.......................Keith Sanderson
The Bad Kind of Monkey Business
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Tim Phillips ..................................
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Tim Phillips is co-founder and Vice President of Animal Defenders International. Tim discusses two very timely topics. The first is the horrific findings from an investigation ADI has made about monkeys that are supplied to the U.S for experiments in Laboratories. The second subject Tim discusses is the historic bill that was recently introduced by Congressman Jim Moran (D) of to end use of wild animals in travelling circuses that he recently introduced in Congress. Tim discusses what can be done to stop the transfer of monkeys by Air France from their homes to research facilities in America and elsewhere. He also provides insight as to the trauma and stress wild and exotic circus animals face traveling and performing.
Questions or Comments? Email Max A Pooch: maxapooch@petliferadio.com
Tim Phillips is the Vice-President and co-founder of Animal Defenders International (ADI), a highly respected organization that campaigns across the globe investigating animal issues, creating public awareness, securing progressive animal protection legislation, and rescuing animals in distress.
Phillips’ passion for saving animals grew from a documentary he saw in 1981 titled “The Animals’ Film.” At the time, there was little support for modern animal rights, but the film’s exposure of cruel animal treatment compelled Phillips to make a change. Within two weeks, he became a vegetarian, left his banking job, purchased a camera, and began capturing evidence of animal abuse. Phillips’ video and photographic images have revealed shocking practices in entertainment, farms, and laboratories. He has received numerous awards for his animal protection documentaries, advertisements, and training videos.
In 1990, Phillips co-founded ADI with his wife Jan Creamer, a fellow animal rights activist. With Phillips serving as Vice-President and Creamer as President, the tenacious duo built a worldwide reputation with committed teams stationed in major cities. Last year, Phillips and Creamer, following a series of dramatic ADI exposés leading to laws prohibiting animals in circuses in South America, embarked on enforcing these laws. In Bolivia, almost every circus defies the law, so Creamer and Phillips and their team set about tracking down the illegal circuses. In a series of surprise raids called Operation Lion Ark, they closed every circus and saved every animal, the climax was a huge airlift of 25 former circus lions to Colorado (four other lions were flown to California). Now, ADI’s upcoming documentary “Lion Ark” will astonish audiences with a behind-the-scenes experience of this breathtaking story of courage and compassion.
Phillips describes ADI’s approach as “holistic,” gathering both physical and scientific evidence to stop animal mistreatment. He uses hidden cameras to capture footage of the suffering and relies on animal experts to analyze the behaviors. The covert surveillance and research provide the necessary evidence to prosecute abusers in court. Phillips and Creamer must often dodge angry mobs and handle dangerous animals in order to pursue their cause, but they persevere in their campaigns to end animal suffering.
Phillips and ADI have succeeded in rescuing and protecting animals worldwide:
· Established new controls over cross border movements of traveling circuses in over 170 countries