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Animals & Wildlife Kuwait

Flamingos massacred at the Abdaliya Nature Preserve

Taken from K’s PATH John Peaveler’s Facebook page:

Flamingos massacred at the Abdaliya Nature Preserve after poachers forced their way in on Thursday, November 17th, 2011. Even our responding staff who come from a rural part of India where live can be brutal thought to write the word “crime” with the shotgun shells. You can see their look of disgust. We were able to save two, one uninjured and one with a broken leg. Now we will try to save them.

Not sure what kind of people who shoot Flamingos for fun but this is horrible. If you’re logged in to Facebook you can see the pictures and get more information [Here] For more information click [Here]

Thanks Rayboy

90 replies on “Flamingos massacred at the Abdaliya Nature Preserve”

Poachers kill for profit or survival. The people who killed these birds are uncivilized animals.

Who the hell hunts Flamingos for fun? wtf i can understand if they catch them and sell them as exotic pets but not kill them!!! this is insane!

i swear that i saw a jeep full of teen Bedowans with shotguns near abdaliy, shooting zarzoor (small bird) hanging on a power line tower !

And the problem is that you can’t talk reason with them , they will either tell you ” you are 7thery u don’t understand desert like we do ” or worse they can beat u up until you pass out and leave you in the middle of desert !

This was a heinous massacre and i’m not excusing it in any way nor do i condone it. It truly highlights the lack of law enforcement in Kuwait that something like this would happen in a nature preserve.

But to whoever wrote this:
” Even our responding staff who come from a rural part of India where live can be brutal thought to write the word “crime” ”

What do you mean by the above piece? Are you using this issue to say that somehow even people of rural india are in someway more humane than the majority of Kuwaitis? Please don’t use this horrible issue to further any foreigners > Kuwaitis debate.

If you are disgusted by this behavior as much as i am, writing drivel like this will not win you over to the Kuwaiti population nor will it help further your cause and make it relevant to the Kuwaiti population.

Um I don’t think that’s what he meant. By the phrasing of his words, it’s implied he meant “Even people from rural India, who live in a tough environment and see tragedies around them thought this was a horrible thing”

If anything that’s an insult to Rural Indians. You’ve completely mistook his tone.

Off course its an insult to Indians and in an offshoot way an insult to Kuwaitis. To rephrase what he said:

“Oh even those savage Indians from “hostile” rural India were even more disgusted of this crime than the Kuwaitis.”

A presumptuous comment which serves no purpose whatsoever except to inflame both Kuwaitis and Indians. And the guy who wrote i presume in white Mr. John Pavelear, is in an indirect way associating brutality to both Indians and Kuwaitis.

Ok my personal on this is, what is the purpose of showing dead flamingos or the mistreatment of animals in general in Kuwait. Kuwait is a country that has little to no animal rights laws or even laws preventing animal cruelty. So the purpose of highlighting this tragic massacre should be:
a) we need tougher animal rights laws and more implementation of those laws.

b) we need more AWARNESS to the GENERAL KUWAITI PUBLIC on animal welfare and prevention to animal cruelty.

I don’t feel comments like this benefit the cause of animal rights in Kuwait. Organisation like Ks Path which only has a website in English by the way tends to only highlight the plight on animal in Kuwait to the outside world without reaching Kuwaitis or the Kuwaiti judiciary themselves.

If you really want to change things in Kuwait and not just post pictures on facebook make sure they are done by a Kuwaiti, and make sure they are in Arabic. This is the best way to make a change in society.

Change in any society comes from the public in that society not the elite nor foreigners
/rant.

Oh and before anyone accuses me of not caring about the flamingos i do and as an animal owner and lover i care about all animals in Kuwait, i just disagree with how animal welfare organisations seem to be run and managed by foreigners or members of the elite therefore being counter productive to the overall aim of making a Kuwaiti society more in tune to the plight of animal cruelty.
OK really /rant

I believe K’s Path is ran by a Kuwaiti? Can anyone confirm?

Who are the elite people running animal shelters? Do we need an occupy animal shelters movement now?! Us common people deserve to run animal shelters, lets rally in Wafra, p.s. – Kuwaiti’s only.

I still don’t get how referring to an area as hostile is insulting and presumptuous (and I didn’t see anyone refer to them as savage Indians besides yourself.)

I will just assume you are stupid and that rests the case.

yes run by Aisha Al-Humaizi, a woman who’s dad built his wealth on mis-treated cows ( they own Burgerking ) and indian workers living in camps ( they also own other companies including Al-Kout food group )

So explain to me how American educated Aisha who uses animal welfare as a hobby while counting daddy’s money represents Kuwaitiy society and what has she done to increase awareness to the Kuwaiti population on the plight of animals?

While I agree that the statement is in poor taste, you are jumping to (paranoid) conclusions.

When you stated your rephrase: “Oh even those savage Indians from “hostile” rural India were even more disgusted of this crime than the Kuwaitis.”

No one made any mention of Kuwaitis, the statement was simply: “Even our responding staff who come from a rural part of India where live can be brutal thought to write the word “crime” with the shotgun shells”

There is absolutely no comparison between nationalities mentioned in the original quote. Why would you automatically assume the quote was meant as a dig toward Kuwaitis? If I manipulated the statement in the way that you did, I could just insert any nationality I wanted in there.

While the rest of your post has some good points, you lost credibility by making an argument based on what seems to be paranoia.

Although I understand many of your valuable points with regards to animal welfare in Kuwait, I disagree with you immensely on the fact that it is not important to highlight this incident. There is a nature preserve in Kuwait? Why hasn’t this government professionally developmented it in order to protect these species. This is why it is important to highlight because it is yet another failure by this government in Kuwait and the list goes on and on and on.

@Qster………..noooooo what the poster said was that LIFE (sic live) can be brutal in those parts of India but that in SPITE of that, this act shocked people who had SEEN brutal things….duh…….drivel…..mmmm.

I know this is a pipe dream but I think this should be dealt with the same way poaching is handled in Africa and other parts of the world: armed rangers.

no just enforce the law and make examples out of people, if Kuwait would enforce the law more a lot of the problems that happen in a regular basis would decrease.

I apologize to anyone who took offense by my comment regarding our staff member from rural India. My intent was was to add the perspective of someone who grew up in a very rural area without modern infrastructure and who, as a result, has seen a fair amount of hardship. The natural world is an integral part of that life in that what cannot be afforded must be found, often in the jungle or forest. As human beings with good hearts, they see the massacre of these flamingos as a heinous crime, just as any decent person would.

That comment was posted on my personal Facebook page and does not reflect the position of K’S PATH. The photos were held for release until the conclusion of our fundraiser last night. They are now available with our official interpretations on our Facebook page.

K’S PATH is an equal opportunity employer without concern for race, creed, national origin, religious preference or sexual orientation. Our staff includes three Kuwaiti’s and many of our volunteers, including senior volunteers, are Kuwaiti. We believe anyone that cares about animals and their habitat has a right to help.

If and when we are able to hire or find a volunteer to manage our publications in Arabic then we will certainly do so. In the mean time most of our publications are produced and edited by volunteers without sufficient Arabic skills.

More information regarding the flamingos will be available in the coming days.

I again apologize for the offense. None was intended.

Regards,

John Peaveler
Managing Director
K’S PATH

What it sounds like you’re saying is even sub-human people like people from rural India find this disgusting and atrocious, which is frankly, just a very stupid way to say that you are disgusted by the killing of the birds. Maybe you should learn phrasing your sentences correctly. I’m not an English expert, but some things should be thought of properly.

He apologized so lets drop it.

To Mr Peaveler

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

In order for long term awareness and respect for animal rights and welfare in Kuwait more Kuwaitis will need to be included into Ks Path.

You need an Arabic website and you need more outreach to the Kuwaiti public. Simply rescuing animals time and again is good for now but will not solve the problem in the long term. The only way to solve it in the long term is by making this a grassroots issue and therefore including more Kuwaitis into Ks path. Community outreach and lobbying MPs through lawyers and working with the system is my suggestion.

Thank you for what you are doing, and please don’t take my comments negatively, i merely want my country and its people to be involved with the protection of both their eco-system and animal welfare in general.

To Qster,

I think Mr. John Peaveler has mentioned they need volunteers to do most of the things you keep commenting about. So why dont you act and volunteer instead of preaching on what should be done and how things should be run.

As YOU said “I merely want my country and its people to be involved with the protection of both their eco-system and animal welfare in general.”

So let me ask you something, when was the last time YOU were involved?? These foreigners as you keep referring to them are very involved and dont just talk and preach. It would be nice if you gave a couple hours of your week to do what you preach.

Oh and by the way, I am Kuwaiti and NOT from the elite as you are calling Aisha Al-Humaizi. I am from a normal Kuwaiti family, I went to a Kuwaiti government school and lived in Kuwait all my life and I am not preaching here, I actually volunteer my time instead of telling others what they should do while sitting behind of a computer screen.

Thank you k’S PATH. I have seen you do great things and the impossible when no one else did! And I know this is NOT a hobby for Aisha Al-Humaizi, I have seen her with the animals and how much she cares and gives them everything she has for several years now! So great job Aisha and John and keep up the great work! I hope more people will actually come out and help instead of criticizing!

Oh you want to talk about me. ok, I got bachelors degree from North Dakota where i used to volunteer at Goodwill and Souris Valley Animal Shelter, I am now living in Oregon where i am regular contributor and volunteer with Oregon Humane Society. when the time comes for me to move back to Kuwait i will continue doing what i have been doing for the past 3 years. So stop being so presumptuous.

Ok, then when you come back to Kuwait then start talking about the situation here and how things should be run. I bet that you didnt even visit K’S PATH shelter in Kuwait when you have been back to Kuwait for a visit, correct?

Oh and I am not the one being “presumptuous”, you have been throwing assumptions and accusations all over this post!

So I suggest the next time you visit Kuwait, you spend some of the time volunteering in your OWN country for a bit instead acting high and mighty with your “oh i got a degree from North Dakota, oh I live in Oregon, I volunteer at this and that shelter in the USA so I know better attitude”… Kuwait is not the USA, for every 100,000 volunteer in the US there is ONE in Kuwait and thats what K’S PATH has to work with. By the way, the people that you are criticizing so much have volunteered in the USA for years too and have taken a lot of their procedures AND training from there and are still working with the shelters in the USA.

It looks like you have an issue with people who are privileged or ‘elite’ as you call them.

You are being personally presumptuousness without even knowing me personally
I DO know HOW Aisha Al-Homaizi made her fortunes and they weren’t in the most morally of acceptable manner.

I never had the time to volunteer in Kuwait as i was busy working and trying to take out a loan to be able to live and study abroad. I however did donate to PAWS. Again stop being so presumptuous, i never inherited my money from a company with questionable human and animal rights records.

At the end of the day animal rights is being a hobby of the elite and not a serious endeavor to increase awareness of the plight of animal rights to the general public.

OMG!! you REALLY have a problem with people who come from a family with money!! Aisha Al-Homaizi doesnt even have a ‘fortune’ and thats why she depends on people’s donation and she hasnt inherited any money considering both of her parents are alive and well.

You said you were busy trying to take a loan to live abroad. First, banks dont work on the weekends so you did have time to volunteer 2 hours on one weekend. Second, how long does it take to get a load that you cant spare two hours in the years that K’S PATH been open? Third, K’S PATH and PAWS are two different organizations run by two totally different kind of people!

Look at your comments in this post, and be honest, who is being presumptuous?

I never said they’re not doing anything, I said most of their efforts are focused in the wrong place. I have no doubt K’s Path faces considerable challenges because animal rights aren’t taken seriously, which is precisely why I think they should focus more on awareness. Furthermore, I have no clue whether or not what Qster says is true, but it does seem a tad hypocritical to get rich using the very practices you condemn. Nobody is attempting to discount the good work K’s Path has done – but there’s always room for improvement.

Oh, on a related note, I’m of the opinion that bragging about your good deeds devalues them.

It’s possible to provide constructive criticism without being directly involved. One doesn’t have to be a volunteer to understand that animal rescues are all well and good, but that’s treating the symptoms, not the cause. Getting huffy because someone DARES to criticize an organization you care about isn’t helping anybody.

excellent point +1

There are many organisations that might endeavor to the same cause in different ways, the disagreements are with the method not the cause.

@reem

are you reading what i am saying? It has nothing to do with how much money she has but HOW she has it and how morally did she earn it.

And enough about me, i did my part for the world, what did you do?
I say again you don’t know me PERSONALLY i am not a famous wealthy socialite, you are the one being presumptuous and in fact acting like a teenage girl (which you probably are and i am wondering why am i wasting my Saturday mornings on you).

She didn’t make the money! Why are you condemning her for the way her father made the money?! whats wrong with you?!

What have I done? I volunteer my weekends at the shelter in my own country. Thats while I am holding a full time job during the week and trying to set up my own business! I rescue animals that are injured in the streets, I give money to the shelters and also to poor families in Kuwait! And I am doing all of this in my country that you mentioned you wanted to protect.

@D
K’S PAATH does try to do awareness to the community, it goes to schools that will give them the access to give awareness to their students. They go to the ministries to fight with them on different things like how the baladiya puts poison in the streets for the stray cats and dogs! They have asked and begged from the ministry to give them backing and authorization to collect and spay and neuter the stray animals but the ministry keeps refusing! They are fighting and stopping dog fights! So how can you and Qster say that this organization is not trying to create awareness in the community??

And by the way, I graduated University 18 years ago and have been working ever since, so no, I am not a teenager. Thats just something a person who has no proper reply would say. Have a nice life in Oregon

Oh and @Reem
Excuse me for wanting my weekends to myself and my family after earning something for a living but you wouldn’t know anything about earning your way in the world (YES NOW I AM THE ONE BEING PRESUMPTUOS, HOW DOES IT FEEL?)

Hahahahaha Qster, I told you an hour ago that I come from a normal family and went to goverment school! So I wasnt born with money and still dont have money. I have a loan and have to get up every day to go to work and earn a living. You are not the only Kuwaiti working you know. My suggestion is to get rid of that chip that you have on your shoulder before it eats you up!

no i object to people who have earn money by owning companies that are against human rights, this includes a lot of Kuwaiti companies and that is due to lack of law enforcement in Kuwait in regards to big companies and the treatment of migrant workers in Kuwait.

Oh and you do know ‘daddy’ owns burger king otherwise known as murder king, kind of contradictory supporting animal welfare yet profiting from a fast food chain that is known in animal rights circles as murder king.

الزبده اهي إنا هل منظمه مالها هدف الا الشكوه على قلة رفق الحيوان في الكويت او مالها اي اهداف لتغير نظرة المجتمع الكويتي او القوانين الكويتيه بإتجاه رفق الحيوان او هذا لاخواني الكويتين

Where in any of my posts did i object to the HUMANE killing of animals for food.
Burger King certainly does not kill or even treat its cattle in a remotely humane way.

نظرتي نظرة واحد اشتغل حق فلوسه او ما ورثها من شركات بابا الي حصلت فلوسها ابعرق او دم

@reem

So her father made the money but he doesn’t give her any of it? How naive can you be. Fact is her family’s wealth was earned with a lack of respect to animal and human rights, she is in charge of Ks Path therefore that is contradictory, you can’t tiptoe around the issue.

And seriously 18 years since graduating college so that makes you 40 (presuming u graduated at 22).

Actually her father doesnt give her money. He gave her the land in Wafra and a start up money to build but nothing else after that. She wanted to make it on her own and not through daddy’s money. Thats why whe is always pushing people for donation. Get your facts right.

” He gave her the land in Wafra and a start up money”

You just proved me right, that money that he gave her was earned immorally, how many migrant workers does he employ? how do they live? How are their working conditions? Before preaching to others about animal welfare she should take a long hard look into the mirror.

@Qster

Hahahahaha Qster, you are so funny. You know what? I know your kind, I have met your kind! That chip on your shoulder is SO BIG that you are blind and deaf! You think you are the only hard working Kuwaiti who has to earn a living and take a loan to go live in the USA, oh poor you! Its ok, I forgive you. Also, I’ll give you the floor to comment as much as you want without having to reply to me (a person who has no idea what it feels like to earn a living, right?) because in your head (the poor Kuwaiti but American educated girl) is always right and morraly never wrong.

As for me, I am going to sleep because I have to be at work at 7:30am to go and NOT earn a living because I dont know how to earn a living. But mostley, GOD help you and give your peace of mind and soul.

But truly, God help you Qster. Have a nice life and keep up the good work with your volunteering.

God help you too Reem, and if this is the best response you can come up with then i hope your postmenopausal depression goes into remission.

@Qster…lol…..’HUMANE killing’ – look up ‘oxymoron’….nite.

((dreaming of the Pink Flamingo Disco used to go to as teenager…..Zzzzzzzzzzzz))

OK try to hang yourself or smash your head on a hammer until you die and then resurrect yourself and try a lethal injection or a swift incision to the throat on a main artery, which one hurts less? If you don’t know anything about humane slaughter for food then you don’t know anything about why Halal meat is Halal in the first place.

Did you read what i had to say above, we eat meat, we have been eating meat for thousands if not millions of years. Even Homo Erectus ate meat, but there is a moral difference between eating a chicken who got killed by KFC by having its heads twisted and those that are killed by a quick swift sharp knife to an artery.

‘If you don’t know anything about humane slaughter for food then you don’t know anything about why Halal meat is Halal in the first place.’

and now you’re being pompous again.

Listen habibi- I don’t need you to give me the ins and outs of Islam and halal killing……just watch, one day you might fall over that chip on your shoulder and trip over your ego. Nite nite darling.

9erna 7abeeby (is that a clue to the lack of male influence in your life).

Good luck, i’m sure PMS can be terrible for your moods.

etsharafna

seriously did i really get under your skin that much, that you posted something about me (someone you don’t know and have never met) on your blog. How sad of a life must you lead.

offcourse i did, its funny as heck. Again….

seriously did i really get under your skin that much, that you posted something about me (someone you don’t know and have never met) on your blog. How sad of a life must you lead.

i’m still watching and laughing, lol.

Hey Mark, you’re right all along and i was wrong, there really is nothing to do in Kuwait.

You’re so vain, you probably this song is about you, don’t you. Clouds in my coffee (i like tea though, but screw it the song is kick ass).

You had one eye int he mirror as you watched yourself gavotte (screw it i’m favoriting this song on youtube)

Lol…. Hey Qster R u high on something? Anyone can volunteer, but from your tone, I assume you are like others – all talk and no action. You can hide behind a mask all your life. If you really want to do some volunteering, why don’t you jump into South Africa and save some Rhinos from poachers? That is if you are passionate about do. I would assume, you would not even consider it, besides you would like a silver spoon in your mouth. 😛

that’s it i’m done commenting. I’m too busy listening to Carly Simon, good bye. It has a been fun.