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You know those silly looking hats that the British Royal Guards wear? Did you know that they're still made out of real bear skin—and that it can take up to one whole bear to make just one cap? And that the bears' deaths are usually anything but quick, clean, and humane? Bears are ensnared, sometimes for days, in painful traps. Sometimes they actually get away … but die much later from blood loss or starvation. And in some Canadian provinces, there's nothing to stop the shooting of nursing mothers with cubs

So, since grizzly-bear hunting season is set to open next week in British Columbia—and a record 430 grizzlies were killed last year, mostly by trophy hunters (like the "gentlemen" pictured)—we recognize our responsibility to offer you an alternative perspective of this "blood sport." I mean, hey, we're PETA, isn't it our job to lay it on the masses and get them off their asses to fight against these fascist practices? (Bragging rights to anyone who knows what that paraphrases.)

You can check out campaign news here. PETA and its affiliates have spanned the globe—from naked protesters in Europe to a feisty activist dressed in bear suit that successfully stalked a Royal couple across the Caribbean. As always, there are sassy celebrity endorsements to encourage you to get involved too. Please do your part to save a bear and sign PETA Europe's petition to U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown in support of bears.

Posted by Missy Lane

Fox News Atlanta is currently airing an investigation into the hideous practice of fox penning, in which animals—usually foxes, wildcats, or coyotes—are chased, cornered, and torn to shreds by hunting dogs. Penning events can last up to several days, with the hunters leaving the fenced-in area so that the dogs can “exercise.” You can watch the first part of the Fox investigation here, and learn more about this horrific blood sport on reporter Randy Travis’s blog. It’s great to see that this practice is being exposed for what it is, and hopefully the investigation, which is airing tonight, will go some way to getting it stopped forever.

Well, in case anyone caught yesterday's post about the camouflaged deer, you will probably have guessed by now that it was a little bit of April Fools shenanigans at the expense of some poor, unsuspecting hunters. I left the bait on a number of different hunting and fishing message boards in the morning, and by Sunday afternoon they were nibbling like mad. There were a bunch of priceless comments, but this was one of my favorites (posted by someone with the shockingly apt moniker "Speaking for All Hunters"):

I bet that I am smarter than most camouflage painting morons. I mean a deer thrives by smell, those deer are gonna be running scared to death for days from smelling the paint.

To be fair to the hunters, one or two of the smarter ones did catch on early, and a few were even good-humored enough to comment later to admit that they'd been had. Just for the record here, there's no such group as HIDE (Hunting Is Downright Evil), but if anyone wants to start one, you've got my endorsement. Anyway, I hope everyone had as much fun as I did with this one!

P.S. If you just can't get enough of PETA April Fools Day hijinx, check out #79 on this list of the Top April Fools Day Hoaxes of All Time.