Rio moves to eradicate pit bulls
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - Pit bulls could soon become a thing of the
past in Rio. A proposed law would sterilize all male pit bulls, while
females would be seized and euthanized. The law is backed by Rio's
Commission for the Protection and Defense of Animals. Owners of male pit
bulls who fail to have their dogs registered and sterilized within 180 days
would face fines of up to 488 reals, or $244. The idea gained support after
a string of high-profile attacks by pit bulls, including a near-fatal
attack on a 6-year-old boy. The proposed law, under consideration by Rio's
city council, also would ban the sale and import of the dogs. See full
story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2558691890-70d>
Brazil court creates hermit zone
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) - A Brazilian court has created a
37-square-mile reservation in the Amazon to safeguard an Indian hermit who
lives there, reported the Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper Sunday. Brazil
issued the order to protect the man, who is in his 30s, from loggers,
ranchers, farmers and others who occupy the Amazon, the daily quoted
government officials as saying. Brazil often creates reservations for the
country's 320,000 Indians and 180 tribes to prevent others from destroying
the Amazon's natural habitat and spreading simple diseases, like colds and
flu, that are often fatal to tribesmen. The court's protection order
prohibits any change in the physical appearance of the region. See full
story <http://www.infobeat.com/stories/cgi/story.cgi?id=2558713682-fa5>
