Tags / animal

Pakistanis are preparing to celebrate Eid ul Adha on August 12. "Everyone is busy nowadays preparing for Eid ul Adha, buying a good animal to sacrifice. Eid al-Adha. Feast of the Sacrifice, also called the "Festival of the Sacrifice", is the second of two Islamic holidays celebrated worldwide each year (the other being Eid al-Fitr), and considered the holier of the two. It honours the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God's command.

Transporter delivering services at its peak during the month of Eid ul Adha as Muslims purchasing sacrificial animals from the Animal Stock Market from the Outskirts of Metropolitan City, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Transporter delivering services at its peak during the month of Eid ul Adha as Muslims purchasing sacrificial animals from the Animal Stock Market from the Outskirts of Metropolitan City, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Boy sitting near sacrificial cow as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Fodder vendor cutting grass for animals as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Children playing with their Sacrificial goat as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Young girl showing her affection with sacrificial goat as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Fodder grabbing sack of grass for animals as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Fodder vendor selling foddering goods and displaying jewelry for animals as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Fodder vendor cutting grass for animals as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Fodder vendor Weighting grass for customers as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

Customer purchasing Fodder for his sacrificial cow at makeshift Stall where vendor selling foddering goods and displaying jewelry for animals as Eid Ul Adha is up ahead and Muslims in Pakistan ready to celebrate their sacrifices, Photo by Yasir Kazmi, Karachi, Pakistan.

The original currency of Canada, wild fur, is back. Pushed to the shadows for nearly three decades as effective animal welfare movements stigmatized the use of fur for fashion, massive appetite in China has revived the industry. Over the last seven years, Canada has seen a large increase in the foreign demand for both farmed and wild fur pelts. Sales in 2013 exceeded $950 million, a sharp increase. While there is international interest in pelts, economic uncertainty in Russia has resulted in near-total dominance of Chinese buyers at recent auctions. Roughly 90% of wild fur is sold to foreign buyers.
These images trace the movement of fur, from the forest to auction, and then to manufacturing and fashion. There are an estimated 60,000 trappers across Canada who supply pelts to auction. Marten, fisher, mink, coyote, beaver and fox are sold at the world's largest fur auction in Toronto.
At fur stores in Toronto, designers use the material to produce coats worth thousands of dollars. While the number of shops specializing in both design and manufacturing has declined, those still in business can produce items commanding hefty sums.
While animal rights activists continue to campaign against the use of traps, much of the industry is now heavily regulated by both the federal and provincial governments. Old traps, which often caused animals to struggle, have been phased out, and the majority of trappers now use 'kill traps', which induce death within seconds. While leghold traps are used primarily for larger predators, they are no longer able to pierce the skin of the animal, resulting in reduced suffering. However, not all trappers agree on the use of these traps, highlighting an evolving view on animal treatment within the trapping community.
There are also concerns that the number of animals being harvested isn't being recorded. While trappers are required to submit numbers each year, the termination of a national Wildlife Pelt Census means the data is often lost in a sea of bureaucracy.

Thai farmers guard their buffaloes before the race. They will pay tribute to their hard working animals after a thriving year of farming.

A Thai rider looks after his buffalo before the race. The races are spread throughout the day in intense heat.

A farmer readies buffalos before the race.

A thai farmer is seen before the race. Hundreds of farmers descend on Chonburi for the yearly festival.

A farmer readies his buffalo before the race.

A Thai farmer carries his buffaloes to the race field before the race.

A thai farmer guards his buffalo in a promotional stand for fertiliser during the festival.

A group of young girls promotes a fertiliser under the watchful eye of a Thai farmer and his buffalo.

A thai young girl wearing a traditional thai dress takes a break during a parade within the 'Buffalo race festival'.

A Thai young kid rides a buffalo with his body painted in black during a parade prior the traditional buffalo race.

A Thai woman rides a decorated buffalo during the parade. The weeklong festival offers a wide range of activities - but the main attraction is the buffalo race.

A Thai young kid rides a buffalo with his body painted in black during a parade prior the traditional buffalo race.

A thai girl dressed up shows a flower during the parade. Local people wear different costumes (both regional and international) during such event.

A painted buffalo is seen during a parade before the traditional race. The annual event is held to show gratitude to the buffaloes for helping out on the farm.

A Thai farmer carries his buffalo during the parade prior the race. The parade, which takes around 2 hours, goes round around the city to share the spectacle with locals.

A Thai woman rides a decorated buffalo during the parade. The weeklong festival offers a wide range of activities - but the main attraction is the buffalo race.

A Thai young kid wears tribal costume during the parade.

A Thai farmer is seen in the stables nearby the race field.

Thai children wear tribal costumes during the parade.

A Thai young kid helps to carry some buffaloes during the parade. Thai children enjoy the Festival. Some of them dream to become jockeys.

A Thai farmer helps a jockey on his sprint during the training prior the official race.

A rider pulls his buffalo to the start line during the warm up races.

A Thai jockey takes a break between races. They need to be quite focused, since races require a lot of technique and strength.

A jockey covers his head of the rain during a break between races. The Thai riders eagerly wait this annual event, where they will compete to have the fastest buffalo.

A jockey assistant takes care of a buffalo before a race. Riders are usually assisted by a team to help them focus exclusively on the races.

A jockey uses bandage to cover his injured ankle after being kicked off his buffalo.

Riders speed up with their buffaloes. The races have taken place in Chonburi province for more than 140 years.