Urgent and Time Sensitive Please share and sign

• Target: President of Kenya, Minister of Wildlife Kenya, Director of Kenya Wildlife Service, Anti-Corruption Kenya
• Sponsored by: Cee4life

Tumbo was found alone and crying, 5km from Lemartis camp, Kenya by a group of children herding goats. They brought him to Lemartis to seek help for him, Lemartis obliged. KWS was informed immediately of Tumbo’s presence. It was March 2012. Lemartis took Tumbo to a Nairobi Vet where Tumbo had his hips and pelvis radiographed and was diagnosed with severe calcium deficiency. He was immediately started on dietary supplement Calphos (calcium) and a specialised exercise and diet regime was in place. Additionally, he was vaccinated against Rabies, Cat Flu, and Feline Enteritis. Tumbo was allocated a 24/7 carer at Lemartis who implemented the Veterinary exercise regime of walking distances each day and swimming. On these walks, Tumbo would be walked past various tourist venues. As Tumbo grew a little older, Lemartis became aware that Tumbo’s front legs were worsening and took him back to the Veterinarian. Tumbo was then diagnosed with “Bilateral Valgus deformaties of both carpi, probably due to Short Ulna Syndrome”. On the 23rd August 2012, Tumbo’s Veterinarian advised and recommended URGENT SURGICAL INTERVENTION. A photograph surfaced of Tumbo with a group of visitors which caused some to suspect exploitation. This photograph was taken when Tumbo was on his daily exercise and the carer was asked if Tumbo could be in a photograph with them. It certainly wasnt a daily occurrence. Lemartis gave KWS a courtesy call to reassure them that Tumbo was not being used as a tourist attraction. KWS in return told Lemartis that they were coming to confiscate Tumbo. Lemartis provided KWS with all Veterinary information and went into negotiations, desperately trying to save Tumbo from the Nairobi Orphanage. The Veterinarian wrote a letter which included the vital need for urgent medical care in addition to providing Tumbo with a humane facility at Lake Navisha for Tumbo to recover from his operation and live a humane existence. KWS seemed to ignored it. Tumbo was confiscated and taken firstly to the Nairobi Vet section of Nairobi Orphanage. Lemartis went into negotiations. Then something strange happened, Cee4life was informed that a KWS employee alleged that if Lemartis paid $3000 for Tumbo, it may ensure he goes to the ethical and humane Lake Navisha. The money was paid, Days went by, and after repeated phone calls and email correspondence from Lemartis and no correspondence returned, it was verbally told to Lemartis over the phone that Tumbo was now a captive inside Nairobi Orphanage. His operation is ignored, he is heard to be crying consistently. There is no answer or justification of why Tumbo is not allowed to be treated humanely for his condition. This is unacceptable. This horrendous situation begs the questions – Will KWS ignore professional Veterinary diagnosis and recommended program for health and humane care for Tumbo? Will KWS released Tumbo for his recommended URGENT SURGICAL INTERVENTION and the prescribed after care at Niavasha? What has the $3000 given Tumbo because for every animal confiscated off people, there is NO requirement to pay a fee. Was the $3000 payment legal? And did an employee at KWS coerce and lie to Lemartis to get money? Cee4life will do our best to get the professional medical care implemented for Tumbo and try to get him to a humane facility, but this is hard.  When you are up against people in positions of authority who seem intent on ignoring any ethical animal care, it is very difficult. Please help spread Tumbo’s plight around the world, Time is running out for him. Please bring down the power of the people around the world for this disabled and very in need little cheetah.

Peaceable Kingdom

Touché Dr. Best

Don’t Blame Peanut Butter for Salmonella Outbreak: It’s the Meat!

Don’t Blame Peanut Butter for Salmonella Outbreak: It’s the Meat!: PCRM - Dr. Barnard's Blog

8 Plant Foods that Refute the Vegan Protein Myth

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BY REVMODO OCTOBER 1, 2012 

By Bryan Nelson, Revmodo.com

One of the prevailing dietary myths out there is the idea that vegans and vegetarians are at risk of protein deficiency due to their plant-based diets. The truth is, nearly all foods, whether from animals or plants, contain all nine of the essential amino acids that we must consume so our bodies can build enough protein. Protein is so ubiquitous in everything we eat that the odds of becoming protein deficient are virtually nil, provided that calorie intake meets daily recommended standards.

Like with most great myths, though, the “protein myth” isn’t completely steeped in falsehood. Its origin can be traced back to an inkling of truth — a remote fact, however inconsequential, that allows it to endure. In this case, the myth likely hails from the oft misunderstood distinction between complete and incomplete proteins.

While nearly all foods contain the nine essential amino acids we need, proportions do vary. Foods with amino acids in the correct proportion for human dietary needs are said to contain complete proteins, whereas foods with proportional deficiencies are said to be incomplete. (Here’s a table that lists the optimal dietary proportions of the essential amino acids).

It just so happens that almost all animal-based foods contain complete proteins, while most plant-based foods are incomplete.

This doesn’t mean that vegans and vegetarians are in any danger of protein deficiency, vis-a-vis the protein myth (even a moderately varied plant diet easily balances out any amino acid deficits). But it’s a fact that may nevertheless be relevant to protein-conscious veggie-dieters interested in maximizing the efficiency of their protein intake.

Luckily, there are a number of plant-based foods that do provide complete proteins. Here are a number of them:

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Quinoa

A grain-like crop originating in the Andean region of South America, quinoa was considered sacred food by the Incas. Due in large part to its nutritional value, its importance was secondary only to the potato in pre-Columbian times. It was even considered more valuable than maize.

Aside from being a complete protein, quinoa is also gluten-free and a good source of calcium, iron and phosphorous. It has even been considered a potential crop for NASA’s Controlled Ecological Life Support System, to offer nutrition for astronauts on sustained spaceflight missions.

It is typically prepared much like rice, boiled and simmered in water, and its consistency and texture is much like a combination of rice and couscous.

Photo Credit: Kurt Stüber/Wikimedia Commons

Amaranth

Amarath is another crop important to pre-Columbian people of Central and South America. The plant is valuable both for its seeds, which can be ground into a nutritional flour, and for its leafy greens, which rival spinach and kale in nutrients.

Its flour makes excellent tasting flatbreads, pastas and cereal. Its leaves make for a protein-rich addition to salad.

Photo Credit: Don O’Brien/Flickr

Soybeans

Perhaps the most common and widespread plant-based complete protein, soybeans were first cultivated in East Asia but have since spread around the world. Tofu, soy milk and a wide variety of meat and dairy substitutes are derived from the soybean.

Besides being a source of complete protein, soybeans have also been shown to reduce cholesterol, help prevent prostate cancer, and even fight osteoporosis.

Soybeans also account for 80 percent of domestic biofuel production in the United States, and are an important resource for cattle feed.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Buckwheat

Despite the name, buckwheat is not actually related to wheat, as it is not a cereal or grass.  First cultivated in Southeast Asia, buckwheat is perhaps most widely eaten in the form of soba noodles, popular in Japanese and Korean cuisine.  In many regions of Europe, such as Russia and France, buckwheat is also transformed into pancakes.

Buckwheat should also not be confused with wheat in that it is gluten-free. In fact, it is a common substitute for other grains when brewing gluten-free beer.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Hempseed

Although probably best known for belonging to the Cannabis genus, hemp is far more valuable as a food source and building/textile material than as a psychoactive crop. Hempseeds are rich in proteinand can be eaten raw, ground into a meal, sprouted, or even made into hemp milk.

Hempseeds are also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, essential fatty acids vital to our metabolism.

The plant is also valuable as a building material and textile, used to make everything from clothing fibers to concrete-like blocks called hempcrete.

Photo Credit: graibeard/Flickr

Chia

Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia! Yes, that’s right, the infamous Chia Pet is grown using sprouts from the chia plant (Salvia hispanica). It just so happens that chia seeds also provide a rare plant source for complete protein.

First cultivated by the Aztec of Central America, chia is a flowering plant in the mint family. The seeds may be eaten raw or ground into a flour. They are also often added to water or fruit juices to create anutritional drink. Chia sprouts can also be consumed much like alfalfa sprouts, to be used in salads or sandwiches.

Photo Credit: USFWS Pacific Southwest Region/Flickr

Aphanizomenon flos-aquae

Technically, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae is not really a plant; it is a blue-green algae, belonging to a different taxonomic kingdom from plants. Even so, it provides an animal-free source of protein for vegans and vegetarians all the same.

The algae is most commonly used as a food supplement, sold as tablets. Aside from being a source of complete protein, it has also been shown to have benefits for the immune system.

Although it is known to grow in many regions of the world, by far the most abundant source of the cyanobacteria comes from a single lake in southern Oregon: Klamath Lake. Every year, the algae experiences a massive bloom, choking out all other microphytes in the lake.

Since the algae comes in both toxic and non-toxic forms, caution should be advised before harvesting it as a food supplement.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia Commons

Spirulina

Another microalga that offers an animal-free source of complete protein is spirulina. First used as a food source by pre-Columbian Mesoamericans, today it is cultivated worldwide and primarily used as a dietary supplement.

Spirulina’s value as a nutritious food supplement has been recognized by several member states of the United Nations, who have assembled an organization called the Intergovernmental Institution for the use of Micro-algae Spirulina Against Malnutrition. The organization aims to utilize spirulina to combat malnutrition in famine-struck regions.