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Update 2 More recent news on the Oostvaardersplassen (OVP)

Photo's from the sky of the state of the OVP in March 2018 

20 March 2018 A visit of the OVP by volunteers reported on facebook 

21 March 2018 a new website was created Hope for OVP by a group of individuals that are feeding the animals 

22 March 2018
  • the Caring Vets published its opinion about the welfare aspects of the grazers in the OVP and gave a couple of suggestions on how to improve their welfare in the future. Their preference goes to giving the grazers more space and opening up the area to the Veluwe reserve. 
  • An article appears in the "Hoefslag" entitled: The Ecologist always is right..... 
  • Analysis report by association Actie Voor Dieren 

23 March 2018 
  • An overview has been published of the problems the animals have with their hoofs...... It shows that the ground is unsuitable for animals with hoofs. They live most of the year on wet ground. 
 
Images of animals today



24 March 2018 Environmental impacts on the OVP (Phosphor and Nitrogen)
 
Horse Dressage celebrity  Hans Peter Minderhoud finds the situation of the large herbivores unacceptable and has shown his support to a new association that wants to put an end to the situation in the Oostvaardersplassen: Stichting Cynthia en Annemieke 

25 March 2018 In this short video published on facebook you'll see how a forest manager shoots a Konik horse foal in the OVP. The footage is part of a short documentary In de huid van het dier published on youtube in 2011. Our question is why? Just for the film? Why wasn't there a vet to judge the condition of this animal? 

26 March 2018 
  • The Van Geel report will probably be presented the 25th of April according to the  Telegraaf 
  • Stijn Bruers, the rational ethicist, examens  in his article, the concept of immunocontraception  as a solution to the problem of overpopulation of grazers in the OVP  
  • "If you put a fence around it, then you are the manager and you have to manage it correctly" these are the words of  veterinarian (of the former Olympic team) Jan Greve about the policy in the Oostvaardersplassen after his visit today 
  • "So tired and so lost are we, now the silence is with us instead of you ...." a short story by Nathalja Kalingart dedicated to a young foal not more than 6 months old shot by the forest manager.... 
27 March 2018 A message from Annie Schreijer-Pierik on Twitter : MEPs in the Committee on the Environment just voted in favor of my request to ensure that no European Natura 2000 grants go to areas where deer and horses die of starvation, such as in the Oostvaardersplassen. Read the article in the press (in dutch) here
Video to call for a Demonstration on 1st April 2018
Message from Pamela Anderson on Twitter 
28 March 2018 
  • Emile Ratelband joins te group to feed the animals at the Oostvaardersplassen reports the Algemeen Dagblad today
  • The Party for the Animals and the Dutch Labour Party have asked the government today to open up the area and make a link to the other nature reserves reports Omroep Flevoland  

29 March 2018 People tried to help this cow. In the end he was shot by the forest manager

  • The aim is more birds in the #Oostvaardersplassen by draining the marshes and letting all fish die....  More animals suffer in the Oostvaardersplassen. Read more in this article. 
  • Jan Greve speaks out about animal negligence in the Oostvaardersplassen. No animal deserves to starve: read more
  • Starving animals seems to become the rule in the Netherlands. In the  Amerongse Bovenpolder Konik horses and cattle do not get food from the state Forest managers which upsets the people who live close to these reserves
  • The police needs to assist the Forest managers to shoot the animals according to an article in the Telegraaf 
  • The German press starts to get interest in the situation of the Oostvaardersplassen 
  • How does the Oostvaardersplassen, once a beautiful landscape with trees and bushes look like today from the sky? Find out here on the facebook page of Hans Bulder
  • In February, the 90% aim of culling of Heck cattle before they really suffer was not achieved by far. Only 75%. What will March bring? Has the feeding of  hay saved the cattle or was it too late and are there still a lot of "sudden death" due to starvation? Says Nico Dijkshoorn about this chart:
  • Animal Count by Staatsbosbeheer oktober 2017 in the OVP: Konik horses 1060, Heck cattle 230 and the count by Stichting Welfare Grote Grazers on 19 March 2018 was Konik horses 601, Heck cattle 91. This means  a difference of 459 Konik horses (a loss of 43 %)  and 139 Heck cattle (a loss of 60%).  The deer are still being counted.
  • How you can help the horses and other grazers on the OVP you'll find on Paardentaal.be

30 March 2018 Vets approve the way animals on the Oostvaardersplassen are being fed by Forest managers says Omroep Flevoland


31 March 2018

Hans Klok (magicien) who contacted Pamela Anderson to do an appeal for the grazers in the OVP on tv during a programme of Pauw

3 April 2018 A tweet of a lawyer who asks herself what would happen if an animal feeder would go into appeal after he has been caught as feeding the animals is at the moment illegal, but kwowing that according to the dutch law on animal protection:  GWWD (Article 36) 1st paragraph: "It is prohibited without reasonable cause or by exceeding of what is permissible to achieve such a goal, to cause pain or injury to an animal, or to harm the health or well-being of the animal."and 3rd paragraph:" Everyone is obliged to provide animals in need of help with the necessary care."
4 April 2018 The political party CDA wants that Brussels intervenes to make an end to the suffering of the grazers in the OVP.

5 April 2018 
  • Almost 60% of the large grazers have died in the winter of 2017/2018 according to the latest figures given by SBB 
  • Protesters plan on taking animals away from the reserve according to the Gelderlander
  • The activists against the OVP have been able to address their concerns in the meeting of the Province even though it was not specifically on the agenda Omroep Flevoland
  • A deer dying in front of a bystander and not being culled by SBB . 
  • Dion Graus, member of the Dutch Parlement who wants to stop this experiment with animals, in a tv-programme Pauw
  • On NPO Radio 1 an interview with Olff in favor and de Jonge against the OVP 

6 April 2018
  •  Philosopher Stine Jensen explains very clearly (in Dutch) why there is so much unrest about what is happening and that people are getting more and more conscious and concerned about animals and their welfare in general. Positive remark that has in essence nothing to do with the events in Holland, but is nevertheless very important: eating meat in the future will be exceptional or better not done in the future (for reasons of animal welfare and climate change!)
  • A new article in NU.nl about feeding the animals .
8 April 2018 As most of the land of the OVP lies in the commune of Almere the political party PVV has asked the council to take measures. A solution should be found and carried out before September 2018 they request


One of the best photos of the week is a foal in the #Oostvaardersplassen published in the Guardian. 

10 April 2018 
  • In an article in the Telegraaf the province of Gelderland makes clear after a question of the Party for the Animals  that there will be no corridor from the Oostvaardersplassen to Gelderland. No money, other plans and other projects are the reasons. 
  • An article about the OVP in a Swedish horse magazine. Translation into Dutch on facebook
  • There are still many skinny animals. These photos are from today.
11 April 2018 The highly pregnant horse has delivered a tiny little foal. 
1st photo she is still highly pregnant... second photo the foal in the herd. 
12 April 2018 This evening the animal welfare issue has been dealt with in a council meeting in Almere. The video of the meeting is visible here 
13 April 2018 The Dutch Minister of Agriculture Carola Schouten calls for the people to stay calm during the actions and protests organised the coming weekend of 14 and 15 April . Besides a silent walk to memorize the killed animals, some activists are prepared to come with trailers to take away the horses and the cattle. 
13 April 2018 A video of 2013 where you can see that the Oostvaardersplassen project has already failed. It is a shame politicians didn't act at that stage. Thousands of animals would have been saved! 

13 April 2018 An article in Horse and Hound published today
Commissioner of the Queen in Flevoland threatened by activists according to this article of the Destentor 

The petition on Change has reached more than 120 000 signatures and has been presented to the Dutch Parliament. Read article in Destentor 
14 April 2018 Photo of today
Media campaign started against the OVP 
15 April 2018 2 Two peaceful manifestations were held today. On this site you can read about them in Dutch