Rosh Hashanah is here which means Yom Kippur is around the corner and you know what that means? Time for the annual protests of the annual chicken swinging ritual known as kapparot. The generally fatal chicken "swinging" and slaughtering most often performed on the day before Yom Kippur (but can be held anytime between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) and has some very vocal adversaries. Opponents, who this year advertised briefly in Times Square, aren't against the ritual so much as they're against the chicken killing. more ›

Last year Prospect Park saw plenty of dead animals—from possible Santeria rituals to government-sanctioned Canada geese slaughters, almost every kind of animal fell victim to someone or something. Well, the blood is still pouring over there—Brooklyn Photos spotted these decapitated chickens "in the woods in the middle of Prospect Park" yesterday. Looks like the area is still a prime spot for Santeria rituals in 2011! Perhaps this whole dead animal thing will be one of the main focuses of the new park administrator taking over for Tupper Thomas this year. more ›

The annual chicken sacrificing ritual known as kaparot that takes place around this time of year (near Yom Kippur) always gets the demonstrators out. According to the NY Post, the ASPCA is the latest to step up to the protest plate, and a Brooklyn man says they all but forced him to stop the tradition at his place of business yesterday. more ›

When we reported Tuesday that a fourth sick, emaciated goat had been found wandering in the area of Pelham Bay Park near the Hutchinson River Parkway in the Bronx, one commenter provided a possible explanation for the mystery: "These goats aren't 'escaping' from anywhere. they're the victims of Santeria sacrifice that regularly takes place in Pelham Bay Park." Indeed, locals have long reported seeing candles, fruits and animal bones and skulls in the area. more ›

Yesterday the Farm Sanctuary aided in the rescue of a chicken that would have otherwise been part of the sacrificial slaughter during the Jewish ritual of kaparot. They tell us the chicken was saved in Crown Heights, and later named Chesed, meaning mercy or loving-kindness in Hebrew. He joined the over 200 other NYC chickens the organization has rescued from this ritual over the past three years. more ›

With Yom Kippur coming up this Monday, South Williamsburg will be the stage for many a sacrificial chicken slaughter on Sunday. The Jewish ritual known as kapparot raises eyebrows each year, and now Dr. Allan Kornberg, Executive Director for Farm Sanctuary, has released a statement. more ›

The Montauk Monster reared its deteriorating head way before the official start to summer this year, and now Newsday has a new twist on the raccoon theory. They report that Montauk Monster 1.0 "was part of an elaborate summer celebration complete with a makeshift Viking-themed funeral for the animal," according to a 32-year-old Shelter Island man. He said they found the dead raccoon last 4th of July weekend and made it part of the yearly custom on the island called Nanapaushat, where "you gather all the dead (animals) on your property and surrounding area and you cremate them, to celebrate the cycle of birth and death." He declares, "Sometimes it's just a raccoon. It's not from Plum Island, it's not a monster from space. Sometimes the answer is the easiest." Fine, anonymous pragmatist, how do you explain the fact that the deputy town clerk in town has never even heard of this ritual? And what about all those other Montauk Monsters? And this map from Gawker? And all the time that elapsed before speaking up? Back to the drawing board... more ›