Big cat owner says proposal overdone
A lot of residences bear the sign "Beware of dog," but in front of Zuzana Kukol's house is a sign that warns, "Beware of cat."
In this case, the cat isn't an ordinary Siamese, Maltese or tabby cat, but an eight-year-old, 350-pound white tiger named "Pepper."
Lately, Pepper has been a little jealous about the attention paid by her owner to "Bam Bam," a 10-month-old 110-pound African lion.
To complete the menagerie, Kukol also has an ocelot and a bobcat on her spacious property located in a remote part of Pahrump Valley.
Despite her overwhelming power and size, "Pepper" was hiding in her spacious cage when a reporter arrived for a visit, afraid of a strange human. That same fear of the unknown is what Kukol thinks is behind strict new regulations on exotic animal owners that are a major part of the proposed Nye County Animal Ordinance that will be discussed by county commissioners at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Kukol showed a copy of a handout that urges: "Punish someone for deeds, not breeds."
"Go after the bad exotic owners," she said. "Why punish us for someone else's act?"
Kukol was referring to Gert Abby Hedengran, 58, and his wife Roena Emma Hedengran, 54, who recently moved to Pahrump. The Hedengrans were arrested March 16, 2005, at their former home in Moorpark, Calif., in Ventura County, after a Siberian tiger escaped and roamed for three weeks before being shot near an elementary school and public park in a residential neighborhood.
There were rumors of dangerous animals on the loose in Pahrump last December around the Hedengrans property. The Nye County Sheriff's Department and Nye County Emergency Services responded to the call, a Mercy Air helicopter even flew overhead, but no exotic animals were loose.
"Their housing is excellent," Debbie Pemberton, Nye County Animal Control Supervisor, told the Pahrump Valley Times. "I do not have any concerns with these animals getting out."
Pemberton, who compiled the ordinance draft, said she thought the alert came from nervous neighbors, after they heard lions roaring. At the time she said the Hedengrans had four or five caged lions and tigers as well as 14 smaller cats, like lynx and snow leopards.
"What happens if one of these animals gets out? It happened in California. It's a huge liability there," she said.
Gert Hedengran agreed to plead guilty to one felony count of making a false statement and one felony count of obstruction of justice in a plea agreement. The Justice Department claims Hedengran misled and obstructed officers who were attempting to track down and capture the tiger.
He also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor counts of improper transportation of exotic felines; improper handling of exotic felines, in a manner causing physical and emotional trauma; and exhibition of exotic felines without a license.
Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California, said U.S. District Judge George H. King had some questions about the vagueness of the animal welfare charges in the misdemeanor counts.
The only reaction to a reporter's visit at Kukol's house was some growling from Pepper. The lion club was led out of his cage briefly for some photos, during which he endured some provoking from a Doberman. When Bam Bam reaches maturity, a trip out of the cage would be less likely. He will probably weigh 400 pounds and boast a beautiful mane.
Kukol said she agrees with provisions requiring double doors and perimeter fencing but complained about requirements for a $1 million liability insurance policy and notification of neighbors within one mile.
"Don't treat us like pedophiles, telling everybody within one mile," Kukol said. "I've been here six years. My current neighbors like me. Why put me at the mercy of new neighbors? This county, there's so few people here. Why are they trying to regulate us like this? People move here for freedom."
Kukol said no animal should be at large, regardless of species.
She sought to dispel some of the hysteria about exotic animals. In Clark County, animal control reported 29 bites by animals other than dogs and cats, which includes horses, 3 percent of the total. Nationally, nine fatalities involved exotic mammals (over half by elephants) out of 227 fatalities reported from all animal attacks between 1992 and 1997.
It's a matter of scale, Kukol indicated, saying a $1 million liability insurance policy would be applicable to some place like the Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa, Fla.
A Web site by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PETA, reported 16 people were fatally mauled by big cats between 1990 and 2006, or one per year. All the deaths occurred on the property where the animals were kept, Kukol said.
While Kukol lives some distance away from her nearest neighbor, LDO Management has submitted plans for 42 lots on 84 acres near her home.
"Here we have two people per square mile. Why do we need all these ordinances?" she asked. "In Clark County they adopted a new ordinance in 2003, and they formed an animal control board where exotic animal owners have input."
Kukol said Clark County has gradually reduced its liability insurance requirements down to from $10,000 to $50,000, depending on the size of the cat. She said there are only a few companies in the country who offer the insurance. A $1 million policy would require $3,000 in premiums per year, with a $10,000 deductible.
"If the regulations get so tough, sometimes it means a ban. People can't afford the insurance," Kukol said.
She said Pemberton's draft ordinance is based on an old Clark County ordinance, "which they never passed because it's so horrible."
Then there would be a $500 initial fee and a $250 annual permit fee. Nye County deputies would also be inspecting the facilities twice annually, while the animal control board would have authority to revoke her permit.
"You're subject to their mercy at any time," Kukol said. "Why? Because there's one idiot who shouldn't even be here if California officials were doing their job?"
Kukol said she doesn't need a federal license because she doesn't exhibit her lion and tiger as a commercial activity. She has a state license for the bobcat, which is a native species.
Pemberton said she's paying keen attention to the Hedengrans' case. She said the reason people like the Hedengrans are in Pahrump is because of a lack of ordinances on exotic animals. Existing county ordinances require exotic animal owners to get a permit, but she said, "The sheriff's office has never seen one, and they never issued a permit.
"If everyone with animals had a setup like Zuzana got, we wouldn't have an issue. If everyone was as conscientious as Zuzana is, we wouldn't have an issue," Pemberton said. "We're talking public safety here. One of these big cats get out, we're in a big deal of hurt."
Among a few other residents who harbor such animals, Pemberton said Brian Turner owns a couple cougars. But Carl Beck, who owned tigers and used to perform in magic shows on the Las Vegas strip, has moved out of Pahrump. Jeanie Stevenson, who brought a lion, tiger, cougar and four bobcats to Pahrump, has also left.
"They're my pets," Kukol said.
When it comes to Pepper, Kukol added, "I still go to the cage, I don't let her hug me. But Bam Bam, I could hug him forever."
http://www.pahrumpvalleytimes.com/2006/ Sep-29-Fri-2006/news/9917808.html
Saturday, September 30, 2006
South Africa's "Big Cat Doctor"
JAMES RAMPTON
For the average British veterinary surgeon - think James Herriot in It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet - what's the worst that can happen? On a really bad day, he might have to stick his arm in an unmentionable part of a cow. But even in the most dreadful situation imaginable for a vet in this country, he is never going to end up as his patient's lunch.
That, however, is the very real threat faced every day by Dr Johan Joubert. Working at a game reserve in South Africa, he deals with some of the most lethal animals known to man: lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants and hippos. This is a man for whom the phrase "dicing with death" is not some clichéd fantasy but an occupational hazard.
I'm sitting chatting to the so-called Big Cat Doctor at the Shamwari Game Reserve, a 20,000-hectare site an hour's drive from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Getting there from the Garden Route, you pass such familiar names as Motherwell and Colchester.
Joubert and I are taking morning tea on the verandah of the well-appointed lodge. We're looking out across manicured lawns, meticulously tended flowerbeds and an inviting oval aquamarine swimming pool.
But the civility of the scene is in stark contrast to the danger Joubert faces every time he leaves the lodge and ventures into the jungle beyond.
As if to bolster his fearless credentials, the vet, who features in a documentary appropriately entitled Big Cat Doctor on Discovery's Animal Planet channel on Monday, has a fresh scar running down the middle of his nose. It is the legacy of a recent close en-counter with a wild animal that didn't take kindly to his treatment table.
Forty-nine-year-old Joubert is a tall, imposing figure with impeccable manners. Dressed in a standard-issue Shamwari safari suit, he resembles a better-looking version of Stewart Granger in one of those creaky 1950s jungle-set B movies (invariably shot nowhere more perilous than a Hollywood backlot).
He has worked as the resident vet and wildlife manager at Shamwari since the game reserve opened in 1995, and thoroughly impresses me with his list of some of the close calls he has had while in the company of wild beasts.
"The scariest thing happened recently when I wasn't even working," he recalls with a wry smile. "It was a real close shave. I love going on foot through the bush, and I was walking through this very dense thicket when all of a sudden this highly aggressive black rhino came out of nowhere and charged me.
"I had a split second to escape and climb whatever was nearest me, which unfortunately was a prickly pear tree. I clambered up in double-quick time and was in agony because I had dozens of thorns sticking in me, all over my body. But I couldn't scream out in pain as the black rhino has very poor eyesight and I didn't want her to hear me.
"So there I was, clinging on for dear life and muffling my cries, when at the very worst possible moment my mobile phone went off. The rhino went mad, repeatedly charging the tree till it gave way. I fell out of the tree onto her back and she tried to gore me. Fortunately, her eyesight was so bad that she mistook the remains of the tree for me and carried on attacking it as I ran for my life!"
In the course of his work, Joubert has got into more than the odd scrape with a wild animal. For his own safety, he usually anaesthetises the beasts with a dart-gun before working on them, but judging the right amount of tranquilliser to use is a fine art.
Later, when I watch him work in the Vets' Centre at Shamwari, he has a frightening run-in with a cheetah which recovers from its anaesthetic unexpectedly quickly and suddenly bares its ferociously sharp teeth at him.
If you ever happen to find yourself in a similar situation, which I sincerely hope you don't, the trick is apparently to grab the cheetah by the tail. It doesn't hurt the animal, but it enables you to get control of it, as far away as possible from those flashing incisors.
Joubert says: "I've never been seriously injured by an animal I've been treating, but you have to be extremely careful when they're coming round from being darted. I've had a lot of cuts and bruises then, as well as several horns in the leg."
Ironically, the most serious damage inflicted on Joubert came when he was trying to help an animal in distress. "A waterbuck had got stuck on a fence, and as I released it, it kicked back and broke my knee.
"I'm not brave," he asserts in a tone that brooks no contradiction. "You just have to be able to read the signs and respect the animals. If you follow the rules, you can get close to them in a safe way. You must remember that they're not predictable."
Perhaps surprisingly, the most deadly of all the beasts is the hippo. Every year, it kills more humans than any other African species. Even though hippos are vegetarians, they are highly territorial. So if you have the misfortune to get between one and its stretch of water, it will stop at nothing to remove you. The hippo also possesses fearsome power in its jaws - it can cut a crocodile in two with a single bite.
"If you're walking through a thicket, it's vital that you keep looking and listening," Joubert stresses. "There is always more going on than you first think. You have to remain alert at all times. One minute you can be making your way through a dense area, and the next a lion is standing straight ahead, spitting at you. You must stand your ground and never run away. It's important whenever we introduce wild animals to the reserve that they don't get used to people. They must still fear you. When they don't, they become very dangerous indeed."
He is also quick to reject any notions that the animals should be anthropomorphised. The game reserve reminds us that nature is red in tooth and claw. This is exemplified by the behaviour of the lions. When a new alpha male takes over a pride, his first act is to kill the cubs born to his ousted rival in order to establish his superiority and to ensure the continuation of his genes. So at Shamwari, Joubert never intervenes for simply sentimental reasons.
"Here we like to be hands off. We let nature take its course. The zebra and kudu populations, for example, are completely independent. Unless they suffer human-induced injuries - like getting caught on a fence - our policy is never to interfere.
"It's sad, but sometimes when an animal dies, it can be a blessing in disguise. We saw an elephant calf recently with its intestines hanging out after a fight. The only kind thing to do was to put it down. Why let an animal suffer unnecessarily?"
The vet emphasises that the 300-strong staff at the game reserve are discouraged from growing too attached to the wildlife. "We don't give our animals names. We try to avoid forming bonds with them. They must be independent from humans. They're not pets."
Joubert trusts that the documentary will help spread his conservationist message. To underline the point, at Shamwari he runs the Born Free Centre, which nurses traumatised animals that have been previously kept in captivity. He also oversees an armed unit which acts as a round-the-clock deterrent to would-be poachers.
"I hope that watching this film, people realise what beautiful creatures these wild animals are and will help us protect them," Joubert observes. "The world can't just be for people, there must be a place in it for wildlife, too. Because the human population is growing so fast, there is more and more pressure on the land. In the future, the biggest danger to wildlife will be the lack of land."
That conservationist message is reinforced when we go on a game drive around the reserve in a Land Rover driven by one of Joubert's most trusted colleagues, an infectiously enthusiastic ranger named Dave Olsen.
He takes us to a favourite hiding place of one of the very few leopards on the reserve. Eagle-eyed, he spots the well-camouflaged animal lurking in the bushes.
Pulling the vehicle to a halt, he whispers: "Don't try this at home," before creeping towards the leopard - clutching as an insurance policy the rifle he assures us he has never had to use. Very gingerly, Olsen approaches the bush, knowing the leopard will be unable to resist the temptation to come out and investigate.
People talk about feline elegance, and as the aesthetically perfect leopard swaggers around the open-topped Land Rover preening and posturing, you can see exactly what they mean.
This is the raw thrill of the natural world that Joubert wishes to communicate. Our conversation over, he is called away to a poorly lioness that requires his urgent attention on the other side of the game reserve.
But before he leaps into his vehicle, he pauses for a second, beaming with almost childlike enthusiasm.
"Working here has been a life-changing experience for me. Before I came to Shamwari, I was really interested in wildlife, but now it's my absolute passion. Every day, I do something I've always wanted to do. After 11 years, it still gives me a buzz and it still doesn't feel like a job. I don't want anything else in my life."
But just how does Joubert maintain that passion in the face of such daily peril? "The most important thing about animals is that they're genuine," the Big Cat Doctor concludes. "There is so much that is fake about humans. Animals are much more straightforward. With them, what you see is what you get. There is no hidden agenda. And that's what I love about them."
FACT FILE: SHAMWARI
HOW TO GET THERE
Flights from Scotland to Port Elizabeth with British Airways start at £864 return from Glasgow and Edinburgh and £865 from Aberdeen. Tel: 0870 850 9850, or visit www.ba.com
WHERE TO STAY
Shamwari Game Reserve lodge has luxury rooms starting from £186 in the low season (1 May to 30 September) and £356 in the high season (1 October to 30 April). For reservations, contact the UK office, tel: 01483 425465, or visit www.shamwari.com
For more details on the Born Free Centre, including a Shamwari Big Cat Diary and organised holidays to the reserve, see www.bornfree.org.uk
AND THERE'S MORE
The documentary Big Cat Doctor screens on Discovery's Animal Planet channel on Monday, at 9pm.
Last updated: 29-Sep-06 00:59 BST
http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1424982006
For the average British veterinary surgeon - think James Herriot in It Shouldn't Happen to a Vet - what's the worst that can happen? On a really bad day, he might have to stick his arm in an unmentionable part of a cow. But even in the most dreadful situation imaginable for a vet in this country, he is never going to end up as his patient's lunch.
That, however, is the very real threat faced every day by Dr Johan Joubert. Working at a game reserve in South Africa, he deals with some of the most lethal animals known to man: lions, leopards, cheetahs, rhinos, elephants and hippos. This is a man for whom the phrase "dicing with death" is not some clichéd fantasy but an occupational hazard.
I'm sitting chatting to the so-called Big Cat Doctor at the Shamwari Game Reserve, a 20,000-hectare site an hour's drive from Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape. Getting there from the Garden Route, you pass such familiar names as Motherwell and Colchester.
Joubert and I are taking morning tea on the verandah of the well-appointed lodge. We're looking out across manicured lawns, meticulously tended flowerbeds and an inviting oval aquamarine swimming pool.
But the civility of the scene is in stark contrast to the danger Joubert faces every time he leaves the lodge and ventures into the jungle beyond.
As if to bolster his fearless credentials, the vet, who features in a documentary appropriately entitled Big Cat Doctor on Discovery's Animal Planet channel on Monday, has a fresh scar running down the middle of his nose. It is the legacy of a recent close en-counter with a wild animal that didn't take kindly to his treatment table.
Forty-nine-year-old Joubert is a tall, imposing figure with impeccable manners. Dressed in a standard-issue Shamwari safari suit, he resembles a better-looking version of Stewart Granger in one of those creaky 1950s jungle-set B movies (invariably shot nowhere more perilous than a Hollywood backlot).
He has worked as the resident vet and wildlife manager at Shamwari since the game reserve opened in 1995, and thoroughly impresses me with his list of some of the close calls he has had while in the company of wild beasts.
"The scariest thing happened recently when I wasn't even working," he recalls with a wry smile. "It was a real close shave. I love going on foot through the bush, and I was walking through this very dense thicket when all of a sudden this highly aggressive black rhino came out of nowhere and charged me.
"I had a split second to escape and climb whatever was nearest me, which unfortunately was a prickly pear tree. I clambered up in double-quick time and was in agony because I had dozens of thorns sticking in me, all over my body. But I couldn't scream out in pain as the black rhino has very poor eyesight and I didn't want her to hear me.
"So there I was, clinging on for dear life and muffling my cries, when at the very worst possible moment my mobile phone went off. The rhino went mad, repeatedly charging the tree till it gave way. I fell out of the tree onto her back and she tried to gore me. Fortunately, her eyesight was so bad that she mistook the remains of the tree for me and carried on attacking it as I ran for my life!"
In the course of his work, Joubert has got into more than the odd scrape with a wild animal. For his own safety, he usually anaesthetises the beasts with a dart-gun before working on them, but judging the right amount of tranquilliser to use is a fine art.
Later, when I watch him work in the Vets' Centre at Shamwari, he has a frightening run-in with a cheetah which recovers from its anaesthetic unexpectedly quickly and suddenly bares its ferociously sharp teeth at him.
If you ever happen to find yourself in a similar situation, which I sincerely hope you don't, the trick is apparently to grab the cheetah by the tail. It doesn't hurt the animal, but it enables you to get control of it, as far away as possible from those flashing incisors.
Joubert says: "I've never been seriously injured by an animal I've been treating, but you have to be extremely careful when they're coming round from being darted. I've had a lot of cuts and bruises then, as well as several horns in the leg."
Ironically, the most serious damage inflicted on Joubert came when he was trying to help an animal in distress. "A waterbuck had got stuck on a fence, and as I released it, it kicked back and broke my knee.
"I'm not brave," he asserts in a tone that brooks no contradiction. "You just have to be able to read the signs and respect the animals. If you follow the rules, you can get close to them in a safe way. You must remember that they're not predictable."
Perhaps surprisingly, the most deadly of all the beasts is the hippo. Every year, it kills more humans than any other African species. Even though hippos are vegetarians, they are highly territorial. So if you have the misfortune to get between one and its stretch of water, it will stop at nothing to remove you. The hippo also possesses fearsome power in its jaws - it can cut a crocodile in two with a single bite.
"If you're walking through a thicket, it's vital that you keep looking and listening," Joubert stresses. "There is always more going on than you first think. You have to remain alert at all times. One minute you can be making your way through a dense area, and the next a lion is standing straight ahead, spitting at you. You must stand your ground and never run away. It's important whenever we introduce wild animals to the reserve that they don't get used to people. They must still fear you. When they don't, they become very dangerous indeed."
He is also quick to reject any notions that the animals should be anthropomorphised. The game reserve reminds us that nature is red in tooth and claw. This is exemplified by the behaviour of the lions. When a new alpha male takes over a pride, his first act is to kill the cubs born to his ousted rival in order to establish his superiority and to ensure the continuation of his genes. So at Shamwari, Joubert never intervenes for simply sentimental reasons.
"Here we like to be hands off. We let nature take its course. The zebra and kudu populations, for example, are completely independent. Unless they suffer human-induced injuries - like getting caught on a fence - our policy is never to interfere.
"It's sad, but sometimes when an animal dies, it can be a blessing in disguise. We saw an elephant calf recently with its intestines hanging out after a fight. The only kind thing to do was to put it down. Why let an animal suffer unnecessarily?"
The vet emphasises that the 300-strong staff at the game reserve are discouraged from growing too attached to the wildlife. "We don't give our animals names. We try to avoid forming bonds with them. They must be independent from humans. They're not pets."
Joubert trusts that the documentary will help spread his conservationist message. To underline the point, at Shamwari he runs the Born Free Centre, which nurses traumatised animals that have been previously kept in captivity. He also oversees an armed unit which acts as a round-the-clock deterrent to would-be poachers.
"I hope that watching this film, people realise what beautiful creatures these wild animals are and will help us protect them," Joubert observes. "The world can't just be for people, there must be a place in it for wildlife, too. Because the human population is growing so fast, there is more and more pressure on the land. In the future, the biggest danger to wildlife will be the lack of land."
That conservationist message is reinforced when we go on a game drive around the reserve in a Land Rover driven by one of Joubert's most trusted colleagues, an infectiously enthusiastic ranger named Dave Olsen.
He takes us to a favourite hiding place of one of the very few leopards on the reserve. Eagle-eyed, he spots the well-camouflaged animal lurking in the bushes.
Pulling the vehicle to a halt, he whispers: "Don't try this at home," before creeping towards the leopard - clutching as an insurance policy the rifle he assures us he has never had to use. Very gingerly, Olsen approaches the bush, knowing the leopard will be unable to resist the temptation to come out and investigate.
People talk about feline elegance, and as the aesthetically perfect leopard swaggers around the open-topped Land Rover preening and posturing, you can see exactly what they mean.
This is the raw thrill of the natural world that Joubert wishes to communicate. Our conversation over, he is called away to a poorly lioness that requires his urgent attention on the other side of the game reserve.
But before he leaps into his vehicle, he pauses for a second, beaming with almost childlike enthusiasm.
"Working here has been a life-changing experience for me. Before I came to Shamwari, I was really interested in wildlife, but now it's my absolute passion. Every day, I do something I've always wanted to do. After 11 years, it still gives me a buzz and it still doesn't feel like a job. I don't want anything else in my life."
But just how does Joubert maintain that passion in the face of such daily peril? "The most important thing about animals is that they're genuine," the Big Cat Doctor concludes. "There is so much that is fake about humans. Animals are much more straightforward. With them, what you see is what you get. There is no hidden agenda. And that's what I love about them."
FACT FILE: SHAMWARI
HOW TO GET THERE
Flights from Scotland to Port Elizabeth with British Airways start at £864 return from Glasgow and Edinburgh and £865 from Aberdeen. Tel: 0870 850 9850, or visit www.ba.com
WHERE TO STAY
Shamwari Game Reserve lodge has luxury rooms starting from £186 in the low season (1 May to 30 September) and £356 in the high season (1 October to 30 April). For reservations, contact the UK office, tel: 01483 425465, or visit www.shamwari.com
For more details on the Born Free Centre, including a Shamwari Big Cat Diary and organised holidays to the reserve, see www.bornfree.org.uk
AND THERE'S MORE
The documentary Big Cat Doctor screens on Discovery's Animal Planet channel on Monday, at 9pm.
Last updated: 29-Sep-06 00:59 BST
http://living.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=1424982006
Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act
Update 9/30/06: The Senate bill S3880 known as the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act passed as amended on the night of 9/29/06 by Unanimous Consent. That means not one Senator opposed the bill. There was an amendment made at the last minute, but it was not substantial enough to protect your Free Speech. The House adjourned for recess without taking any action, so it will still have to go over to the House during the next session which begins Nov. 9 and may last until Christmas. It is more imperative than ever that you contact your Representative in the House and ask them to vote against this bill.
More about this bill here: http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/alert/?alertid=9014956&type=CO
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/344896451?ltl=1140270431
Subscribe to our Podcast 
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Friday, September 29, 2006
WI animal park owner says tiger cub birth a surprise
A few days after Jeff Kozlowski told the Baraboo News Republic "no, I never have and never will" let the big cats at his rescue breed, he got a big surprise while cleaning one of the cages.
He heard an odd noise, kind of like a hawk, and upon investigating found two teeny white fuzz balls were born to tigers Zeus and Racheal Monday afternoon.
He didn't know Racheal was pregnant. If he had known the animals were young enough to breed he would not have had them in the same cage, he said.
Kozlowski took in the cats, along with nine others, after being contacted by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources about a year ago, he said. The animals needed homes because the United States Department of Agriculture found Dennis Hill, of the White Tiger Sanctuary and Willow Hill Center for Rare and Endangered Species, guilty of willfully violating the animal welfare act. The animals were in rough shape and Kozlowski thought they were too old to breed since they had been caged together before.
See Thursday's paper for more on this story.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/index.php?ntid=100630&ntpid=1#
He heard an odd noise, kind of like a hawk, and upon investigating found two teeny white fuzz balls were born to tigers Zeus and Racheal Monday afternoon.
He didn't know Racheal was pregnant. If he had known the animals were young enough to breed he would not have had them in the same cage, he said.
Kozlowski took in the cats, along with nine others, after being contacted by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources about a year ago, he said. The animals needed homes because the United States Department of Agriculture found Dennis Hill, of the White Tiger Sanctuary and Willow Hill Center for Rare and Endangered Species, guilty of willfully violating the animal welfare act. The animals were in rough shape and Kozlowski thought they were too old to breed since they had been caged together before.
See Thursday's paper for more on this story.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/index.php?ntid=100630&ntpid=1#
Upper Midwest is home to several big cat facilities
Jill Carnegie bought her first cougar from an ad in the back of a "Field and Stream" magazine. Little did she know more than three decades later she would have about 46 lions and tigers, three bears and a menagerie of animals to care for and the calls keep coming in requesting she take more. She's not alone.
Tammy Quist was working in advertising and went to a photo shoot where a guy had a tiger — she didn't realize that anyone could own a tiger and knowing that prompted her to open The Wildcat Sanctuary, where she gets about 30 calls a month from people and agencies looking for big cat homes.
Big cat advocate Jeff Kozlowski of the Rock Springs-based Big Dad's Big Cat Rescue and Education Center took in a tiger from a privately-owned zoo in 2003 and has since provided housing for others big cats that have been neglected or turned away. For him, the calls keep coming — even after Sauk County's legal advisor filed suit Sept. 15 hoping to force him to move the lions, tigers and leopards from his property. Kozlowski and his attorney have until Oct. 30 to respond to six complaints, which include violations of county animal control ordinances and the threat to public welfare because the cages are not strong enough, among others.
In addition to compelling Kozlowski to move the animals, the county's legal advisor Todd Liebman asks the court to impose a forfeiture between $50 and $200 a day for the time he says Kozlowski failed to obey a previous county order to correct problems.
If Kozlowski fails to move the animals, the court should authorize Sauk County to arrange for their transportation and housing, and charge the costs back to Kozlowski, court documents show.
Kozlowski says he knows there is a great need for animal homes and there is nowhere for his cats to go if he is forced to shut down.
The problem, said Carnegie, who founded Valley of the Kings Sanctuary & Retreat in Sharon, Wis., is people can too easily purchase exotic animals and have no idea what they are getting into. There are weeks when she gets dozen of inquiries from people looking for a place to get rid of their unwanted "pets." Kozlowski said he has turned away about 60 cats in the last five to six months.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/index.php?ntid=100629&ntpid=0#
Tammy Quist was working in advertising and went to a photo shoot where a guy had a tiger — she didn't realize that anyone could own a tiger and knowing that prompted her to open The Wildcat Sanctuary, where she gets about 30 calls a month from people and agencies looking for big cat homes.
Big cat advocate Jeff Kozlowski of the Rock Springs-based Big Dad's Big Cat Rescue and Education Center took in a tiger from a privately-owned zoo in 2003 and has since provided housing for others big cats that have been neglected or turned away. For him, the calls keep coming — even after Sauk County's legal advisor filed suit Sept. 15 hoping to force him to move the lions, tigers and leopards from his property. Kozlowski and his attorney have until Oct. 30 to respond to six complaints, which include violations of county animal control ordinances and the threat to public welfare because the cages are not strong enough, among others.
In addition to compelling Kozlowski to move the animals, the county's legal advisor Todd Liebman asks the court to impose a forfeiture between $50 and $200 a day for the time he says Kozlowski failed to obey a previous county order to correct problems.
If Kozlowski fails to move the animals, the court should authorize Sauk County to arrange for their transportation and housing, and charge the costs back to Kozlowski, court documents show.
Kozlowski says he knows there is a great need for animal homes and there is nowhere for his cats to go if he is forced to shut down.
The problem, said Carnegie, who founded Valley of the Kings Sanctuary & Retreat in Sharon, Wis., is people can too easily purchase exotic animals and have no idea what they are getting into. There are weeks when she gets dozen of inquiries from people looking for a place to get rid of their unwanted "pets." Kozlowski said he has turned away about 60 cats in the last five to six months.
http://www.wiscnews.com/bnr/news/index.php?ntid=100629&ntpid=0#
Australia's first white lion cubs to be unveiled
Last Update: Friday, September 29, 2006. 10:10am (AEST)
The first white lion cubs born in Australia are being unveiled to the public today at a zoo on the far south coast of New South Wales.
Ten-week-old Purr and Joe will be released into their exhibit at Mogo Zoo, near Bateman's Bay.
The zoo's co-owner, Sally Padey, says white lions are highly endangered and there are only 200 left in the world.
She says the zoo imported the cubs' mother and two other white lions from South Africa three years ago and the breeding program is an important contribution to the conservation of the animals.
"It would be wonderful to think that one day we would be able to return some of these progenies to the Timbavati, but it's a long way to go before something like this happens," she said.
"They're doing lots of wonderful things at the Timbavati now to protect the white lion, so it would be nice to think that one day that we could return progeny to the wild."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1751725.htm
The first white lion cubs born in Australia are being unveiled to the public today at a zoo on the far south coast of New South Wales.
Ten-week-old Purr and Joe will be released into their exhibit at Mogo Zoo, near Bateman's Bay.
The zoo's co-owner, Sally Padey, says white lions are highly endangered and there are only 200 left in the world.
She says the zoo imported the cubs' mother and two other white lions from South Africa three years ago and the breeding program is an important contribution to the conservation of the animals.
"It would be wonderful to think that one day we would be able to return some of these progenies to the Timbavati, but it's a long way to go before something like this happens," she said.
"They're doing lots of wonderful things at the Timbavati now to protect the white lion, so it would be nice to think that one day that we could return progeny to the wild."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1751725.htm
Troubled Australian zoo reopens under new ownership
Friday, September 29, 2006
A far north Queensland zoo reopened its doors today after years of turmoil, a number of animal escapes and a change of ownership.
Official opening
The Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, formally the Mareeba Wild Animal Park, was officially opened by Mareeba Shire Mayor Mick Borzi in a small ceremony that included a number of local dignitaries.
Cr Borzi complimented new owners Udo and Jenny Jattke for the speed at which the new park had been reopened and thanked them for the investment they had made in the Mareeba Shire.
"I want to compliment Udo, Jenny and their staff, because what they've achieved in the past 8 or 9 weeks is nothing short of amazing," he said.
"It's a quantum leap forward in the provision of visitor infrastructure in the Shire. We currently have something like 64 visitor attractions and things to do in the Shire, which surprises a lot of people because Mareeba, in the past, has been considered as not having very much to offer the visitor, but this one is just over the top."
The wildlife reserve is currently home to hippopotami, lemurs, bears, cheetahs, tigers, lions, rhinos, deer, ostrich, antelope and a variety of monkeys.
Udo Jattke took the occasion to thank everyone involved in the park's restoration, especially zoo keepers Tim and Wendy Husband, who have been at the park through the whole saga.
"I just want to say thank-you to everyone that helped us get to this point, especially (zoo keepers) Wendy and Tim for doing an awesome job, over the last two years, keeping these animals in such great, great condition," he said.
Udo also took the opportunity to correct those who said reopening the park in the allotted time was a pipedream.
"They said there is no way you'll get this park open in under 12 months... that's like holding a red flag in front of my nose, we actually did it, as Mick said, in 8 weeks."
There are now plans in place to provide extra shade and water features to make the park more attractive to visitors in the warmer months of the year as well as introducing extra enclosures for more animals. Accommodation facilities are also being developed and will include a caravan park to tap the 'grey nomad' market.
http://www.abc.net.au/farnorth/stories/s1751710.htm?backyard
A far north Queensland zoo reopened its doors today after years of turmoil, a number of animal escapes and a change of ownership.
Official opening
The Cairns Wildlife Safari Reserve, formally the Mareeba Wild Animal Park, was officially opened by Mareeba Shire Mayor Mick Borzi in a small ceremony that included a number of local dignitaries.
Cr Borzi complimented new owners Udo and Jenny Jattke for the speed at which the new park had been reopened and thanked them for the investment they had made in the Mareeba Shire.
"I want to compliment Udo, Jenny and their staff, because what they've achieved in the past 8 or 9 weeks is nothing short of amazing," he said.
"It's a quantum leap forward in the provision of visitor infrastructure in the Shire. We currently have something like 64 visitor attractions and things to do in the Shire, which surprises a lot of people because Mareeba, in the past, has been considered as not having very much to offer the visitor, but this one is just over the top."
The wildlife reserve is currently home to hippopotami, lemurs, bears, cheetahs, tigers, lions, rhinos, deer, ostrich, antelope and a variety of monkeys.
Udo Jattke took the occasion to thank everyone involved in the park's restoration, especially zoo keepers Tim and Wendy Husband, who have been at the park through the whole saga.
"I just want to say thank-you to everyone that helped us get to this point, especially (zoo keepers) Wendy and Tim for doing an awesome job, over the last two years, keeping these animals in such great, great condition," he said.
Udo also took the opportunity to correct those who said reopening the park in the allotted time was a pipedream.
"They said there is no way you'll get this park open in under 12 months... that's like holding a red flag in front of my nose, we actually did it, as Mick said, in 8 weeks."
There are now plans in place to provide extra shade and water features to make the park more attractive to visitors in the warmer months of the year as well as introducing extra enclosures for more animals. Accommodation facilities are also being developed and will include a caravan park to tap the 'grey nomad' market.
http://www.abc.net.au/farnorth/stories/s1751710.htm?backyard
Pakistan's First Lady welcomes snow leopard to Bronx Zoo
First Lady attends ceremony to officially welcome Pakistani Snow Leopard
'Pakistan Times' US Bureau Report
NEW YORK (US): First Lady Begum Sehba Musharraf on Monday visited Bronx zoo and attended a ceremony to officially welcome Leo " a Pakistani snow leopard " which has been loaned by Pakistan to the facility, recognized as one of the best in the world and the first to exhibit snow leopards in 1903.
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science Claudia A. McMurray welcomed the First Lady on her arrival at the zoo.
In her remarks at the ceremony, Begum Sehba Musharraf said: "Wildlife is among our greatest resources it provides both beauty and a discovery of the natural world around us."
Leo is a most fitting wildlife "ambassador" representing both Pakistan and his species, she said and hoped he would inspire others to care.
The First Lady said Leo will return to Pakistan where a centre would be developed for its rehabilitation and other such endangered species. She said Pakistan attached great importance to cooperation in the field of conservation of wildlife.
Presence of Leo at the Bronx zoo is a symbol of excellent cooperation between the governments of Pakistan and the United States and the enduring friendship between their people, the First Lady added.
The cub, estimated to be 14-months old, was initially discovered last year after its mother was killed. It could not be released into the wild, as it was denied the opportunity to learn hunting skills from its parent.
Through a unique partnership with the government of Pakistan, facilitated by the US State Department, a team of Wildlife Conservative Society (WCS) wildlife experts was deployed to Pakistan's remote Naltar Valley which was then brought to New York for a capitve breeding programme.
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Claudia A McMurray in her remarks said: "Today we celebrate the arrival of this beautiful snow leopard cub as a symbol of hope for the global effort to save endangered wildlife."
Leo will remain at the Bronx Zoo and serve as an animal ambassador for his species until an appropriate facility is constructed in Pakistan.
Snow leopards are among the world's most endangered big cats with an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 remaining in the wild, restricted to remote mountains of Central Asia.
Minister for Social Welfare for Special Education, Zobaida Jalal, Minister of State for Women Development Sumeria Malik were also present on the occasion.
http://www.pakistantimes.net/2006/09/26/top10.htm
'Pakistan Times' US Bureau Report
NEW YORK (US): First Lady Begum Sehba Musharraf on Monday visited Bronx zoo and attended a ceremony to officially welcome Leo " a Pakistani snow leopard " which has been loaned by Pakistan to the facility, recognized as one of the best in the world and the first to exhibit snow leopards in 1903.
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Environment and Science Claudia A. McMurray welcomed the First Lady on her arrival at the zoo.
In her remarks at the ceremony, Begum Sehba Musharraf said: "Wildlife is among our greatest resources it provides both beauty and a discovery of the natural world around us."
Leo is a most fitting wildlife "ambassador" representing both Pakistan and his species, she said and hoped he would inspire others to care.
The First Lady said Leo will return to Pakistan where a centre would be developed for its rehabilitation and other such endangered species. She said Pakistan attached great importance to cooperation in the field of conservation of wildlife.
Presence of Leo at the Bronx zoo is a symbol of excellent cooperation between the governments of Pakistan and the United States and the enduring friendship between their people, the First Lady added.
The cub, estimated to be 14-months old, was initially discovered last year after its mother was killed. It could not be released into the wild, as it was denied the opportunity to learn hunting skills from its parent.
Through a unique partnership with the government of Pakistan, facilitated by the US State Department, a team of Wildlife Conservative Society (WCS) wildlife experts was deployed to Pakistan's remote Naltar Valley which was then brought to New York for a capitve breeding programme.
Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans, Claudia A McMurray in her remarks said: "Today we celebrate the arrival of this beautiful snow leopard cub as a symbol of hope for the global effort to save endangered wildlife."
Leo will remain at the Bronx Zoo and serve as an animal ambassador for his species until an appropriate facility is constructed in Pakistan.
Snow leopards are among the world's most endangered big cats with an estimated 3,500 to 7,000 remaining in the wild, restricted to remote mountains of Central Asia.
Minister for Social Welfare for Special Education, Zobaida Jalal, Minister of State for Women Development Sumeria Malik were also present on the occasion.
http://www.pakistantimes.net/2006/09/26/top10.htm
Nashville Zoo hosts snow leopard cubs
Sep 28, 2006 07:22 PM EDT
The Nashville Zoo has some pretty important visitors, and they are showing them off in a new exhibit.
Snow leopard cubs will be spending the next month or so at the zoo.
They are just 10 weeks old.
The cubs live at a wildlife park in Kansas, but that park is going through a renovation, so the Nashville Zoo welcomed them in.
You can see the snow leopards at the zoo starting Saturday, until Nov. 1, when they will head back to Kansas.
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5473399
The Nashville Zoo has some pretty important visitors, and they are showing them off in a new exhibit.
Snow leopard cubs will be spending the next month or so at the zoo.
They are just 10 weeks old.
The cubs live at a wildlife park in Kansas, but that park is going through a renovation, so the Nashville Zoo welcomed them in.
You can see the snow leopards at the zoo starting Saturday, until Nov. 1, when they will head back to Kansas.
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=5473399
Chinese artist wants to experience a lion's caged life
UPDATED: 16:47, September 29, 2006
A Chinese performance artist will live for 10 days in a cage in a wildlife park. He will not talk to anyone and every move he makes will be confined to the cage.
Ye Fu, a poet and performance artist, locked himself in a lion cage Tuesday in Qingdao Forest Wild Life World, in east China's Shandong Province, starting a 10-day performance art work in which he will switch roles with lions.
His goal is to feel what it is like to be an animal locked up in a cage by men and to call for public awareness of animal protection, the artist said.
A 26-year-old woman has quit her job in Beijing to join Ye Fu for the project. Though living in the same cage, the two will not communicate or have any physical contact.
Their life in the cage will involve no talking, no cleaning, no changing of clothes and all activities including defecation will take place inside the cage, just like an animal.
Ye Fu will eat like an animal too. For his first lunch, Ye Hu ate half a kilo of raw beef.
The artist's intention has not won public acceptance. More than 50,000 comments were posted online, with over 90 percent critical.
Many say that Ye Fu is "out of his mind", "going nuts" and motivated by "self publicity". Some say that Ye Fu's behavior is nothing to do with "art" and what he is doing is a "smear on art"
Nutritionist Hu Min said that half a kilo of raw meat represents a protein intake far in excess of human needs and raw beef with blood can have bacteria and will possibly lead to disease.
"I felt terrible the whole afternoon after eating the raw beef, " Ye Fu wrote in his diary. "My limbs feel weak and I want to puke... Watching the lions under my cage fighting each other, I feel extremely depressed..."
Last year, Ye Fu built a "bird nest" in Beijing's Jianwai Soho Complex, an upscale office building in downtown Beijing. He lived in the "bird nest" for a month through rain and sun, which made him rise from obscurity.
Source: Xinhua
http://english.people.com.cn/200609/29/eng20060929_307595.html
A Chinese performance artist will live for 10 days in a cage in a wildlife park. He will not talk to anyone and every move he makes will be confined to the cage.
Ye Fu, a poet and performance artist, locked himself in a lion cage Tuesday in Qingdao Forest Wild Life World, in east China's Shandong Province, starting a 10-day performance art work in which he will switch roles with lions.
His goal is to feel what it is like to be an animal locked up in a cage by men and to call for public awareness of animal protection, the artist said.
A 26-year-old woman has quit her job in Beijing to join Ye Fu for the project. Though living in the same cage, the two will not communicate or have any physical contact.
Their life in the cage will involve no talking, no cleaning, no changing of clothes and all activities including defecation will take place inside the cage, just like an animal.
Ye Fu will eat like an animal too. For his first lunch, Ye Hu ate half a kilo of raw beef.
The artist's intention has not won public acceptance. More than 50,000 comments were posted online, with over 90 percent critical.
Many say that Ye Fu is "out of his mind", "going nuts" and motivated by "self publicity". Some say that Ye Fu's behavior is nothing to do with "art" and what he is doing is a "smear on art"
Nutritionist Hu Min said that half a kilo of raw meat represents a protein intake far in excess of human needs and raw beef with blood can have bacteria and will possibly lead to disease.
"I felt terrible the whole afternoon after eating the raw beef, " Ye Fu wrote in his diary. "My limbs feel weak and I want to puke... Watching the lions under my cage fighting each other, I feel extremely depressed..."
Last year, Ye Fu built a "bird nest" in Beijing's Jianwai Soho Complex, an upscale office building in downtown Beijing. He lived in the "bird nest" for a month through rain and sun, which made him rise from obscurity.
Source: Xinhua
http://english.people.com.cn/200609/29/eng20060929_307595.html
Big Cats Make Bad Pets Podcast
Brian’s new PodCats is called Big Cats Make Bad Pets. Check it out here and see why: http://www.bigcatrescue.org/big_cat_news.htm
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/344896451?ltl=1140270431
Subscribe to our Podcast 
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Gallery owner gets probation for smuggling wildlife items
CHICAGO - A suburban Chicago man who smuggled prohibited wildlife artifacts into the United States, including ivory and items made from tigers, has been sentenced to five years' probation.
At a hearing Wednesday, a federal judge also ordered Glen Joffe to do 1,500 hours of community service and surrender more than $500,000 in prohibited artifacts. He had faced up to 18 months in prison.
Joffe, 56, pleaded guilty earlier to violating federal laws protecting endangered species. He also pleaded guilty to importing protected wildlife and to illegally possessing a headdress made from protected birds.
Joffe and his 54-year-old partner Claudia Ashleigh-Morgan, who co-own Primitive Art Works gallery in Chicago, were accused of stocking their gallery and Oak Brook home with prohibited items.
Prosecutors have said those artifacts included ivory carvings, feathered hairpins, as well as items made from elephants and other animals.
In June, a judge sentenced Ashleigh-Morgan to three years' probation for owning a headdress made from the feathers of protected birds. She was also fined $12,000 and ordered to perform 600 hours of community service.
Both Joffe and Ashleigh-Morgan were indicted in January on 20 counts, including smuggling merchandise made from protected wildlife and making false statements to U.S. Customs agents.
The couple first came to the attention of federal agents in March 2003 after they appeared in a newspaper article with items that looked as if they had been made from endangered species.
The two were stopped at O'Hare International Airport in April 2003 as they were coming back from China with illegally imported items made from ivory and sea turtle in their luggage, prosecutors have said.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/ state/15626128.htm
At a hearing Wednesday, a federal judge also ordered Glen Joffe to do 1,500 hours of community service and surrender more than $500,000 in prohibited artifacts. He had faced up to 18 months in prison.
Joffe, 56, pleaded guilty earlier to violating federal laws protecting endangered species. He also pleaded guilty to importing protected wildlife and to illegally possessing a headdress made from protected birds.
Joffe and his 54-year-old partner Claudia Ashleigh-Morgan, who co-own Primitive Art Works gallery in Chicago, were accused of stocking their gallery and Oak Brook home with prohibited items.
Prosecutors have said those artifacts included ivory carvings, feathered hairpins, as well as items made from elephants and other animals.
In June, a judge sentenced Ashleigh-Morgan to three years' probation for owning a headdress made from the feathers of protected birds. She was also fined $12,000 and ordered to perform 600 hours of community service.
Both Joffe and Ashleigh-Morgan were indicted in January on 20 counts, including smuggling merchandise made from protected wildlife and making false statements to U.S. Customs agents.
The couple first came to the attention of federal agents in March 2003 after they appeared in a newspaper article with items that looked as if they had been made from endangered species.
The two were stopped at O'Hare International Airport in April 2003 as they were coming back from China with illegally imported items made from ivory and sea turtle in their luggage, prosecutors have said.
http://www.belleville.com/mld/belleville/news/ state/15626128.htm
Denver Zoo's lion cubs pounce into public view
Visitors to Denver Zoo can now see two eight-week-old lion cubs, Razi (which is Swahili for "secret") and Zuri (which is Swahili for "beautiful") on exhibit to in "Pahalli Ya Mwana," the maternity den habitat in the Predator Ridge exhibit at Denver Zoo. Born August 2, the cubs have been bonding behind the scenes with their mother, a lioness named Baby.
The two African lion cubs recently were given a clean bill of health from zoo veterinarians after their first wellness checkup and immunization shots at the Denver Zoo's hospital. Zoo vets also weighed the cubs during the exam. Razi weighed 18.3 pounds; Zuri weighed 16.7 pounds
The two cubs, are lionesses, Baby, and male, Krueger's second litter together; Baby and Krueger are also the parents of ten-month old cub, Asali. Baby gave birth to Asali, her first cub, less than a year ago and despite zookeepers' best efforts, after about three weeks of caring for Asali, Baby lost interest and the cub and quit nursing. This time around zookeepers are very pleased with the how Baby is doing, and say she is a very protective mother.
Krueger and Baby are both eight-year-old African lions on breeding loan to Denver Zoo from Columbus Zoo as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) Species Survival Plan (SSP). The newborn cubs are highly valued in North America for their genetic uniqueness.
http://denver.yourhub.com/DENVER/Stories/News/General-News/Story~130757.aspx
Inside Edition Investigates Exotic Pet auction
Anyone who wants a pet these days can simply go to the local animal shelter and adopt one of the thousands of pets who are in need of a home. However, for some, exotic animals are the only way to go when it comes to pets. But do they make good pets?
INSIDE EDITION traveled to rural
Signs posted in the barn say "Danger," suggesting the animals are not as cute and cuddly as they may seem.
INSIDE EDITION took hidden cameras to the auction accompanied by Tim Harrison, a police officer in another
The auction is legal in
The animals look cute and harmless when they are purchased, but in a year or so, many will be full-grown and extremely difficult to handle, not to mention dangerous.
In March 2000, while visiting relatives, a boy almost got his arm ripped off by a pet tiger. In 1999 a 10-year-old was killed by a pet tiger in her father's ex-wife's backyard.
So where do these exotic animals come from? One man selling some animals at the
Asked if there was any danger to Mr. Ash's breeding and selling of these exotic animals, Ash's lawyer said, "There's a danger to anything. There's a danger to owning a German Shepard."
Ash says he never sells an exotic animal to someone who isn't qualified to handle them, but
http://www.insideedition.com/ourstories/reports/story.aspx?storyid=395
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/344896451?ltl=1140270431
Subscribe to our Podcast 
This message contains information from Big Cat Rescue that may be confidential or privileged. The information contained herein is intended only for the eyes of the individual or entity named above. You are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, disclosure, and/or copying of the information contained in this communication is strictly prohibited. The recipient should check this e-mail and any attachments for the presence of viruses. Big Cat Rescue accepts no liability for any damage or loss caused by any virus transmitted by this e-mail.
Zoo vets harvest eggs of rare black-footed cat
Scott Huddleston
Express-News Staff Writer
Web Posted: 09/27/2006 11:08 PM CDT
Buffy doesn't know it — she's sound asleep, after all — but she might just be helping save her species.
In an in vitro procedure that's been around for only two years, zoo veterinarians removed eggs from her ovaries Wednesday in a procedure aimed at helping protect black-footed cats like Buffy. Only about 30 of the little cats live in U.S. zoos, and many others in their native habitat in southern Africa are endangered by habitat destruction.
Buffy is prepared for surgery at the San Antonio Zoo. Vets and staffers removed 10 of the black-footed cat's eggs on Wednesday.
"They're sort of small, but a mighty little creature," said Dr. Danelle Okeson, a veterinarian at the San Antonio Zoo.
Buffy and her companion, Dijan, a male, have been together for three months on display in the zoo's African Rift Valley, near the cheetah exhibit. As is too common for this little-understood, typically nocturnal cat, Buffy and Dijan haven't bred.
"We'd prefer for them to breed naturally, as much as possible," said Dr. Jason Herrick, of the Cincinnati Zoo's Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife.
But unlike domestic cats, which quickly become mature sexually and breed, black-footed cats have little contact between the sexes — even in courtship.
Working under a species survival plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Herrick removed 10 eggs from Buffy's ovaries. Using an endoscope to see video images of the cat's inner organs, he carefully took out the tiny black eggs, each measuring about one-tenth of a millimeter, with a suction needle.
The 3-year-old, 4-pound cat, fully anesthetized for the procedure, will likely be back in her enclosure today, Okeson said. A patch of skin on her belly where hair was shaved will be the only visible sign of the procedure on her exotic patched and striped coat, Okeson said.
Herrick also extracted sperm from Dijan and placed it with the eggs in petri dishes. He may know today how many eggs have developed into embryos.
Since the process for implanting embryos into female black-footed cats is still in development, embryos of the species are kept frozen with liquid nitrogen. There now are 22 frozen embryos in storage."Plus whatever we get out of these," Herrick said, smiling.
There are only two breeding pairs of the species nationwide, he said. More than half of the black-footed cats at U.S. zoos are first- or second-generation offspring of the same pair.
Though the cats aren't popular in zoos because of their size and tendency to hide, they're fierce hunters and strong diggers that can survive on little water. They've been known to leap into the air to catch birds and even bring down sheep by attacking the throat.
Embryos have successfully been transferred into female domestic cats, ocelots, tigers and African wildcats, Herrick said.
"Hopefully, black-footed cats will be on the list soon," he said. "They're really cool cats if you take the time to study them."
shuddleston@express-news.net
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/ MYSA092806.01B.catoperation.319d1f2.html
Express-News Staff Writer
Web Posted: 09/27/2006 11:08 PM CDT
Buffy doesn't know it — she's sound asleep, after all — but she might just be helping save her species.
In an in vitro procedure that's been around for only two years, zoo veterinarians removed eggs from her ovaries Wednesday in a procedure aimed at helping protect black-footed cats like Buffy. Only about 30 of the little cats live in U.S. zoos, and many others in their native habitat in southern Africa are endangered by habitat destruction.
Buffy is prepared for surgery at the San Antonio Zoo. Vets and staffers removed 10 of the black-footed cat's eggs on Wednesday.
"They're sort of small, but a mighty little creature," said Dr. Danelle Okeson, a veterinarian at the San Antonio Zoo.
Buffy and her companion, Dijan, a male, have been together for three months on display in the zoo's African Rift Valley, near the cheetah exhibit. As is too common for this little-understood, typically nocturnal cat, Buffy and Dijan haven't bred.
"We'd prefer for them to breed naturally, as much as possible," said Dr. Jason Herrick, of the Cincinnati Zoo's Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife.
But unlike domestic cats, which quickly become mature sexually and breed, black-footed cats have little contact between the sexes — even in courtship.
Working under a species survival plan of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Herrick removed 10 eggs from Buffy's ovaries. Using an endoscope to see video images of the cat's inner organs, he carefully took out the tiny black eggs, each measuring about one-tenth of a millimeter, with a suction needle.
The 3-year-old, 4-pound cat, fully anesthetized for the procedure, will likely be back in her enclosure today, Okeson said. A patch of skin on her belly where hair was shaved will be the only visible sign of the procedure on her exotic patched and striped coat, Okeson said.
Herrick also extracted sperm from Dijan and placed it with the eggs in petri dishes. He may know today how many eggs have developed into embryos.
Since the process for implanting embryos into female black-footed cats is still in development, embryos of the species are kept frozen with liquid nitrogen. There now are 22 frozen embryos in storage."Plus whatever we get out of these," Herrick said, smiling.
There are only two breeding pairs of the species nationwide, he said. More than half of the black-footed cats at U.S. zoos are first- or second-generation offspring of the same pair.
Though the cats aren't popular in zoos because of their size and tendency to hide, they're fierce hunters and strong diggers that can survive on little water. They've been known to leap into the air to catch birds and even bring down sheep by attacking the throat.
Embryos have successfully been transferred into female domestic cats, ocelots, tigers and African wildcats, Herrick said.
"Hopefully, black-footed cats will be on the list soon," he said. "They're really cool cats if you take the time to study them."
shuddleston@express-news.net
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/ MYSA092806.01B.catoperation.319d1f2.html
FW: Today (Thursday) on Inside Edition: Exotic Pets
Today (Thursday) on Inside Edition: Exotic Pets
Exotic Pets
You've never seen an auction like this! Zebras, monkeys, even a kangaroo all
sold to the highest bidder! But where are they ending up? INSIDE EDITION
investigates!
http://www.insideedition.com/
Beth Preiss
301-258-3167
BPreiss@hsus.org
The Humane Society of the United States
Interested in taking action online to help animals? Then join our online
community and sign up for our Humane Action Network. Go to www.hsus.org/join
.
Hulk Hogan sends message to Congress
Hulk Hogan sends message to Congress
The wrestler supports federal legislation toughening penalties for dog fighting and cockfighting
The legislation will strengthen the federal penalties for interstate and foreign transport of dogs and roosters for illegal animal fighting, and also will ban commerce in cockfighting implements such as razor-sharp knives and icepick-like gaffs strapped to birds’ legs.
He may be a tough guy in the ring, but Hogan has a big heart for animals, and says that dogs and roosters have no place in the fighting arena.
“The laws against animal fighting just aren’t tough enough. The criminals need to get more than a slap on the wrist. Let’s hit ’em with a felonious legdrop,” he said in the video. “I love animals and, brother, it makes my blood boil when I think of people forcing animals to fight. I wish I could take these cowards into the ring myself.”
The Animal Fighting Prohibition Enforcement Act has 323 co-sponsors in the House, more than nearly any other bill in Congress. Identical legislation passed the Senate by unanimous consent in April 2005.
The legislation has been endorsed by the National Sheriffs’ Association, more than 400 law enforcement agencies from all 50 states, the National Chicken Council, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the National Coalition Against Gambling Expansion, the League of United Latin American Citizens, the Texas Poultry Federation, and many others.
To view the Hogan video, visit www.hsus.org/hulkhogan on the web.
Article published on Thursday, Sept. 28, 2006
Copyright © Tampa Bay Newspapers: All rights reserved.
http://www.tbnweekly.com/pubs/belleair_bee/content_articles/092806_bee-06.txt
For the cats,
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an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
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813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org
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Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Illegal zoos abound in Vietnam
DI AN, Vietnam - A bespectacled man in a wide-brim hat slips his hand between the blue iron bars and casually ruffles the orange and black fur of a tiger's head.
At the private zoo of a self-described Vietnamese conservationist, other adult tigers prowl around an enclosure of grass and rocks, playfully paw at each other or snatch with their sharp teeth at live chickens being thrown to them for lunch.
The man, beer brewery owner Ngo Duy Tan, announced in August that he had successfully bred tiger cubs in his compound at Di An in the southern province of Binh Duong about 40 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.
The feat raised eyebrows among conservationists who say breeding in captivity is difficult for even some of the world's most advanced zoos, but Tan said it was the result of his love for one of the most endangered species in Vietnam.
"I wanted to send out a message to other nature lovers that I am doing my best to save the tigers because there are reports that there are only 150 left in Vietnam," said Tan, a former soldier who strides around his property in light-brown clothing and hat.
Tan said he also keeps about 1,000 crocodiles and more than a dozen Asiatic black bears, another endangered species.
While Tan says he is helping to save endangered animals, wild life experts and the government have targeted other private zoos because they illegally capture animals and hold them in cruel, unsafe conditions.
Forests and jungles in the poor, densely-populated Southeast Asian country of 83 million have been reduced by rapid economic development -- the perennial conflict between animals and humans played out elsewhere in Asia and in Africa.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Illegal trade in pelts, bones and body parts by poachers -- often to extract animal parts for medicines -- has also endangered many species in Vietnam such as the Indochinese sub-species of tiger bred by businessman Tan.
The enormous demand in Vietnam and other Asian countries to consume parts of exotic animals for culinary or medicinal purposes threatens species as different as soft-shell turtles and Asiatic black bears.
The bears are trapped in forests and then held captive to remove their bile for medicines.
"The ongoing demand for consumption of wildlife in Vietnam and China continues to result in unsustainable levels of harvesting, legal and illegal, of animal species," said Mark Infield of Flora and Fauna International (FFI) in Hanoi.
Indochinese tigers are solitary animals that need a lot of space and live food, conservationists say.
"They are a critically-endangered species and they belong in the wild but if you have to keep them in captivity, space is a big issue," said Tim Knight, spokesman for the conservation group Wildlife At Risk in Ho Chi Minh City.
"Some of the most famous zoos in the world still have difficulty breeding wild animals. If the animals do not feel comfortable, then breeding is the last thing on their minds."
Tiger-owner Tan keeps 19 orange and black-striped big cats in a 5,000 square metre area enclosed with blue bars, but filled with grass and rocks. They are fed live chickens and also pork.
"I don't know how other zoos breed tigers. For me, I try my best to create a habitat that is closest to natural conditions," said Tan, 55, whose love for tigers began while serving in Cambodia in the early 1970s.
During an interview, four cuddly-looking five-week old cubs pad around at people's feet and Tan strokes them and holds them as though they were any other domestic cats.
Tan said he has permission from provincial authorities to keep the tigers and he dreams of expanding their territory one day by buying more land around the compound.
He said he initially bought tigers in Cambodia several years ago and later bought six cubs at a Vietnamese market and raised them.
ANIMAL TRADE
Vietnam has been a signatory to the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, since April 1994, but wild life groups have criticised the country for inconsistent enforcement.
They say there is a long list of endangered species in a country rich in biological treasures.
Among them is Vietnam's wild elephants.
Vietnam's Forestry Protection Department found that between 1999 and 2002 there were between 59 and 81 elephants in 11 locations compared with 122 to 148 elephants found in 20 locations from 1990 to 1995.
In mid-July, in the same province of Binh Duong where Tan keeps his tigers, Vietnamese forestry officials confiscated two orangutans from a small cage in a hotel.
The orangutans, which are protected by CITES, were smuggled from the Indonesian province of Kalimantan on Borneo and kept as an attraction for tourists at the Thanh Canh Hotel, conservation groups said.
They were returned to their home in the jungles of Borneo, four months after tourists reported their captivity.
Jakarta-based Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation said the hotel housed more than 200 animals, mostly Vietnamese wildlife.
"This illegal zoo (Thanh Canh Hotel) is one of many in the country and it is believed that for zoos around the country tens of thousands of animals have been illegally obtained from the forests of Vietnam and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia," it said.
Story by Grant McCool
Story Date: 27/9/2006
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/ newsid/38265/story.htm
At the private zoo of a self-described Vietnamese conservationist, other adult tigers prowl around an enclosure of grass and rocks, playfully paw at each other or snatch with their sharp teeth at live chickens being thrown to them for lunch.
The man, beer brewery owner Ngo Duy Tan, announced in August that he had successfully bred tiger cubs in his compound at Di An in the southern province of Binh Duong about 40 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.
The feat raised eyebrows among conservationists who say breeding in captivity is difficult for even some of the world's most advanced zoos, but Tan said it was the result of his love for one of the most endangered species in Vietnam.
"I wanted to send out a message to other nature lovers that I am doing my best to save the tigers because there are reports that there are only 150 left in Vietnam," said Tan, a former soldier who strides around his property in light-brown clothing and hat.
Tan said he also keeps about 1,000 crocodiles and more than a dozen Asiatic black bears, another endangered species.
While Tan says he is helping to save endangered animals, wild life experts and the government have targeted other private zoos because they illegally capture animals and hold them in cruel, unsafe conditions.
Forests and jungles in the poor, densely-populated Southeast Asian country of 83 million have been reduced by rapid economic development -- the perennial conflict between animals and humans played out elsewhere in Asia and in Africa.
ENDANGERED SPECIES
Illegal trade in pelts, bones and body parts by poachers -- often to extract animal parts for medicines -- has also endangered many species in Vietnam such as the Indochinese sub-species of tiger bred by businessman Tan.
The enormous demand in Vietnam and other Asian countries to consume parts of exotic animals for culinary or medicinal purposes threatens species as different as soft-shell turtles and Asiatic black bears.
The bears are trapped in forests and then held captive to remove their bile for medicines.
"The ongoing demand for consumption of wildlife in Vietnam and China continues to result in unsustainable levels of harvesting, legal and illegal, of animal species," said Mark Infield of Flora and Fauna International (FFI) in Hanoi.
Indochinese tigers are solitary animals that need a lot of space and live food, conservationists say.
"They are a critically-endangered species and they belong in the wild but if you have to keep them in captivity, space is a big issue," said Tim Knight, spokesman for the conservation group Wildlife At Risk in Ho Chi Minh City.
"Some of the most famous zoos in the world still have difficulty breeding wild animals. If the animals do not feel comfortable, then breeding is the last thing on their minds."
Tiger-owner Tan keeps 19 orange and black-striped big cats in a 5,000 square metre area enclosed with blue bars, but filled with grass and rocks. They are fed live chickens and also pork.
"I don't know how other zoos breed tigers. For me, I try my best to create a habitat that is closest to natural conditions," said Tan, 55, whose love for tigers began while serving in Cambodia in the early 1970s.
During an interview, four cuddly-looking five-week old cubs pad around at people's feet and Tan strokes them and holds them as though they were any other domestic cats.
Tan said he has permission from provincial authorities to keep the tigers and he dreams of expanding their territory one day by buying more land around the compound.
He said he initially bought tigers in Cambodia several years ago and later bought six cubs at a Vietnamese market and raised them.
ANIMAL TRADE
Vietnam has been a signatory to the Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES, since April 1994, but wild life groups have criticised the country for inconsistent enforcement.
They say there is a long list of endangered species in a country rich in biological treasures.
Among them is Vietnam's wild elephants.
Vietnam's Forestry Protection Department found that between 1999 and 2002 there were between 59 and 81 elephants in 11 locations compared with 122 to 148 elephants found in 20 locations from 1990 to 1995.
In mid-July, in the same province of Binh Duong where Tan keeps his tigers, Vietnamese forestry officials confiscated two orangutans from a small cage in a hotel.
The orangutans, which are protected by CITES, were smuggled from the Indonesian province of Kalimantan on Borneo and kept as an attraction for tourists at the Thanh Canh Hotel, conservation groups said.
They were returned to their home in the jungles of Borneo, four months after tourists reported their captivity.
Jakarta-based Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation said the hotel housed more than 200 animals, mostly Vietnamese wildlife.
"This illegal zoo (Thanh Canh Hotel) is one of many in the country and it is believed that for zoos around the country tens of thousands of animals have been illegally obtained from the forests of Vietnam and neighbouring Laos and Cambodia," it said.
Story by Grant McCool
Story Date: 27/9/2006
http://www.planetark.com/dailynewsstory.cfm/ newsid/38265/story.htm
Mountain lion dropped off at Las Vegas Zoo
Sep 26, 2006 06:19 PM EDT
It was a surprising find at the front gates of the Las Vegas Zoo. Someone abandoned a sick mountain lion. He was dropped off a few days ago and now staff members are nursing him back to health.
The mountain lion was probably a house pet, but wore out his welcome when he started to get bigger. The zoo director says the one year old was dropped off in the middle of the night, found in a wire cage at the front entrance.
Staff members took him in. They say he'd clearly been starved and was severely malnourished. The 50 pound cub has also been de-clawed and neutered.
If he hadn't been dropped off, the zoo director says this lion probably would have been put down.
Staff members think they can nurse him back to health in the next few months and then the zoo is planning to make him the star of a new exhibit. To help take care of this mountain lion the zoo is asking for donations. If you would like to help out call 647-4685 or drop them off at 1775. N. Rancho.
http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5461809&nav=15MV
It was a surprising find at the front gates of the Las Vegas Zoo. Someone abandoned a sick mountain lion. He was dropped off a few days ago and now staff members are nursing him back to health.
The mountain lion was probably a house pet, but wore out his welcome when he started to get bigger. The zoo director says the one year old was dropped off in the middle of the night, found in a wire cage at the front entrance.
Staff members took him in. They say he'd clearly been starved and was severely malnourished. The 50 pound cub has also been de-clawed and neutered.
If he hadn't been dropped off, the zoo director says this lion probably would have been put down.
Staff members think they can nurse him back to health in the next few months and then the zoo is planning to make him the star of a new exhibit. To help take care of this mountain lion the zoo is asking for donations. If you would like to help out call 647-4685 or drop them off at 1775. N. Rancho.
http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=5461809&nav=15MV
Canada: Report highlights need for zoo reform
Problems result of government indifference
2006-09-08
by: Zoocheck
Today, the first in a series of reports about Ontario zoos has been released by wildlife protection organization Zoocheck Canada. The three zoos profiled in the report are the Killman Zoo in Caledonia, Twin Valley Zoo in Brantford and the Lickety Split Ranch and Zoo in London. Both the Killman Zoo and Lickety Split Ranch and Zoo received failing grades, while the Twin Valley Zoo fared better.
According to Rob Laidlaw, Zoocheck Canada director, "This first report shows how bad things are in two out of three zoos surveyed. These zoos represent the tip of the iceberg in this province."
While the report highlights current conditions in three central Ontario zoos, it also calls on the provincial government to do something about the longstanding zoo animal welfare and safety problems throughout the province that were first brought to their attention nearly 20 years ago.
Ontario has no official policy, rules or regulations governing exotic animal housing and safety in zoos and private wildlife collections, even when highly dangerous species are being kept. Anyone in Ontario can acquire exotic animals, build whatever cages they want and show animals to the public regardless of their experience, expertise or financing.
”This issue was first brought to the attention of the Liberal government back in 1988. They promised new zoo rules in six months. But 20 years later, we're still waiting. These days, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay claims zoos are the responsibility of Monte Kwinter, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Monte Kwinter says the opposite. And while they endlessly pass the buck, things remain the same. Years, or even decades, after some of these zoos have opened, they're just as poor as the day they started," said Laidlaw.
According to Else Poulsen, the expert who reviewed the three zoos in July, as well as many others in the province in August, "I've been involved in the more professional side of the zoo industry for more than 25 years. I was astonished at the state of the zoos in this province. There's only one reason why things are this bad. No one in the Ontario government thinks the lives of these animals is worth their time. It's time they did.”
View the REPORT here: http://www.zoocheck.com/programs/zoocheck/Report06index.shtml
http://www.zoocheck.com/news/?articleId=299
2006-09-08
by: Zoocheck
Today, the first in a series of reports about Ontario zoos has been released by wildlife protection organization Zoocheck Canada. The three zoos profiled in the report are the Killman Zoo in Caledonia, Twin Valley Zoo in Brantford and the Lickety Split Ranch and Zoo in London. Both the Killman Zoo and Lickety Split Ranch and Zoo received failing grades, while the Twin Valley Zoo fared better.
According to Rob Laidlaw, Zoocheck Canada director, "This first report shows how bad things are in two out of three zoos surveyed. These zoos represent the tip of the iceberg in this province."
While the report highlights current conditions in three central Ontario zoos, it also calls on the provincial government to do something about the longstanding zoo animal welfare and safety problems throughout the province that were first brought to their attention nearly 20 years ago.
Ontario has no official policy, rules or regulations governing exotic animal housing and safety in zoos and private wildlife collections, even when highly dangerous species are being kept. Anyone in Ontario can acquire exotic animals, build whatever cages they want and show animals to the public regardless of their experience, expertise or financing.
”This issue was first brought to the attention of the Liberal government back in 1988. They promised new zoo rules in six months. But 20 years later, we're still waiting. These days, Natural Resources Minister David Ramsay claims zoos are the responsibility of Monte Kwinter, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Monte Kwinter says the opposite. And while they endlessly pass the buck, things remain the same. Years, or even decades, after some of these zoos have opened, they're just as poor as the day they started," said Laidlaw.
According to Else Poulsen, the expert who reviewed the three zoos in July, as well as many others in the province in August, "I've been involved in the more professional side of the zoo industry for more than 25 years. I was astonished at the state of the zoos in this province. There's only one reason why things are this bad. No one in the Ontario government thinks the lives of these animals is worth their time. It's time they did.”
View the REPORT here: http://www.zoocheck.com/programs/zoocheck/Report06index.shtml
http://www.zoocheck.com/news/?articleId=299
New Indiana zoo exhibit will have lions, servals
By Kevin Kilbane
kkilbane@news-sentinel.com
Posted on Tue, Sep. 26, 2006
kkilbane@news-sentinel.com
Posted on Tue, Sep. 26, 2006