• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at

Today

• Vienna - Johnny\'s Pub Quiz
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Childrens Fun

17. 01. 10. - 12:00

• more General News news
• RSS Feed General News

17. 01. 10. - 12:00

Avalanche experiment pigs are saved

By David Rogers

Scientists have abandoned an experiment in which pigs were buried alive in snow and left to die after protests from animal lovers.

Researchers in the Austrian Alps wanted to study the effects of being caught in an avalanche and chose pigs because of their biological similarity to humans.

Some were completely submerged and others were buried up to the neck, and the time they took to die recorded.

But the teams from the Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine in Italy and the Medical University of Innsbruck, Tyrol, stopped the tests after killing ten of 29 pigs because of public outrage.

The Austrian Association of Animal Protection said: "The scientists should bury themselves, and their colleagues can analyse the results."

And the local mountain rescue association pointed out that it was already known that avalanches were "dangerous to life".

Activists called the experiment cruel and pointless.

Johanna Stadler, head of the animal rights group Vier Pfoten (Four Paws), said: "It is absolutely unacceptable that these highly sensitive, helpless animals are killed for such an unnecessary test."

And Gerda Matias, president of the International Union of Animal Experiment Opponents, added: "People are shocked and outraged that such cruel experiments can even be carried out in Austria."

A statement posted on the Medical University of Innsbruck's website, organisers said the experiment was ethically justifiable and had been approved by a commission in Austria's Science and Research Ministry.

Austrian Times

Airpower air show damaging the environment, says Green Party
The 2013 Airpower air show due to take place later this month in Aichfeld (Styria, Murtal district) has come in for criticism from environmentalists.

Whats on at the Haydn cinema this week (20 – 26 June)
The following films are on at the English language Haydn Cinema on the Mariahilferstrasse between June 20 and 26.

Elton John - Vienna concert tonight
Elton John is performing at the Stadthalle this evening.

Bathing ban remains on Donauinsel
Swimmers looking to escape the heat wave have been warned to avoid the Donauinsel because of possible infection.

Emergency doctors and security at the Donauinselfest
Security and emergency services will be working around the clock at the 30th Donauinselfest in Vienna this weekend as 200 acts take to the stage.

Better road security for the elderly
A two-day conference on "mobility and road safety in an ageing society" which kicks off tomorrow at the Palais Ferstel (Vienna) will look for measures to improve the security of road users over 60 years of age.

Electro-bike battery causes fire
Over 100 firemen were called out to battle a blaze when an Elctro-bike battery caused a garage to burst into flames in the middle of three houses in Rauris (Pinzgau, Salzburg region).

Hungarian/Croatian: new course material
Over 5,000 Burgenland school pupils studying Hungarian and Croatian will get new course materials from September.

Heat causes damage to the West motorway
High temperatures have caused damage to the A1 "Westautobahn" motorway from Lower-Austria to Vienna.

Red Light Process starts again in Vienna
The so-called "Red Light Process" is being continued in the regional court in Vienna today.

Don't moan alone, the Ombudsman Investigates.

Why suffer in silence. Let off steam by letting our readers share your troubles. File your complaints about anything and everything here.

Our ombudsman David Rogers will try and help solve some of the problems from lazy civil servants through to incompetent companies – and at the very least the worst transgressors will end up in our weekly special report.