DEAR READERS: According to a study published in March in the journal Science, zebra fish become afraid when they see other members of their species in distress. This fear mirroring is regulated by oxytocin: Fish that lack the genes to produce and absorb the hormone fail to detect others' anxiety but regain the ability when they receive an oxytocin injection. Oxytocin has the same effect in mice and is known to affect humans' social responses.

Oxytocin is the "bonding" hormone we humans associate with the subjective feeling of love toward others and is elevated when we hug our dogs -- in both us and our dogs! It's likely that the oxytocin empathy mechanism evolved many millions of years ago, before fish and mammals diverged on the tree of life.

This is groundbreaking research that advances our understanding of animal sentience (although I am not an advocate of such genetic engineering to selectively knock out specific genes in animals). I have always felt that catching fish on a hook is cruel and that there is no nobility in catch-and-release fishing. Like earthworms, fish have opiate pain-responsive neurochemistry when injured. Many hooked-and-released fish die from the stress and injuries. Why make any animal suffer in the name of sport? And what of the live bait skewered on the hooks?

For more insights about fish and helping in their conservation, visit fishfeel.org.

BEES ARE SENTIENT CREATURES, TOO!

Entomologist Stephen Buchmann's book, "What a Bee Knows: Exploring the Thoughts, Memories and Personalities of Bees," shows that bees have sophisticated emotions resembling optimism, frustration, fear and playfulness. Experiments have demonstrated bees can experience PTSD-like symptoms. Also, they can recognize different human faces, process long-term memories while sleeping, and maybe even dream. Young bees, through observation, learn how to dance from older bees to convey where to go to collect pollen, and the buzz of bees makes some flowers open for them.

DEAR DR. FOX: I eat mostly veggie foods, but sometimes meat. With the Jewish holiday of Passover recently happening, I would like to know your opinion of kosher meats: Are they better than non-kosher meats? Are the animals treated better? -- J.M., West Palm Beach, Florida

DEAR J.M.: I think we need to "pass over" all meat and seafood to help reduce climate change and loss of biodiversity. (For details, see drfoxonehealth.com/post/changing-diets-for-healths-and-earths-sake.) Consumers who wish to begin by being more selective can look for organically certified animal produce and see if there is any indication of the animals being raised humanely as per the Certified GAP.org, Animal Welfare Certified label. Earth Animals' Wisdom Dog foods have this label.

In my professional opinion, having witnessed ritual Jewish and Islamic animal slaughter, eating meat from these animals is not humane. For details, read this article on my website: drfoxonehealth.com/post/farmed-animal-slaughter-ritual-and-conventional.

DEAR DR. FOX: I would like your opinion about this project (article below) that fits cows with "intelligent" methane-monitoring masks. -- L.H., Cleveland, Ohio

From The Defender (childrenshealthdefense.org), March 20:

"The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation this month awarded a $4.8 million grant to a company that sells 'smart' face masks for cows. ZELP, which stands for Zero Emissions Livestock Project, claims its artificial intelligence mask technology for livestock will reduce methane emissions -- considered to be a main greenhouse gas -- and curb climate change.

"Cows and other ruminant animals emit methane in the process of digesting their food. The mask goes around the cow's head and captures the methane gas exhaled by the animal, oxidizing it and then releasing it into the air as carbon dioxide and water vapor, according to ZELP. It also has sensors that continuously collect millions of data points on the animals that are processed by machine learning algorithms.

"'Our AI is trained to detect heat, flag welfare conditions, and identify the most efficient animals with a high-level of accuracy,' said a ZELP spokesperson."

DEAR L.H.: This is a classic example of potentially profitable "technofixes" like geoengineering and genetically engineered and patent-protected insect-, flood-, salt- and drought-resistant crops rather than addressing the central issues of climate change and biodiversity loss. This calls for many initiatives, and most especially for us to adopt plant-based whole-food diets as one significant corrective.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: From my daily inbox, I select various animal, environmental and public health reports from scientists around the world. Here are some recent ones that I hope you will appreciate.

-- Two puppies, one 15 weeks old and the other 6 months, are being treated for salmon poisoning disease at Washington's Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County. The disease is caused by eating raw fish infected with a parasite that hosts pathogenic bacteria. While rare, the disease is nearly always fatal if left untreated. (Full story: KIRO-TV Seattle, March 22)

-- A highly virulent form of toxoplasmosis -- caused by COUG, a strain of the microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii -- caused the deaths of four California otters, researchers reported in Frontiers in Marine Science. The otters were found in separate locations between 2020 and 2022. COUG, which had never been detected anywhere near the California coast before, was first discovered in Canadian mountain lions in 1995. Veterinarian Devinn Sinnott, a co-author of the study, says the findings raise concerns about the potential effects on this threatened species, as well as the health of other animals that are susceptible to Toxoplasma parasites. (Full story: The Hill, March 22)

-- Kaytee Products recalled one lot of Birders' Blend wild bird feed in 8-pound bags due to potentially high levels of aflatoxin, which can harm birds if consumed in large amounts. (Full story: PetAge.com, March 21)

-- Pet food recalls often begin relatively small, only to be expanded shortly thereafter. Three examples: On Feb. 8, Purina issued a recall for their Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets EL Elemental Dry Dog Food due to excess vitamin D. More than a month later, Purina expanded the recall. On March 3, 2021, Bravo Packing issued a recall for All Performance Dog and Ground Beef Raw Pet Food due to salmonella contamination, then expanded the recall two weeks later. And on Dec. 30, 2020, Midwestern Pet Food issued a recall for multiple brands due to aflatoxin contamination, then expanded the recall about two weeks later.

For details on this troubling practice, read "Expanded Recall: A Twofold Failure" truthaboutpetfood.com/expanded-recall-a-twofold-failure.

-- The first cases of a new disease caused solely by eating plastics has been discovered in wild seabirds, according to a study recently published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials. Researchers examined the stomachs of young flesh-footed shearwaters in Australia and found that the more plastic the birds had ingested, the more scarring they had in their digestive tracts. The disease, which the researchers named plasticosis, could make the birds more vulnerable to infection and hinder their digestion. "While these birds can look healthy on the outside, they're not doing well on the inside," says study co-author and ecologist Dr. Alex Bond. (Full story: The Guardian, March 3)

DEAR DR. FOX: Your essay on our relationships with animals was outstanding! Thank you so much for clearly communicating the understanding that having a compassionate and respectful relationship with all living things makes us better humans. I will be sharing this far and wide! -- L.B., La Conner, Washington

DEAR L.B.: I appreciate your kind words. I write from the heart to help improve people's understanding and respect for all creatures great and small. You might enjoy my book "Animals and Nature First" and some of the essays under "Ethical Issues" and "Spiritual Issues" posted on my website (drfoxonehealth.com).

Public attitudes toward other animals are significantly improving, along with the realization that many species are close to extinction because of us. In my many decades of advocating reverential respect for all sentient beings and presenting scientific evidence of the intelligence and emotions of many species, the main opposition that I have faced has come from individuals who simply did not want to know about the true nature of the animals they were exploiting.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)

DEAR READERS: The practice of trapping animals for the global fur trade is still alive and well, and nontarget species are often caught in the process. Selling trapper licenses provides states with extra revenue, and the demand for fur perpetuates the wildlife management policy of sustainable "harvesting."

The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) filed a federal lawsuit in 2020 over Minnesota's trapping regulations. The group's goal was to better protect Canada lynx, which are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, from dying in traps and snares set for other animals. A settlement has now been reached between the CBD and the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to the effect that wire snares set to catch coyotes and bobcats around their necks cannot close tighter than 3 1/4 inches, which is considered large enough for a lynx to survive and be released. New rules have also been established regarding the size and type of leghold traps allowed within the state's designated Lynx Management Zone. Of course, these initiatives were contested by the Minnesota Trappers Association, the National Trappers Association and the Fur Takers of America.

The cruelty of traps and snares notwithstanding, there is no way that nontarget species can be spared entirely. Biologist Clayton Lamb spent nearly five years proving that grizzly bears were getting their toes caught in small traps intended for martens. The traps did not immediately sever the bears' toes, but they caused injuries severe enough that the toes eventually died and fell off. Injured bears seeking food may be more prone to conflicts with humans. Lamb's research led the government of British Columbia to require plates on marten traps that prevent bear injuries.

While the bobcat, marten, fisher and otter are "registered furbearers" in Minnesota -- meaning that their "harvesting" is monitored by the Minnesota DNR -- the red fox and coyote are not. Both canids can be shot or trapped at any time. According to the DNR website, "The red fox is the most common predator in the state. Hunters and trappers harvest up to 100,000 each year, but the fox population remains strong. A disease called sarcoptic mange sometimes kills thousands of red foxes. Red foxes compete for space with coyotes, which will kill foxes."

As consumers of earthworms, red foxes provide a vital ecological service in helping reduce the number of invasive European earthworms -- a documented destructive species that causes significant ecological damage and loss of biodiversity in North American forests.

The extermination of wolves across the U.S. has enabled the incursion of coyotes into many states where there are no seasonal restrictions on hunting and trapping them. Coyotes are subjected to cruel methods of predator extermination, as documented by Project Coyote. This organization, along with other conservation and animal protection groups, has succeeded in stopping coyote-killing contests and setting dogs onto caged coyotes -- in some states. These activities continue in several others.

Lynx protection aside, this wholesale killing of furbearing carnivores should end. Traps and snares are cruel, causing pain and terror to any animals caught. From a conservation perspective, banning all traps and snares would help protect nontarget martens, stoats, weasels and polecats. And from a humane perspective, such a ban would protect owned cats and dogs who are (whether wrongly or accidentally) allowed to run free.

Foxes, coyotes and other carnivores help control Lyme disease, now infecting thousands of people and their dogs across many states, by controlling mice and other small rodents that harbor tick-borne diseases. Tens of thousands of Americans are infected annually by Lyme disease, and the numbers are increasing.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, "Climate is just one of many important factors that influence the transmission, distribution, and incidence of Lyme disease. Other factors ... include changes in the populations of host species (particularly deer), which affect tick population size. The percentage of ticks that are infected depends on the prevalence and infection rates of white-footed mice and certain other hosts." High deer numbers in many states are encouraged by deer hunting organizations, which also advocate the hunting and trapping of wolves -- seen as competitors for deer -- and by property owners planting feed for deer.

This is further evidence that wildlife and habitat management practices should not be dictated by the trapping and hunting industries, nor jeopardized by the timber, livestock and mining industries. Considering the political influence of these and related industries, including fur farms, significant progress will be limited until all commercial trapping and captive-raising of furbearers is prohibited across the U.S.

In September 2019, California became the first state in the country to ban trapping for commercial and recreational purpose. Over 100 countries have prohibited the use of the steel-jaw leghold trap for humane reasons. Several countries have also banned fur farms for public health reasons, since mink have contracted and spread COVID-19 to and from infected workers. Foxes and other furbearers are also susceptible to this disease.

There are currently at least 250 fur farms operating in the U.S. across 21 states, collectively producing about 3 million pelts per year. Major fashion brands, including Armani, Gucci and Versace, have stopped using fur, and 61% of U.S. voters say they support a ban on fur farming. Yet the $22 billion industry is still legal in the U.S. and in much of the rest of the world.

The bottom line: Don't buy or wear fur!

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox’s website at DrFoxOneHealth.com.)