Monday, July 31, 2006

Lions Gate Won't Be in Elbert CO

Elbert scratches zoning for big cats
Lion, tiger sanctuary deemed too dangerous for 43 acres close to
other homes

By Joey Bunch
Denver Post Staff Writer

Lions and tigers won't have a new home on the range in Elbert County
[Colorado].

The Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously against a zoning
exception Wednesday that would have allowed psychologist Joan Laub
and Peter Winney to bring six big cats to their 43-acre ranch south
of Elizabeth.

Commissioners said the cats wouldn't fit in among the area's nearby
homes and livestock.

"I could support this proposal, if it was further out east on 80
acres," Commissioner John Metli said Thursday. "But not where they
want to put it."

Neighbors have been fighting the proposal since 2002, when Laub
bought the ranch and announced her intentions for Lion's Gate
Sanctuary.

Laub and Winney have a month to appeal the decision to district
court, but their attorney, David Foster of Denver, said Thursday that
they haven't discussed their next move.

"I think Dr. Laub made her case," he said. "I think she met the
criteria that's required for a special use (zoning) permit."

Commissioners, in a unanimous vote, chose otherwise.

"I think the large number of opponents had an impact," Foster said.

Elbert County Sheriff Bill Frangis spoke against the proposal at
Wednesday's meeting.

"The possibility of human error is my main concern," Frangis said
Thursday. "We simply don't have the expertise as first-responders to
deal with lions and tigers."

If the couple could get zoning approval, they would also need permits
from the state Division of Wildlife and the U.S. Department of
Agriculture.

Winney, an experienced lion and tiger handler, has had several run-
ins with the state Division of Wildlife, including a conviction on a
charge of smuggling two tigers into the state in 2001.

After exhausting his appeals, Winney lost his wildlife license for
one year, until November.

Winney was acquitted in a jury trial in 2003 when he was charged with
having an unlicensed tiger at a party in Parker.

In 2001, charges were dropped against Winney after an associate took
an unlicensed tiger to the county fair in Kiowa.

The Division of Wildlife has said past situations would not affect
any future application Winney might make.

Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-820-1174 or
jbunch@denverpost.com.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_4104539

Chris Simms at Busch story mentions Big Cat Rescue

Bucs QB Chris Simms loves kids and animals…His “Wild Adventures” program, which wrapped up Friday, repeatedly introduced one to the other

Wild at Heart

Rookie Julian Jenkins to share inner thoughts during training camp

QB Chris Simms and his fellow adventurers found yet another way to get up close and personal with wildlife on Friday

Jul 24, 2006 -

Chris Simms wrapped up his three-part “Wild Adventures” series on Friday when he accompanied a dozen kids from The Children’s Home to Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback developed his exotic new program out of a love for children, nature and animals.

The Busch Gardens expedition marked the third and final educational outing for Simms and his Wild Adventures participants. The group’s first trip brought them face to face with exotic cats at the Big Cat Rescue in Tampa where they learned about many different feline species. On their second journey, Simms and the children visited Fantasy Island, a small land mass used by the Florida Aquarium to teach people about marine life.

Friday’s visit to Busch Gardens capped off the series in exciting fashion. This was no ordinary theme park visit; Simms and the children enjoyed a behind-the-scenes conservation program provided by the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund.

The day began with a Serengeti Safari Truck Tour, one of the park’s most interactive exhibits. As the truck entered the open plain where exotic animals roam freely, Tango the giraffe was waiting for a snack. Simms and the kids were able to feed both Tango’s appetite and her curiosity as they gave her lettuce when she stuck her head in the back of the truck for a closer view. As the safari tour continued, the group rode right beside free-roaming zebra, antelopes and endangered rhinos.

After the safari, Simms and the children headed to the Nairobi Field Station to walk around in the flamingo habitat and become acquainted with these tropical birds. The group then settled into an outdoor picnic area where they received private introductions to a hedgehog, a three-toed sloth, a Burmese python and a warthog.

" The kids are so pure at heart, and it keeps me pure at heart, too."

The children were eager to touch the animals and learn more about their natural habitats, eating habits and behavior patterns. Of course, “eager” is a relative term; not everyone in the group was dying for a hands-on interaction with each of the above animals. In fact, it took the extent of their powers of persuasion for the children to eventually coax Simms into taking a picture with them in front of the 85-pound python which was stretched out on the ground in front of them.

“This was a great learning experience for myself as well as the kids,” Simms said of the animal introductions, apparently forgetting his earlier trepidation. “It was a great chance to get outside in the nice weather and have some fun.”

The Wild Adventures program came naturally to Simms, as it incorporates two of his favorite things in life.

“I enjoy being around kids a lot, and probably second to that is animals,” he said. “I just figured they were a perfect match. The kids seemed to really enjoy the program, and I know I have.”

While the impending NFL season may mark the end of their Wild Adventures in 2006, Simms knows he hasn’t seen the last of his young friends. Each year, the Buccaneers Rookie Club visits The Children’s Home for a Halloween party, complete with pumpkin carving. Simms has attended the Halloween party every year since his rookie campaign and plans to do it again this year.

“I know I’m going to see the kids at Halloween when we carve the pumpkins, and I’m sure we’ll try to get together at least one or two more times after that,” Simms said. “The kids are so pure at heart, and it keeps me pure at heart, too.”

http://www.buccaneers.com/news/newsdetail.aspx?newsid=5215

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Sunday, July 30, 2006

PA to ban canned hunts

Canned hunts kill element of fair chase

Sunday, July 30, 2006

BY ANDREW PAGE

For years, Pennsylvania law makers have been mulling legislation to ban canned hunts -- ranches where wealthy shooters take aim at fenced animals -- and join nearly two dozen other states that have forbidden the unethical practice.

Previously, policymaker attempts to ban canned hunts in Pennsylvania have been unsuccessful, but next month the House Game and Fisheries Committee will hold a hearing on House Bill 2289.

In a unique alliance, conservation groups, hunters and animal protection organizations have openly agreed in their opposition to these hunts.

Canned hunts are commercial enterprises conducted on private land under circumstances that generally guarantee a kill. By offering "no kill, no pay" opportunities, canned hunts violate a fundamental principle of hunting -- fair chase.

Jim Posewitz, founder of Orion: The Hunter's Institute and former biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, describes fair chase as "a balance between the hunter and the hunted. It is a balance that allows hunters to occasionally succeed while animals generally avoid being taken."

Using techniques developed for cattle ranching, some canned hunt operators breed boar, deer, elk and other big game animals, hand-rear them so they have no fear of people, and release them into a fenced enclosure so affluent clients can pay thousands of dollars to kill the animals. Other canned hunts buy exotic animals -- such as lions, mountain sheep or zebras -- from wild animal dealers.

Frequently, exotics killed at canned hunts originally came from the breeding programs of zoos and circuses. From infancy, humans have tended and fed them, and they have little fear of us. And if the client doesn't fancy a couple of hours trudging through the woods, that's not a problem. The guide will simply take him in a truck to a blind near a feeding station where the animals are accustomed to being fed at the same time every day. When the unsuspecting animal comes to eat, the client gets an easy shot at close range -- no hiking, no waiting, no inconvenience.

Pennsylvanians can take a look for themselves. Simply visit www.happyhollowhunts.com to see the menu of animals ready to be shot in Pennsylvania.

Clearly, canned hunt operators are not selling a hunting trip, but the chance to simply kill a specific animal. It is lazy, cowardly and unsportsmanlike.

People who shoot cows in a fenced pasture are prosecuted for animal cruelty. People who shoot tame animals in a fenced pasture are guilty of the same crime.

State Rep. Thomas Corrigan Sr., D-Bucks, introduced a bill to ban canned hunts in 2004 that stalled until early this year. The bill is now in the proper committee with a reasonable chance of getting out for a full vote.

Following the introduction of his bill, Corrigan said in a news release that, "Canned hunts, in which confined animals are killed for a trophy, go against the long-established hunting tradition of fair chase. These hunts are unsporting, cruel and tarnish the image of all hunters."

The Humane Society of the United States agrees, and so do many hunters. The Boone and Crockett Club and the Pope and Young Club, which maintain trophy records for big game hunting, will not consider animals shot at canned hunts for inclusion on their record lists.

By outlawing canned hunting, Pennsylvania could join other nearby states, such as Connecticut and Maryland, that have recognized the unethical nature of canned hunting and banned the egregious practice. Corrigan's bill deserves support from animal protection advocates, hunters, conservationists and environmentalists.

http://www.pennlive.com/columns/patriotnews/review/index.ssf?/base/opinion/

1154113843125410.xml&coll=1

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Stacey Knights performs live for the big cats at Big Cat Rescue to see how they like the flute. Watch Shere Khan, Nikita, Tonga, The Cubs, Squeaker, Hercules, Bengali, Snorkle, Katmandu & Kanawha, Ty and Windsong react to the sound of music.

Download File

TAKING ACTION FOR ANIMALS CONFERENCE

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER: TAKING ACTION FOR ANIMALS CONFERENCE, 9/2-5

Ready to get seriously involved-and make a serious difference-in the animal protection movement? Then please join the ASPCA, along with other leading animal organizations, at the second annual Taking Action for Animals conference.

To be held September 2-5 in Washington, D.C., the event features speakers, training sessions for new and seasoned activists, a Lobby Day on Capitol Hill, exhibits and networking opportunities. On hand to share their knowledge will be Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell, Animal Liberation author Peter Singer and Farm Sanctuary founder Gene Bauston. The many other speakers include the ASPCA's Cori Menkin, Program Counsel, Government Affairs & Public Policy, and Debora M. Bresch, Legislative Liaison.

For more information, or to register, please visit Taking Action for Animals http://www.takingactionforanimals.com

Howie and I went last year and it is well worth the money!

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Injured baby bobcat rescued in KY

Injured baby bobcat rescued

By CARRIE CARLSON Staff Writer

Friday, July 28, 2006 9:30 PM EDT

GARRISON -- Some people find deer along the road, others find household pets or assorted road kill, but Sandy Pruitt found a living baby bobcat.

Pruitt found a sickly bobcat, along Kentucky 9 and Green Briar Road in Garrison on Thursday. Pruitt operates Sandy's Diner, near the same location.

Pruitt said her husband came in to tell her that he saw the bobcat laying alongside the road. He feared that it was dead, or near death, explained Pruitt. Pruitt's husband asked her to call someone, so Pruitt dialed 911.

Deputy Tom Polley of the Lewis County Sheriff's Office answered the dispatched call. Polley said he thought he was going to a location to destroy a bobcat, but when he arrived, he realized that the young bobcat was sick. He said that he and Pruitt checked out the animal and felt for any broken bones. Polley said that he felt no broken bones, but the bobcat appeared "not too perky."

So, Polley made a call to the Department of Fish and Wildlife and left the bobcat in Pruitt's care until the department responded.

Polley said that he had never answered a call to help save a bobcat, also called a wildcat, before.

"Usually you can't get close enough to them," said Polley. "You don't want to get ahold of a very big one," he chuckled.

Pruitt said the bobcat was "eating good." Pruitt thought the little bobcat might have suffered from heat exhaustion. Pruitt developed some-what of a relationship with the cat. She said that the bobcat would hiss at other people, but not at her. Pruitt knew that she could not keep the bobcat for long. She was waiting to see what the Department of Fish and Wildlife had to say.

Pruitt said Thursday was not the first day she had seen a bobcat.

"We saw one a couple days ago," she said. Pruitt believed that a bobcat has made a den in a hollow on their property.

Laura Patton, a fur bearer biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, said she had plans to call the Lewis County Sheriff's Office on Friday. She went on to say that if one should find an injured wild animal, he or she should "leave them where they are." Patton said especially with younger animals, the mother may be nearby. Many times, the adult animal will come back for the young animal, even if it takes awhile.

However, if individuals are worried about the safety or health of the animal, he or she may contact the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Information Center by dialing 1-800-858-1549 or one can visit the Web site at http://www.fw.ky.gov. Patton advises that wild animals be taken to a trained rehabilitator in the area. The information center and the Web site will direct people to area rehabilitators. Patton said that many times, the rehabilitator will transport the animal.

Patton also said that bobcats are "pretty abundant" in Lewis and Greenup counties and their population has been increasing over the past few years. However, she said that it is a "pretty neat thing to see one," because bobcats are "pretty shy and secretive."

According to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife, bobcats live in a variety of habitats. They inhabit forests, swamps, mountains and agricultural land. Bobcats feast on rodents, rabbits and on occasional carcasses. Bobcats breed in February and March and have a two-month gestational period. Patton said that bobcats can have kittens until September.

Visit the link to see the most pitiful, yet adorable photo of the little one

http://www.maysville-online.com/articles/2006/07/28/local_news/3981bobcat.txt

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Black Leopard Spotted in DC

Big Cat Spotted in Man's Backyard

Jul 28th - 3:02pm
"I know what he looked like. When I saw the black panther mountain lion, that thing was four times the size," the man tells WTOP.
Prince George's County Animal Control tells WTOP they responded to the incident and examined the wooded area, but did not see the cat, nor any traces of paw prints.
(Copyright 2006 by WTOP. All Rights Reserved.)

2nd time in recent days

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Friday, July 28, 2006

Amarillo Wildlife Refuge

From the PeTA website:

Amarillo, Texas - This morning, PETA sent an urgent letter to Chester A.
Gipson, associate deputy administrator of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
(USDA) veterinary services unit, urging him to revoke the exhibitor's
license of Charles Azzopardi, who owns the Amarillo Wildlife Refuge (AWR).
PETA's request comes on the heels of Azzopardi's July 21 conviction on
federal charges of illegally selling wild and exotic animals in violation of
the Endangered Species Act. According to news reports, Azzopardi was
sentenced to 180 days of home confinement and three years of probation and
was ordered to pay a fine of $2,000.

The charges against Azzopardi stemmed from a July 2005 incident in which he
unlawfully attempted to sell two endangered clouded leopards to a buyer in
Oklahoma for $5,000 each. The "buyer" turned out to be an undercover U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service agent. PETA points out that according to federal
regulations, any person convicted of violating federal laws regarding the
transportation and ownership of animals is not eligible to hold a USDA
exhibitor's license.

In 2003, PETA conducted an undercover investigation that revealed that AWR
is a shoddy, filthy, unaccredited roadside zoo masquerading as an animal
refuge. The investigation documented numerous violations of the federal
Animal Welfare Act: Chimpanzees had untreated wounds and severe hair loss, a
baby gibbon was kept in isolation after being taken away from his mother,
and sick and hungry animals were languishing in filthy enclosures, among
other violations.

"Azzopardi's conviction for illegally selling endangered leopards and his
record of animal abuse and neglect make him unfit to keep wildlife," says
PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "The only way to ensure that federal laws are
enforced and prevent further animal suffering is to revoke his license,
confiscate all the animals, and shut him down for good."

For more information, please visit PETA's Web site WildlifePimps.com.

PETA's letter to the USDA follows.

July 27, 2006

Chester A. Gipson, D.V.M.
Associate Deputy Administrator
USDA-APHIS-VS
4700 River Rd., Unit 84
Riverdale, MD 20737-1234

1 page via fax: 301-734-4993

Dear Dr. Gipson:

On July 21, Charles Azzopardi-the owner of Amarillo Wildlife Refuge (AWR) in
Amarillo, Texas, USDA license #74-C-0486-was convicted of illegally selling
wild and exotic animals in violation of the Endangered Species Act.
Azzopardi was assessed a $2,000 fine, sentenced to 180 days of home
confinement, and placed on probation for three years.

As you know, AWR was the subject of a PETA undercover investigation in 2003
that revealed horrific conditions at the facility and many violations of the
federal Animal Welfare Act.

Chronic problems are evident at this facility, and Azzopardi has
demonstrated his inability and/or unwillingness to comply with federal laws.

Please consider this letter an official request for the USDA to immediately
terminate AWR's license pursuant to 9 C.F.R. §§ 2.12 and 2.11, which provide
that a license cannot be held by an individual who has been found to have
violated any federal, state, or local laws or regulations pertaining to the
transportation, ownership, neglect, or welfare of animals. PETA also
requests that the USDA confiscate all regulated animals at the facility and
ensure that they are not placed at another pseudo-sanctuary or roadside zoo.

May we please be notified of your decision? I can be reached at
757-622-7382. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Lisa Wathne
Captive Exotic Animal Specialist

cc: Dr. Robert M. Gibbens, Western Regional Director, USDA-APHIS-AC

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Metrolina Wildlife Park raided (API report)

Authorities raid private zoo
7/27/2006 8:48 AM
By: Associated Press and Brad Broders, News 14 Carolina

ROCKWELL, N.C. -- A raid at a private zoo uncovered drugs, guns and illegal video poker machines, authorities said Wednesday.

Steve Macaluso, the owner of Metrolina Wildlife Park, might face several felony charges, said Sgt. Tony Sharum of the state Wildlife Resources Division. He might also face misdemeanor charges related to the number of animals he kept and how he kept them.

State, federal and local law enforcement officials took part in the raid at the zoo, which used to be called the Charlotte Metro Zoo. Sharum said Wildlife Resources got a tip that Macaluso was keeping protected animals without proper permits. He was also accused of holding them improperly. State and federal laws dictate minimum standards for cage size and sanitation.

"We treat every violation seriously and take due caution," Sharum said. "Animal welfare is very important."

Acting on the tip, the agency sent an undercover agent to the zoo. That led to Tuesday's raid.

"Very rarely do we have to go to the extreme to do search warrants and things of that nature, but many times we have to do that," Sharum said.

Wildlife Resources handed Macaluso misdemeanor charges Tuesday, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will issue civil fines by mail, Sharum said.

Sharum expects warrants to be served soon for the drugs, guns and eight to 10 poker machines that were found at the zoo. State law says a permit is required to store more than five video poker machines.

Macaluso, speaking to News 14 Carolina, said the video poker machines were covered in dust from a business he had years ago in New Jersey. He also said he had no idea permits were necessary for some of the native animals that were seized in the raid. He claims he has permits for his zoo's exotic animals.

This is not Macaluso's first run-in with authorities. Wildlife Resources cited him for illegally keeping a cougar at his Union County house, Sharum said. He was also convicted of assault on a government official after fighting with a wildlife officer in Union County.

In 2003, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals complained after a female leopard bit Macaluso. That resulted in an investigation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The Metrolina Wildlife Park remains open to the public.

http://rdu.news14.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=88252&

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Seizures may spur exotic animal law

Published: 07/26/2006 2:46 PM
By: Associated Press - Associated Press

MAQUOKETA, IA - Jackson County authorities say they're considering
implementing an exotic animal ordinance after a 900-pound black bear,
four cougars and dozens of other animals were taken from a rural
Maquoketa farm this week after reports of neglect.

Authorities seized 55 animals from the property of Randy and Pam
Garien, said Jackson County deputy Steve Schroeder. The seizure also
included two fox, two cats, eight puppies, 11 horses, 12 dogs and 15
chickens -- "the largest animal seizure in Jackson County," Schroeder
said.

The deputy said county supervisors are considering drafting an
ordinance to prevent further problems.

Dr. Jennifer Doll, a veterinarian who accompanied the deputies to the
farm, said many of the animals appeared to be neglected.

The bear was found with no food or water with more than a foot of the
bear's own feces lining its cage, according to information in a
search warrant filed in Jackson County District Court. Doll said in
the report that one horse had a lacerated leg, which didn't appear to
be healing well, and there was minimal food and water.

Doll told deputies she recommended the removal of all the
animals "due to inadequate husbandry and lack of clean living
conditions."

A veterinarian tranquilized the cougars and bear before hauling them
away, Schroeder said. The animals were taken to an undisclosed
location, he said.

"We are waiting for veterinarians to examine all 55 animals to
determine their conditions," Schroeder said.

A disposition hearing will be scheduled in August to determine what
happens to the animals. No charges have been filed against the
Gariens, pending the veterinarians' reports.

Two previous complaints were made to the Sheriff's Department by
neighbors -- one in April concerning no hay or water for the horses,
and another in March 2005 reporting cougars in the pens. No action
was taken in either complaint.

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Need to tame your tiger?

Need to tame your tiger? Readers get advice

Amy Sutherland wrote about an animal training program in her new book, but she discovered some techniques can modify our loved ones’ behavior

By Amy Sutherland

author, “Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched”

Today show

Updated: 11:15 a.m. ET July 28, 2006

In her new book, “Kicked, Bitten, and Scratched: Life and Lessons at the World's Premier School for Exotic Animal Trainers,” Amy Sutherland chronicles students’ lives at the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at California’s Moorpark College, where they learn how to interact with cougars, baboons, snakes, wolves, tortoises, and more. The two-year program prepares students for jobs at zoos, aquariums, animal sanctuaries, and even Hollywood.

Sutherland, who also wrote “Cookoff: Recipe Fever in America,” found that some of the techniques students learned to train animals she could use on her husband to “nudge [him] towards perfection.” (Read an excerpt of her New York Times column on this topic, “What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage.”) Sutherland gives Today's readers some tips on how they can change common, but annoying behavior using those same techniques she saw at Moorpark. Here are her suggestions:

Dear Amy: Can you help me tame my tiger? He is almost a perfect specimen with the exception of one little problem — his horrid road rage! I hate going to the grocery store with him much less on a real “trip.” Do I need a chair and whip? Or can just a few “whispers” do the trick? Can you help me? — Cheryl, Sacramento, Calif.

Dear Cheryl: This is a perfect example of when I would use an incompatible behavior. If you don’t like a certain behavior, you train an animal to do something else so that they can’t possibly do both at once. In this case, the incompatible behavior would be to have him be the passenger. That means you drive. Then, he is not in control. Even if he does lose his temper, he is no longer behind the wheel.

The trick I have found with using incompatible behaviors with humans, who tend read many meanings into our smallest actions, is to keep everything positive. I would just say something to your husband like, “I’d like to drive more.” I’d avoid pointing out to him that you want to drive because he scares you witless, even if that is the case.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/13921251/

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Canned Hunts

Marilyn Moritz

Reporter

E-mail this story | Print this story

Providing information that betters someone's life. That's what Marilyn Moritz likes the most about her job.

Whether she investigates consumer issues or has advice on the best products money can buy, Marilyn delivers news you can use on KSAT 12 News at 5 and 6.

Marilyn is an award winning journalist. She's been named One of Texas' Best Reporters twice by the Associated Press.

Her proudest professional achievements include reports that contributed to changes in the death penalty law and the outlawing of canned hunts.

Marilyn grew up in Arlington, Texas. She's a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University.

Marilyn says she will never forget the time when she was anchoring a newscast when she chuckled while reading a story. The laughter then turned into tears. Unable to speak, Marilyn turned to the weathercaster, who also burst into laughter! Both speechless, they had no choice but to go to a commercial break.

Marilyn's favorite books and movies include "To Kill A Mockingbird" and "Of Mice And Men."

KSAT 12, owned and operated by Post/Newsweek, is the San Antonio affiliate for ABC-TV.

The station airs live news, weather and sports broadcasts at 5 a.m., noon and 5, 6 and 10 p.m., as well as round-the-clock local news updates every half hour on CNN Headline News (Time Warner Chable Channel 52).

Its call letters, KSAT, stand for San Antonio, Texas and symbolize the station's commitment to the people of San Antonio as the local resource for fair, accurate reporting and a means by which residents have a voice with which to be heard.

You can E-mail Marilyn at mmoritz@ksat.com.

http://www.ksat.com/money/106997/detail.html

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Little Boy Injured by Tiger Undergoes Rabies Shots

Little Boy Injured by Tiger Undergoes Rabies Shots

July 27, 2006 03:03 AM EDT

Attorneys for the 4-year-old boy injured by a tiger at the Saratoga County Fair say he must undergo rabies shots.

The shots began Wednesday for young Riley Willard, who received 14 stitches on his forehead after a Bengal tiger reached through the bars of its cage and swiped his forehead.

Even though the tiger had its rabies vaccination, attorney Daniel Dagostino says the boy will take the shots as a precaution.

"So the only alternative they've left Riley with is this treatment which involves five shots," says Dagostino, with Martin, Harding & Mazzotti, LLP.

NEWS10 spoke with the Health Department in Schenectady County, who say the shots are probably not necessary. They say the animal would have probably been dead by now had it been infected with rabies and acting erratically.

As for the petting zoo owner, the New York State Department of Conservation fined Jeff Ash of the Ashville Game Farm 250 dollars.

http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=5203472&nav=6uyN

For the cats,

Carole Baskin, Founder of Big Cat Rescue
12802 Easy Street
Tampa, FL 33625 MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org

Wednesday, July 26, 2006

Big Cat Rescue on Fox this morning

http://www.myfoxtampabay.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=282885&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Wildlife refuge owner given house arrest, fine

Wildlife refuge owner given house arrest, fine

AMARILLO, Texas The owner of an Amarillo wildlife refuge who offered to illegally transport endangered animals to another state has been fined two-thousand dollars.

Records show Charlie Azzopardi also must spend 180 days in home confinement and later serve three years of probation.

A federal magistrate in Amarillo on Friday sentenced Azzopardi.

Azzopardi pleaded guilty in March to a misdemeanor charge of offering to deliver two clouded leopards and a white tiger cub from Amarillo to Clinton, Oklahoma, for sale.

He didn't immediately return a call today for comment.

Information from the Amarillo Globe-News, http://www.amarillo.com

Sunday, July 23, 2006

White tiger's celibacy baffles Jharkhand zoo officials

By Indo Asian News Service

Ranchi, July 23 (IANS) Zoo officials in Jharkhand's Bokaro city are baffled by the behaviour of a white tiger, which is maintaining celibacy during the mating season.

The mating season of tigers will end soon but the white tiger at the Jawaharlal Nehru Zoological Park in Bokaro is not allowing any female to even come near him.

Zoo officials have been trying to allure the white to interact with a female but in vain.

'When the female tiger chosen for mating is taken near the white tiger, he starts gnashing its large teeth. It also starts chewing the tail of the tigress in anger,' said an official.

'We are also trying to create an environment so that the tiger falls in love with the tigress,' he added.

Despite all these efforts, the white tiger is maintaining his celibacy and becoming more aggressive towards the tigress. The zoo officials are now thinking of putting the tigress in the same cell with the white tiger.

'We want to put them in one cell. But it could be dangerous. They can fight and may kill each other. We cannot take such risks without consulting experts. We are taking experts' opinion on this,' the zoo official said.

The Bokaro zoological park has three lions, four tigers and four leopards. The zoo officials are keeping a close watch on the big cats as babesiosis disease has claimed the lives of five big cats, including four tigers in Birsa Munda Zoological Park in Ranchi.

Copyright Indo-Asian News Service

http://www.dailyindia.com/show/44943.php/White_tigers_celibacy_baffles_Jharkhand_zoo_officials

Marcus Cook still facing AG lawsuit

Tiger owner still faces AG's lawsuit

By Kent Miller

The victim of a June 16 tiger attack at Zoo Dynamics between Terrell and Kaufman is still recuperating from the incident, which required 2,000-odd stitches to close numerous wounds from a mauling that could have taken his life. Don Roberts' road to recovery, though, could be smoother than the bumpy one facility owner Marcus Cook may face.

Cook's facility, which houses exotic cats used in a traveling hands-on exhibit popular among county fairs, amusement parks, children's birthday parties, weddings, commercial and educational settings, has gotten plenty of media attention since the incident. Besides multiple newspaper accounts, Zoo Dynamics has also drawn the attention this week of at least two Dallas/Fort Worth television newscasts as well as plenty of play on Metroplex radio stations.

Next in line with a few questions for Cook could be Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott as well as federal authorities.

Tom Kelly, press secretary for the AG's office, said late this week that the attorney general was still pursuing a civil case against Cook and his operation that stemmed from an emergency court order Abbott obtained in the summer of 2003 against ZooCats Inc., Cook's former organization. Abbott said at the time that “The action was taken to prevent harm to the public from exhibits put on by ZooCats Inc. ... This operator deliberately downplayed the potential danger of these animals, as well as the group's safety record and trainer qualifications, letting children and adults touch and hold them without regard for disease or possible physical harm. This dangerous deception against the public, and the organization's false assertions about its charitable intentions, led our legal experts to conclude that we needed to act quickly.”

In addition to the emergency court order, Abbott's actions three years ago froze the charitable assets of ZooCats and related nonprofits, as well as Cook.

State District Judge Howard Tygrett later dissolved the order, writing at the time that “the place to establish rules and regulations for the exhibition of animals is through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, health authorities or by statute, and not piecemeal through the courts.”

Kelly, though, said the AG's office was still intent on handling the matter through the Kaufman County courts, adding that a trial has been set for July 24 but that he expects Cook's attorney to file for a continuance.

“This is something that has been looming for years and it's been a long and arduous journey to get this through the courts in Kaufman County,” Kelly said. “We thought in 2003 that we had a strong case against Mr. Cook and we still believe that today. We just want to get this in front of a jury.”

Tygrett's actions in July 2003 resulted in the return of six tiger cubs because he said there was insufficient evidence to support the AG's allegations. Three of the cubs had been sent to the International Exotic Feline Sanctuary in Boyd and the others to the Austin Zoo.

Abbott's suit was seeking damages for alleged violations of the Deceptive Trade Practices Act and the Texas Nonprofit Corporations Act, allegations that Kelly said Thursday were still at the forefront of the case.

Abbott said then that Cook's operation posed a danger to the public and that Cook made false claims about employee training and gave misleading information about professional affiliations and charitable donations.

ZooCats, like Zoo Dynamics, exhibited animals at the Mesquite Rodeo, Six Flags Over Texas, the Dallas ArtFest and various private schools. It also set up show booths at a number of events in North Texas where children and adults may hold and feed the animals and have their pictures taken for a fee.

Zoo Dynamics has exhibited animals at the Terrell Heritage Jubilee in three of the last four years, according to Sarah Kegerreis of the Terrell Chamber of Commerce.

“We've never had any problems [with Zoo Dynamics],” Kegerreis said Wednesday. “They have more than adequate liability insurance and have been a very popular attraction at the Heritage Jubilee.”

Cook has made public claims about his group's perfect safety record but according to Abbott, ZooCats has been cited numerous times by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for violations such as failing to keep the adult animals under the control of a trained animal handler and for failure to maintain structurally sound facilities to prevent escape.

Abbott also said the organization falsely claimed to be distributing charitable funds it collected for its services. It purported, according to Abbott, to represent and donate funds to the National Fish and Wildlife

Foundation's Save the Tiger Fund and wildlife programs underwritten by Irving-based Exxon Mobil Corp. But those organizations claimed no affiliation with ZooCats and had not given Cook permission to use their logos or trademarks in exhibits, the attorney general said.

The attorney general, though, isn't the only one who could be scrutinizing Cook and Zoo Dynamics.

A representative of the animal right group PETA said this week that they have contacted the Dr. Robert Gibbens, Western Regional director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's animal care unit, urging him to investigate the recent tiger attack and revoke Zoo Dynamics' license to operate.

According to PETA, the attack outside Terrell isn't the first time one of Zoo Dynamics' big cats has caused injuries. In 2005, a visitor to a Florida car dealership was bitten by a tiger cub belonging to Zoo Dynamics and in 2002, one of the company's tiger cubs bit a Zoo Dynamics employee at Six Flags Over Texas, spurring the amusement park to close the exhibit, the organization said.

In 2003, the USDA filed a formal complaint against Cook for multiple and repeated violations, including 38 counts of improper and unsafe handling during public exhibition, failure to provide veterinary care, failure to provide shelter from inclement weather, inadequate ventilation, filthy cages and failure to provide minimum space, PETA added.

Cook did not respond when attempts were made to reach him for this story.

http://www.terrelltribune.com/articles/2006/06/26/news/news02.txt_

Warren, MI would like to ban exotic pets

Warren wants to tame pet law

Monday, July 03, 2006

Macomb County

After problems with exotics, city is revising its ordinance, clarifying rules on dog, cat numbers.

Christina Stolarz / The Detroit News

WARREN -- Lions and tigers and bears -- in Warren?

After the city's animal control officer had run-ins with alligators, boa constrictors, geckos and even a wallaby, Warren officials are revising their animal ordinance to include a ban on wild and exotic animals, city spokesman Joe Munem said.

An original list of more than 30 exotic animals -- from rhinoceroses and elephants to boa constrictors and sharks -- will be reviewed to clarify what should be included in an ordinance, he said.

While constrictor snakes can pose a threat if they get out, for example, some smaller sharks in restaurant or home aquariums are harmless, he said.

Once a list is formed, the Warren City Council will vote on making the ordinance changes, Munem said.

"There's no infestation of rhinos, sharks and elephants in the city of Warren," Munem said. But, "there are certainly exotic animals that people should not be possessing. We also want to be reasonable."

Animal control officer Timothy Herig said the city's animal ordinance is too vague.

It doesn't specifically list animals that are inappropriate household pets; it lists dangerous animals as anything other than domestic dogs and cats that could cause harm in a wild state. The only animals mentioned include poisonous and constrictor snakes and those in the cat family.

"It's just getting out of hand," Herig said. There's become "a need to define it a little more carefully."

An assistant manager at the Humane Society of Macomb said any animal, including a dog, could become dangerous. It just depends on how well the pet and its owner are trained, said Janet Lupek, assistant manager of the Utica facility.

"If a boa constrictor got loose in a neighborhood that might be a bit of a problem, but then so can a dog that's not properly trained," said Lupek, noting the Humane Society doesn't accept exotic animals. "It's unfortunate the people are going to wild animals when we have so many domesticated animals that need homes."

Another possible change to the animal ordinance includes rewriting the section on the number of common household pets because it is unclear, Herig said.

Right now, one section says that residents can have up to three dogs and up to three cats in their home. Yet, another section reads that residents can have no more than five animals, he said.

The ordinance is "going to be rewritten so people can understand," Herig said.

You can reach Christina Stolarz at (586) 468-0343 or cstolarz@detnews.com.

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006607030301

Marion Ohio considers Exotic Pet Ban

Pet or threat? Marion wary of wild animals

City might ban exotic critters; Ohio pushed to follow suit

Thursday, July 06, 2006

Holly Zachariah

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

MATT SULLIVAN PHOTOS FOR THE DISPATCH

Diana McCourt plays with Ekaterina, a Siberian tiger, on her farm in Knox County. As director of the Siberian Tiger Conservation Association, McCourt favors allowing individuals to own exotic animals.

Holly Hillebrecht, a senior biology major at the University of Akron, checks the pulse of Sierra, a white Bengal tiger.

If Marion City Councilman Scott Schertzer gets his way, elephants will never munch on local lawns and sharks will never swim in backyard pools.

Got a hyena? It will have to go, too. And don’t even think about harboring a hippopotamus.

All will become outlaws under an exotic-animal ban expected to be approved by the City Council on Monday.

It will make Marion the latest of several central Ohio communities — including Columbus and Franklin County — to either limit or ban private ownership of exotic animals and wildlife.

"Who wants to live with lions, tigers and bears in their next-door neighbor’s backyard?" asked Schertzer, who brought the issue before the council. "The people of Marion don’t, I can tell you that."

Marion’s debate comes as the Humane Society of the United States increasingly pressures Ohio officials to bar private ownership of creatures such as lions, tigers, monkeys, bears and poisonous snakes.

Spurred by recent news stories of privately owned wild animals getting into trouble, the organization sent a letter to Gov. Bob Taft on June 1, urging a statewide ban.

Taft hasn’t responded yet, said Michael Markarian, the society’s executive vice president.

"There is a growing epidemic of people owning dangerous and exotic animals as pets, and Ohio is certainly a focal point right now," Markarian said. "These animals have wild instincts and that’s where they should be: in the wild. We hope Gov. Taft and the rest of Ohio come to understand that."

Taft spokesman Mark Rickel said any discussion about a ban would involve the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; he suggested the society go there.

At least 24 states have some form of ban on private ownership of such animals. The society aims to protect them and keep them in their natural habitat, Markarian said, but wants to protect the public even more.

Several incidents have put Ohio on the radar screen:

• On May 22, a bear escaped its enclosure at a breeding farm in Ashtabula County and attacked a neighbor. It was legally owned; the state issues permits for ownership of animals native to Ohio.

• Two days later, a fire killed a grizzly-bear cub, two tiger cubs and two iguanas at a long-embattled exotic-animal farm in Summit County.

• In September, Marion resident Michael Jolliff nearly died after being bitten by a Western diamondback rattler, one of about 200 snakes the breeder had in his home.

• In July 2005, a macaque monkey escaped its owner in Noble County, then jumped into a nearby pickup truck and bit a man.

Such incidents unfairly blemish all owners of exotic animals, said Diana McCourt. She runs the Siberian Tiger Conservation Association, a nonprofit school in Knox County that primarily serves as a training ground for zoology and animal-science students.

McCourt has three Siberian tigers, a Bengal tiger and two African lions on 32 acres near Martinsburg.

She used to allow the public on her farm, but the federal government accused her of animal abuse, and in 2002, she reached a settlement in which she agreed to operate solely as a training ground.

McCourt said she is troubled by renewed talk of a statewide ban on exotic animals.

"I agree the community has some right to restrict what moves in next door to people," she said. "But there are plenty of legitimate, knowledgeable owners of animals out there who do things right, and they should all be allowed to take care of what they have."

Education, not prohibition, is the answer, she said. With strict regulation and licensing, exoticanimal owners could be required to take classes, she said.

"People see a fuzzy, cute little cub and they take it home," she said. "Next thing you know, they have a lion who wants to run wild and they don’t know what to do."

Markarian disagrees. He estimates that people privately own 7,000 tigers and 15,000 primates in the United States.

"You can issue a thousand permits and inspect a thousand times, but if that animal gets out and kills someone, an inspection won’t bring anyone back," he said.

Schertzer said he recognizes that enforcement of a ban will be a problem. He’d like to hire an animal-control officer to help, but there’s no money for it in the city budget, he said.

Under the proposed law, owners would have until July 2007 to get rid of their animals. After that, they would face a third-degree misdemeanor charge and the animals would be taken.

Mike Stapleton, who runs Paws and Claws Exotic Animal Sanctuary in rural Marion County, is preparing himself for more business if the law is enacted.

Stapleton has five bears and three tigers at his farm near Waldo, all rescued from private owners who could no longer care for them. He said he doesn’t think a ban is right.

"I know there are people out there who get these animals and can’t handle them or mistreat them, but that happens with dogs and cats, too. This is America, and you should be able to own what you want."

hzachariah@dispatch.com

http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/07/06/20060706-B1-02.html

Cougar case growls into court with filing of suit

By MOLLY MOORHEAD, Times Staff Writer
Published July 19, 2006

DADE CITY - The great cougar caper continues.
The owner of a wildlife sanctuary in Spring Hill is suing his estranged wife,
alleging she stole a South American cougar from the property, tried to make
off with a Bengal tiger and froze an $80,000 account the sanctuary needs to
keep running.

Wildlife Survival Sanctuary president Jim Moore is seeking more than $15,000
in damages against his estranged wife, Lisa Schafer, according to the suit
filed Tuesday. The suit also names Wachovia Bank, which froze the sanctuary's
account amid the controversy.

Moore wants a judge to order Schafer to give the cougar back, block her from
the sanctuary property and order the bank to release the sanctuary's money to
Moore alone.

Sheriff's deputies were called July 6 to the Blooming Road sanctuary to
investigate a report of a stolen cougar. The Sheriff's Office has not released an
incident report or made any arrests.

But Schafer told the Times she was concerned the animals were not being well
cared for. She and at least two other people went to the sanctuary while
Moore was away and loaded Sheene, the cougar, into a cage. They tried to get
Misty, the tiger, off the property too, but someone called 911 first.

Schafer took Sheene to another refuge near Orlando.

In his lawsuit, Moore characterizes his ex-wife's actions very differently.
He says Schafer "and her cohorts" took the cougar and some equipment and left
the gates open so another man, Douglas Rosen, could come later for more
animals.

When Rosen came, the suit says, he shot Misty with a tranquilizer that is
potentially fatal to tigers. The dose left Misty with stiff legs and convulsing
uncontrollably, the suit says. She is recovering and remains at the
sanctuary.

The feud quickly found its way to the bank, where Moore moved sanctuary funds
into a new account after discovering Schafer and her boyfriend tried to
withdraw money, the suit says. Since then, Wachovia has frozen the account until
the matter is resolved.

The lawsuit concludes with an impassioned plea: "If Schafer is not stopped
now, every last cat will eventually be stolen ... and (the) sanctuary will be
forced to close its doors forever, thus depriving Pasco County, the State of
Florida and the United States of America of a truly treasured site."

[Last modified July 18, 2006, 22:45:57]

_http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/19/Pasco/Cougar_case_growls_in.shtml_
(http://www.sptimes.com/2006/07/19/Pasco/Cougar_case_growls_in.shtml)

Sipek given state license for big cats

Sipek given state license for big cats

Federal officials have said facility lacks standards

By Nancy L. Othon
South Florida Sun-Sentinel

July 20, 2006

Steve Sipek can keep his exotic cats for the next year, as far as state
officials are concerned.

Captive-wildlife inspectors this week renewed Sipek's commercial license to
exhibit his two tigers, a lion and a leopard about a month after an
inspection at Sipek's Loxahatchee compound.

Sipek, who gained worldwide notoriety two years ago after the highly
publicized death of his escaped pet tiger Bobo, got two tiger cubs last year
but was allowed to have them only if he obtained a commercial license from
the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

That license requires Sipek to maintain a commercial enterprise and keep a
log of visitors to his compound on C Road.

"He has to have [the cats] on some sort of display to the public," said
Capt. Jeff Ardelean of the wildlife commission. "He has to maintain a log
that shows that people are actually coming."

Several hundred people visited the animals between July 2005 and early 2006,
according to an inspection report.

But federal officials have denied Sipek a license to legally exhibit the
exotic cats because the facility failed to meet the standards of the Animal
Welfare Act. Sipek is the subject on an ongoing investigation by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service,
according to spokeswoman Karen Eggert. She could not comment on the
investigation but said the agency's focus is on the treatment of the
animals.

"His dilemma now is that we're saying he's OK as far as state law, but he
needs to continue to work to try to get into compliance with the feds
because they can come and shut him down whether he has a state permit or
not," Ardelean said. "He's OK with us right now, but he's got up to a year
to get into compliance with them."

Federal inspectors denied Sipek a permit because he had no veterinary staff
and because of problems with wiring on some cages, Sipek said.

State inspectors also noted faulty wiring and issued Sipek a warning for
failure to use proper clamps, ties or braces of equivalent strength as the
cage material. Sipek said he already has remedied the problem.

"Sometimes they don't make sense, but I fixed it anyway," Sipek said
Wednesday.

Sipek, who had a first birthday party for the tigers on Sunday, said he
takes no fees or contributions from visitors to his compound, so he is not
exhibiting and he is in compliance with federal law. He said he does not
understand why he would be under investigation by the federal agency.

"They would like to make it their business but they can't because I don't
take money from people," Sipek said. "They can't police my home."

Nancy L. Othon can be reached at nothon@sun-sentinel.com or 561-243-6633.