zoo

The latest news regarding the sun bears:

"Executive Director of Wildlife Sanctuary in Colorado agreed to rescue the sun bears but unless they are released, the rescue cannot happen. I contacted Pat Craig from Wildlife Sanctuary, CO again last week, he stands by his offer to take the sun bears from Bandung zoo if their release can be secured and his offer extends to any sun bears from Indonesia. Sun bears are a protected species in Indonesia so they belong to the government, not the zoo owners."

It is sad that zoos use the excuse of conservation to exploit the endangered species. If a species is protected/endangered then it is the Government's responsibility to enforce their laws but sadly it is not being carried out and poor innocent animals continue to suffer. If zoo wants to carry out conservation effort, then provide the animal with a decent habitat!"

This action is still ongoing. The sun bears are still in the Bandung Zoo. Good news is that they are at least being fed.

You can sign the petition asking for the closure of the zoo here:
Shut down the Bandung Zoo now!

and the petition on care2.com:

President Widodo, Shut down Bandung Zoo now.

Please also share the petition.


Since my last update the situation has developed further and now P Holmes, with the help of "Animal House TV" creator and producer Rebecca Rodriguez is organizing a campaign that will help more than just the sun bears and the rest of the animals in Bandung Zoo, but also all of the animals in Indonesia. Rebecca has created a GoFundMe page so they can collect funds necessary to keep on fighting for the animals there. You can find out more about Rebecca's team here: Meet Rebecca's team (Update #32 on the GoFundMe page).

If you can, please donate and share the GoFundMe page: Help the Animals of Indonesia. All of Rebecca's updates, from the start, can be read there (Including the pictures that can't be seen in the updates from the petition I have linked here in my blog post, since I can't share the separate updates directly from the GoFundMe page).
Rebecca was in Indonesia, to see for herself and report on the conditions there. Sadly, her trip was cut short due to some disturbing developments. However, the rest of her group stayed behind. You can read the full update here: Update from Indonesia. (Update #25 & #31 on the GoFundMe page ).

"Fueled by corruption and poverty, zoos, safari parks, animal performance acts, forced photo props, pet markets and wildlife trade markets are overflowing with varying degrees of neglect, torture, abuse, and despair. Dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, small mammals, primates, etc…many of them endangered species, are struggling in a hotbed of anguish and suffering. Poaching is rampant, the illegal wildlife trade is booming and natural habitats are being destroyed at an alarming rate. 

The things that I saw happening out in the open, brought me to my knees. To think of the things that are happening to these animals behind the scenes, nearly paralyzes me."

There is a lot that needs to be done for the animals, and here you can see the plan: Vision and Strategy to forge ahead (Update #33 on the GoFundMe page).

Regarding the Bandung zoo, Rebecca has said:

"I am not of the mindset to spend time and resources to help an animal exploitation establishment (e.g. a zoo), exploit animals better or in a better environment. Ideally, this zoo would close, along with several other animal establishments in Indonesia. While we can still work to this end, in the meantime, we can offer solutions to improve the quality of life for the animals currently there."

I totally agree with Rebecca, that these zoos need to close. I also agree that in the meantime, helping the animals that are there is the right thing to do. But, let's not forget the ultimate goal, which is freedom for these animals. No matter how much you try to be as humane as possible, confining an animal is still cruel and unnecessary. Wouldn't it be better to organize tours throughout Indonesia where you can see the animals in their natural habitat and enjoy the world of animals that way? Those animals deserve to be free, and hopefully in time that will be possible.

"We are here because we love animals and because we care about this world. I need your help to not only reach but to exceed the goal of this campaign, so I can achieve the objectives above. Please tell your family and friends that even $1 can make a difference. 

If there is one project above, that resonates with you, that you may like to become more involved with, please reach out to me and I will happily share more information. 

One of my favorite quotes is by Ryunosuke Satoro. It goes… “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” Let’s be the ocean. For the Animals, Rebecca"

Help by spreading the word about the abuse the animals in Indonesia are facing each day. The world needs to know, so more people can help. If you can donate, please do so. Any amount, even 1$, helps a lot! Also please share the petitions and the GoFundMe page.

You can follow Animal House TV on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnimalHouseTV/ where you can also see the latest updates regarding the campaign, and you can follow Rebecca on her Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/msrebrod/