French traveler Nicolas Vanier: Environmentalist and Animal Abuser
An Environmental Article from All-Creatures.org

From

Yuri Klitsenko
February 2007

[Ed. Note]  This account points out what we refer to as the "meanie-greenie" aspect of most environmental activities.  They either abuse animals, or hide from the plight of animals.  If people truly cared about being good stewards of God's creation, they would work to save both the animals and the environment.

French traveler Nicolas Vanier, who is crossing Russia in a dog-drawn sledge, is behaving cruelly towards his dogs, Russian Vita animal rights organization reported.

MOSCOW, March 20 [2006] (Itar-Tass) -- French traveler Nicolas Vanier ended his 8,000-kilometer-long Siberian voyage on Moscow Red Square on Sunday.

He came to Red Square on a dog-drawn sleigh through Voskresenskiye Gates. A snow strip with the width of two meters and the thickness of 20 centimeters was specially made for this arrival.

"My expedition was targeted for the promotion of ecological awareness," Vanier told the press.

"I wanted to draw attention to the beauty and vulnerability of Siberian nature."

Vanier said that Moscow was the most difficult leg of his trip. "It was hard to control the dogs because of the city noise. Moscow is made for vehicles, not dog-drawn sleighs," he joked.

The traveler said that the Siberian Odyssey was his last long voyage, and he would spend the rest of his life protecting nature.

Vanier started his voyage from the southern coast of the Lake Baikal on December 2, 2005.

He crossed the territories of 13 Russian constituents within 3.5 months with the assistance of local authorities, Gazprom and representatives of the Emergency Situations Ministry, whom he called his 'guardian angels.'

The traveler has made several television films and written a number of books in 20 years of his voyages in northern areas of America and Eurasia. He will write a book on this journey, as well. Television journalists were accompanying Vanier on his voyage to film his future movie and pieces for the French TV.

Russian Animal Rights Group Cites Famous French Traveler’s Cruelt

French traveler Nicolas Vanier, who is crossing Russia in a dog-drawn sledge, is behaving cruelly towards his dogs, Russian Vita animal rights organization reported.

Vanier is now in the middle of his journey that started in December in Irkutsk and will finish on Moscow’s Red Square in March.

But witnesses say the Frenchman, who is traveling across Russia in a sledge drawn by 10 dogs, may not be able to get to the final stage if he continues to treat his carrier animals as he does now.

The huskies are in an extremely bad condition, with legs covered in blood up to their knees. Three of the 10 animals could not continue the trip and had to be left along the way. The dry feed they receive is not nourishing enough in temperatures that reach 50 degrees C below zero, Vita said.

When the dogs were offered hay to lie on during a stop in the city of Tomsk, the animals started eating it hungrily, bringing witnesses to tears, said a letter that Tomsk citizens sent to Vita.

Vita said either Vanier has insufficient experience with dogs, or he has chosen the route badly, as his huskies can run well in the snow, but cannot run over the ice that they have to cross.

Vita expressed serious doubts whether an expedition that results in the painful death of animals can serve as means of environmental education, the way Vanier’s voyage was meant to.


And...

Source: ITAR-TASS - World Service Wire
Date: 06.02.2006 11:20
Title: ..Shoes sent for Nicolas Vanier sledge dogs unsuitable for them.

By Vladimir Zuikov

SURGUT (Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Area), February 6 (Itar-Tass) -

Special shoes that have been sent from France for traveller Nicolas Vanier's sledge dogs have turned out to be too little for his pets.

According to the traveller, this creates many extra troubles. He said his dogs to be protected from this year's especially harsh Siberian frosts have special clothes on - something like coats. However, it is more difficult to protect the paws - both from the frost and sharp ice crusts.

The Siberian Odyssey expedition that is underway with support of French President Jacques Chirac started from Lake Baikal on December 2, 2005 and is to finish on Moscow's Red Square in March. On Monday morning the Vanier sledge left the hospitable Surgut and set the course towards Khanty-Mansiisk. It is to reach the national settlement of Lyamino by Monday night.

It is much more difficult for dogs than people in this voyage, Vanier told journalists. A special ration is used for dogs in heavy frosts - more high-caloric dry food. Nevertheless, the deficiency of nutritious matters has not been fully compensated for, because the food lacks fat that is needed in the conditions of low air temperatures, Vanier stressed.

According to the French traveller, another problem is the dehydration of the animals' organisms, as it is difficult to avoid this during a 120-kilometre run with temperatures minus 50 Celsius. Vanier said he has to "make lots of stops to give the dogs drink."

The Surgutgazprom company, which is one of the organisers of this travel, has provided the French traveller with a supply of interior poultry fat.

Nicolas Vanier values his sledge dogs very much. All of them originated from a hunting dog that was presented to him as a gift by hunters of Eastern Siberia in 1990 when he travelled from Mongolia to the Arctic.

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