By Associated Press
Wednesday, February 28, 2007 - Updated: 05:10 AM EST
DENVER - A jaguar’s lethal attack on a keeper at the Denver Zoo has renewed the debate over whether big predators should be kept in captivity in the first place.
Ashlee Pfaff, 28, died Saturday after she was mauled by a 140-pound jaguar named Jorge. The jaguar was shot and killed when it approached workers trying to save Pfaff.
Marc Bekoff, a retired University of Colorado biology professor and author of ”The Emotional Lives of Animals,” called Pfaff’s death a tragedy.
”These animals should not be in zoos because of the possibility of these things happening, and for the welfare of the animals,” Bekoff said. ”What’s to be gained by having an animal like that in the zoo?”
Others argue that allowing humans to see such animals up close makes it easier to raise money and public support to preserve the animals and their habitats in the wild.
”Money that’s raised by zoos goes a great distance to preserve their habitats. We can do so much with education,” said Jack Grisham, vice president of animal collections at the St. Louis Zoo.
Denver Zoo officials said Tuesday they were cooperating with investigations by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Denver police.
An autopsy found Pfaff died of a broken neck and had extensive internal injuries. Police spokesman Sonny Jackson said toxicology tests from the autopsy will likely take several days.
Pfaff was attacked in a service hallway adjacent to the jaguar’s enclosure. Zoo officials said the door to the enclosure was open.
”We don’t know if she was going in, and we never will,” zoo spokeswoman Ana Bowie said. ”Why that door was open and what she was doing, we do not know.”
Zoo policy requires doors to be closed when keepers are in adjacent areas and forbids keepers to be in an enclosure when an animal is present. Zoo officials said Pfaff had experience working with big cats and knew the routines.
The animal had no history of abnormal behavior, and a necropsy showed it was in good health.
Bekoff said even experts exercising extreme caution can make mistakes that put them in danger when dealing with predators.
He cited himself as an example: Despite extensive experience studying wolves, he once took a step toward a male gray wolf’s food inside an enclosure. The wolf backed him against the fence, stared and growled before eventually backing off.
”I was foolish to do what I did and I know wolves well,” he said. ”I almost got nailed by a wolf being stupid.”
Mara Rodriguez, an instructor at the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program at Moorpark College in California, said Pfaff’s neck injuries sounded like the result of a classic jaguar hunting behavior.
”That is how a jaguar kills its prey, and that animal has been programmed to do that for thousands of years,” she said.
”Regardless of the handling, the hand-rearing, the years of captivity, that animal is still a jaguar,” she said. ”Any predator is a predator and it will always have that instinct. They are looking for opportunities to be themselves.”
Steve Feldman, spokesman for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, said fatal animal attacks in zoos are ”fairly rare.” He said it was still too early to know exactly what happened in Denver.
The association, which accredits the Denver Zoo and more than 200 other institutions, requires its members to train its workers and follow safety procedures.
Zoo officials say they continually train employees and evaluate safety procedures and conduct ”red alert” animal escape drills at least four times a year.
The zoo has 16 staffers trained in the use of firearms in case of an escape. Four of those employees responded to the attack on Pfaff.
Before Saturday, the most recent fatal attack at the Denver Zoo was a bear attack that killed a zookeeper back in the 1920s.
http://news.bostonherald.com/national/central/ view.bg?articleid=185481&format=text
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Iowa may limit exotic animals
One proposal calls for an outright ban on dangerous critters; another suggests a permit system.
By JENNIFER JACOBS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Published February 27, 2007
After learning that an African lion, two cougars, a macaque monkey, two adult bears and a bear cub were being kept as pets at a rural Adair County home in 2005, the sheriff called animal rescue officials.
"He wanted me to come and check for neglect or cruelty, and we didn't see that," said Josh Colvin, cruelty intervention coordinator for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
However, Colvin said, he was concerned because the cougars were pacing and seemed agitated, the caged cub had what appeared to be a nervous habit of chewing on its own leg, the lion was in a structure that didn't seem secure, and the monkey was allowed to roam the countryside during the day.
But because it's legal in many parts of Iowa for people to own exotic animals, animal rescue workers couldn't do anything to intervene, Colvin said Monday.
There are now two proposals before the Legislature that could change that.
One is an outright ban on "dangerous wild animals." The other calls for a permit system for a smaller number of animals.
Under House Study Bill 169 and a companion bill, Senate File 135, Iowans would be prohibited from buying or breeding wolves, coyotes, jackals, hyenas, lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, ocelots, bears, pandas, rhinoceroses, elephants, alligators, crocodiles, venomous snakes, certain constrictors such as pythons and anacondas, and "primates other than humans."
Existing owners could keep their animals if they pay a registration fee, but Sonja Miller of Greenfield said she worries the fees will be so high she won't be able to afford her monkeys, bobcat and foxes.
"Nobody's going to be able to keep them," said Miller, a retired teacher. "The animal rights people are trying to take them all out of our hands. It's a nasty, nasty bill."
She and her husband, a retired trooper, ran a little zoo on their farm until he suffered heart trouble.
"We have a duty to provide them a home in their retirement, too," she said.
Miller and other members of the Iowa Federation of Animal Owners think a better compromise is House File 333, introduced by Rep. Clel Baudler, a Republican from Adair County.
It would regulate only lions, tigers, bears, pandas, gorillas and chimpanzees, or the offspring of those animals.
Tom Colvin, the executive director of the Animal Rescue League, which prefers the broader bill, House Study Bill 169, said it's become more popular for Iowans to buy wild animals at auction or on the Internet.
"You can get an African lion for $500," Colvin said. "That's the cost of a purebred dog, for Pete's sake."
Wild animals in captivity can spread disease and injure people who come into contact with them, he said. Owners become overwhelmed because the animals have complex needs for their nutritional diet, and for housing and play areas that meet their psychological needs, he said.
In the last four years, the Animal Rescue League had to find sanctuary for a tiger, a mountain lion, a bobcat and several monkeys, Colvin said. Finding a legal home isn't easy; zoos are reluctant to take them because of their unknown health and behavior history, he said.
Reporter Jennifer Janeczko Jacobs can be reached at (515) 284-8127 or jejacobs@dmreg.com
Regulating exotic animals
HOUSE STUDY BILL 169/ SENATE FILE 135: The bill bans ownership of a long list of "dangerous wild animals," but it grandfathers in existing animals as long as the owner hasn't been convicted of an animal welfare offense, drug offense or felony. Current owners would have to become licensed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, pay a registration fee per animal, carry insurance, restrict transportation of the animal, provide proper enclosures and attach an electronic identification device beneath the animal's skin or hide. Accredited wildlife sanctuaries, circuses and zoos would be exempt.
HOUSE FILE 333: Sets up strict licensing requirements for the owners of tigers, lions, bears and a few other animals. Owners would have to pay a fee per animal, carry insurance, restrict transportation of the animal, provide proper enclosures, have a nutrition and veterinarian plan, and use electronic monitoring or alternative form of identification. It would exempt brokers, breeders and exhibitors who are already licensed and regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20070227/NEWS10/702270400/-1/LIFE04
By JENNIFER JACOBS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Published February 27, 2007
After learning that an African lion, two cougars, a macaque monkey, two adult bears and a bear cub were being kept as pets at a rural Adair County home in 2005, the sheriff called animal rescue officials.
"He wanted me to come and check for neglect or cruelty, and we didn't see that," said Josh Colvin, cruelty intervention coordinator for the Animal Rescue League of Iowa.
However, Colvin said, he was concerned because the cougars were pacing and seemed agitated, the caged cub had what appeared to be a nervous habit of chewing on its own leg, the lion was in a structure that didn't seem secure, and the monkey was allowed to roam the countryside during the day.
But because it's legal in many parts of Iowa for people to own exotic animals, animal rescue workers couldn't do anything to intervene, Colvin said Monday.
There are now two proposals before the Legislature that could change that.
One is an outright ban on "dangerous wild animals." The other calls for a permit system for a smaller number of animals.
Under House Study Bill 169 and a companion bill, Senate File 135, Iowans would be prohibited from buying or breeding wolves, coyotes, jackals, hyenas, lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, ocelots, bears, pandas, rhinoceroses, elephants, alligators, crocodiles, venomous snakes, certain constrictors such as pythons and anacondas, and "primates other than humans."
Existing owners could keep their animals if they pay a registration fee, but Sonja Miller of Greenfield said she worries the fees will be so high she won't be able to afford her monkeys, bobcat and foxes.
"Nobody's going to be able to keep them," said Miller, a retired teacher. "The animal rights people are trying to take them all out of our hands. It's a nasty, nasty bill."
She and her husband, a retired trooper, ran a little zoo on their farm until he suffered heart trouble.
"We have a duty to provide them a home in their retirement, too," she said.
Miller and other members of the Iowa Federation of Animal Owners think a better compromise is House File 333, introduced by Rep. Clel Baudler, a Republican from Adair County.
It would regulate only lions, tigers, bears, pandas, gorillas and chimpanzees, or the offspring of those animals.
Tom Colvin, the executive director of the Animal Rescue League, which prefers the broader bill, House Study Bill 169, said it's become more popular for Iowans to buy wild animals at auction or on the Internet.
"You can get an African lion for $500," Colvin said. "That's the cost of a purebred dog, for Pete's sake."
Wild animals in captivity can spread disease and injure people who come into contact with them, he said. Owners become overwhelmed because the animals have complex needs for their nutritional diet, and for housing and play areas that meet their psychological needs, he said.
In the last four years, the Animal Rescue League had to find sanctuary for a tiger, a mountain lion, a bobcat and several monkeys, Colvin said. Finding a legal home isn't easy; zoos are reluctant to take them because of their unknown health and behavior history, he said.
Reporter Jennifer Janeczko Jacobs can be reached at (515) 284-8127 or jejacobs@dmreg.com
Regulating exotic animals
HOUSE STUDY BILL 169/ SENATE FILE 135: The bill bans ownership of a long list of "dangerous wild animals," but it grandfathers in existing animals as long as the owner hasn't been convicted of an animal welfare offense, drug offense or felony. Current owners would have to become licensed by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, pay a registration fee per animal, carry insurance, restrict transportation of the animal, provide proper enclosures and attach an electronic identification device beneath the animal's skin or hide. Accredited wildlife sanctuaries, circuses and zoos would be exempt.
HOUSE FILE 333: Sets up strict licensing requirements for the owners of tigers, lions, bears and a few other animals. Owners would have to pay a fee per animal, carry insurance, restrict transportation of the animal, provide proper enclosures, have a nutrition and veterinarian plan, and use electronic monitoring or alternative form of identification. It would exempt brokers, breeders and exhibitors who are already licensed and regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/ 20070227/NEWS10/702270400/-1/LIFE04
Answers few in Denver Zoo jaguar investigation
By Felisa Cardona
Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/28/2007 01:25:30 AM MST
As mourners gathered at a memorial service Tuesday for zookeeper Ashlee Pfaff, Denver Zoo officials said they did not know when the feline building where she was killed would reopen.
Pfaff, 28, was mauled to death Saturday by Jorge the jaguar, a 140-pound cat who came to the zoo from Bolivia.
A preliminary investigation showed that a door between Pfaff and Jorge's enclosure was open. Because Pfaff was alone at the time, authorities don't know why the door was open and why it was not locked.
Denver police are awaiting full autopsy results before they complete their investigation, spokesman Sonny Jackson said Tuesday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency charged with licensing zoos, is sending an investigator to look into any animal welfare violations, said spokesman Darby Holliday.
Zoo officials said they are considering whether to bring in another jaguar. A necropsy determined that Jorge was a healthy animal.
Jorge was shot to death by a member of the zoo's emergency-shoot team. The team first tried a fire extinguisher to get Jorge away from Pfaff. A tranquilizer dart would have taken several minutes to take effect.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5318785
Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/28/2007 01:25:30 AM MST
As mourners gathered at a memorial service Tuesday for zookeeper Ashlee Pfaff, Denver Zoo officials said they did not know when the feline building where she was killed would reopen.
Pfaff, 28, was mauled to death Saturday by Jorge the jaguar, a 140-pound cat who came to the zoo from Bolivia.
A preliminary investigation showed that a door between Pfaff and Jorge's enclosure was open. Because Pfaff was alone at the time, authorities don't know why the door was open and why it was not locked.
Denver police are awaiting full autopsy results before they complete their investigation, spokesman Sonny Jackson said Tuesday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, the agency charged with licensing zoos, is sending an investigator to look into any animal welfare violations, said spokesman Darby Holliday.
Zoo officials said they are considering whether to bring in another jaguar. A necropsy determined that Jorge was a healthy animal.
Jorge was shot to death by a member of the zoo's emergency-shoot team. The team first tried a fire extinguisher to get Jorge away from Pfaff. A tranquilizer dart would have taken several minutes to take effect.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5318785
Does Arkansas facility still breed big cats?
From the Turpentine Creek web site:
"Today, we have very good control of our Big Cat's breeding.... Our goal is for our Big Cats with pure genetic backgrounds to help diversify the Big Cat 'gene pool' around the world..."
###
Heather's Ark: Big Cats
Monday February 26, 2007 11:53pm
Reporter: Heather Crawford
Posted By: Katrina Strickland
Eureka Springs - It’s touted as one of the largest big cat refuges in the world that’s open to the public and located right here in Arkansas.
Right now tigers and several other types of big cats are on the endangered species list. In the wild, they are at risk of extinction due to poaching and loss of habitat. But they also face another danger. In the United States, it is estimated that 7,000 – 10,000 are privately owned – many of which may end up needing another home.
That’s where Turpentine Creek comes in. What’s so unique about the facility is just how close the public can get to the animals.
Just outside of Eureka Springs more than 100 abused, abandoned, or unwanted big cats have been taken in. Cats like Kenny, an inbred, white tiger who was rescued from a breeder in Bentonville.
They live at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a USDA licensed facility, in the Ozark Mountains. When you visit the refuge, you can get within five feet of most of the animals.
Tanya Smith says her family bought the land, which spreads across 450 acres, for one reason.
(Tanya Smith, Turpentine Creek Founder and President) "Our main mission is just to rescue. Just to keep these endangered species and animals from being destroyed. We don’t want to see all these animals just put to sleep so we bring them in and save their lives and do the best we can to give them the best life they can have."
If it wasn’t for the refuge, Smith says about 95 percent of the animals would likely have been put to sleep. Her ultimate goal is to build enough natural habitat enclosures so they can all have room to roam outside the confines of a cage.
Right now 17 habitats have been built and more are planned.
(Smith) "See, I feel like they’re just grateful we brought them in and take care of them."
The animals at Turpentine Creek have been rescued form 17 different states. Most of them were kept as household pets but they became too big and too dangerous for their owners to handle.
(Smith) "They are wild animals. It’s very important people understand that. It’s real hard, I know for people whenever they see these cute little babies, only about two pounds when they’re born. Then they grow, in a year you have a 150 pound cat and then by the time they’re 5 years old a Siberian Tiger can be 700 or 800 pounds."
At Turpentine Creek, the animals are not bred, bought, or sold. In addition to lions, tigers, cougars, and other exotic felines, there are also a handful of black bears, and even a monkey.
(Smith) "There are too many animals out there right now that need homes and if it wasn’t for people buying them as pets then we wouldn’t need to be here. That would be the ultimate goal, for there not to be a need. Unfortunately there is."
The need is so great that last year alone more than 100 big cats had to be turned away because there was simply no more room. The animals that come here, come to stay.
(Smith) "We hate to have to turn an animal away but we do understand with our budget, and we are non-profit, that if we’re not able to support that animal whenever it gets here than we’re jeopardizing all the animals we’ve already saved."
Turpentine Creek is open to the public almost every day of the year. And if you plan on staying overnight, you can rent a room with big cats right outside the window. For more information on the refuge, look under newslinks.
Also, if you have any animal story ideas, email Heather Crawford at hcrawford@katv.com.
http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0207/400885.html
"Today, we have very good control of our Big Cat's breeding.... Our goal is for our Big Cats with pure genetic backgrounds to help diversify the Big Cat 'gene pool' around the world..."
###
Heather's Ark: Big Cats
Monday February 26, 2007 11:53pm
Reporter: Heather Crawford
Posted By: Katrina Strickland
Eureka Springs - It’s touted as one of the largest big cat refuges in the world that’s open to the public and located right here in Arkansas.
Right now tigers and several other types of big cats are on the endangered species list. In the wild, they are at risk of extinction due to poaching and loss of habitat. But they also face another danger. In the United States, it is estimated that 7,000 – 10,000 are privately owned – many of which may end up needing another home.
That’s where Turpentine Creek comes in. What’s so unique about the facility is just how close the public can get to the animals.
Just outside of Eureka Springs more than 100 abused, abandoned, or unwanted big cats have been taken in. Cats like Kenny, an inbred, white tiger who was rescued from a breeder in Bentonville.
They live at Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge, a USDA licensed facility, in the Ozark Mountains. When you visit the refuge, you can get within five feet of most of the animals.
Tanya Smith says her family bought the land, which spreads across 450 acres, for one reason.
(Tanya Smith, Turpentine Creek Founder and President) "Our main mission is just to rescue. Just to keep these endangered species and animals from being destroyed. We don’t want to see all these animals just put to sleep so we bring them in and save their lives and do the best we can to give them the best life they can have."
If it wasn’t for the refuge, Smith says about 95 percent of the animals would likely have been put to sleep. Her ultimate goal is to build enough natural habitat enclosures so they can all have room to roam outside the confines of a cage.
Right now 17 habitats have been built and more are planned.
(Smith) "See, I feel like they’re just grateful we brought them in and take care of them."
The animals at Turpentine Creek have been rescued form 17 different states. Most of them were kept as household pets but they became too big and too dangerous for their owners to handle.
(Smith) "They are wild animals. It’s very important people understand that. It’s real hard, I know for people whenever they see these cute little babies, only about two pounds when they’re born. Then they grow, in a year you have a 150 pound cat and then by the time they’re 5 years old a Siberian Tiger can be 700 or 800 pounds."
At Turpentine Creek, the animals are not bred, bought, or sold. In addition to lions, tigers, cougars, and other exotic felines, there are also a handful of black bears, and even a monkey.
(Smith) "There are too many animals out there right now that need homes and if it wasn’t for people buying them as pets then we wouldn’t need to be here. That would be the ultimate goal, for there not to be a need. Unfortunately there is."
The need is so great that last year alone more than 100 big cats had to be turned away because there was simply no more room. The animals that come here, come to stay.
(Smith) "We hate to have to turn an animal away but we do understand with our budget, and we are non-profit, that if we’re not able to support that animal whenever it gets here than we’re jeopardizing all the animals we’ve already saved."
Turpentine Creek is open to the public almost every day of the year. And if you plan on staying overnight, you can rent a room with big cats right outside the window. For more information on the refuge, look under newslinks.
Also, if you have any animal story ideas, email Heather Crawford at hcrawford@katv.com.
http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0207/400885.html
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
BigCatRescue sent you a video!
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BigCatRescue wants to share a video with you Video DescriptionThe Snow Leopard Trust is an absolutely amazing non-profit group that is trying to save the snow leopard in it's natural habitat, and educate people about this animal, and try and get it off the Red List once and for all. Personal MessageThis video is awesome! To accept my friend request, click here. To respond to BigCatRescue, click here. Thanks, | Using YouTube YouTube Help Check the Help Center for answers to common questions. Your Account Settings To change your preferences, settings, or personal info, go to the 'My Account' section. Email Notifications To change or cancel email notifications from YouTube, go to the Email Options section of your Profile. |
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Missouri: Predator World may be investigated
PETA officials ask Agriculture Department to revoke Predator World's license
By SBJ Staff
2/26/2007
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has sent a letter to Robert M. Gibbens, western regional director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s animal care unit, urging him to launch an investigation into Predator World, a zoo and aquarium in Branson West.
In a news release, PETA officials said the request comes in the wake of news reports that three timber wolves escaped from their enclosure at Predator World on Feb. 15.
In the letter, Lisa Wathne, PETA captive exotic animal specialist, suggests that Predator World may have violated at least two provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act that address soundness of enclosures and perimeter fencing. PETA is asking the USDA to take steps to revoke Predator World’s exhibitor’s license if an investigation determines that the recent incident constitutes a violation of AWA.
“Roadside zoos like Predator World deprive animals of their basic needs, and when the animals see an opportunity to escape their dreary lives, they often take it,” said PETA Director Debbie Leahy, in a news release. “Predator World failed to properly enclose these wolves and put their safety – not to mention the safety of the community at large – at risk because of it.”
According to news reports, the wolves broke apart the fencing surrounding their enclosure and then dug their way underneath a perimeter fence. One had been captured by press time.
PETA officials say that animals can go insane from being confined as well as from a lack of physical exercise and mental stimulation.
http://www.sbj.net/article.asp?aID=6559994. 1625285.995566.1773738.8529916.103&aID2=76573
By SBJ Staff
2/26/2007
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has sent a letter to Robert M. Gibbens, western regional director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s animal care unit, urging him to launch an investigation into Predator World, a zoo and aquarium in Branson West.
In a news release, PETA officials said the request comes in the wake of news reports that three timber wolves escaped from their enclosure at Predator World on Feb. 15.
In the letter, Lisa Wathne, PETA captive exotic animal specialist, suggests that Predator World may have violated at least two provisions of the federal Animal Welfare Act that address soundness of enclosures and perimeter fencing. PETA is asking the USDA to take steps to revoke Predator World’s exhibitor’s license if an investigation determines that the recent incident constitutes a violation of AWA.
“Roadside zoos like Predator World deprive animals of their basic needs, and when the animals see an opportunity to escape their dreary lives, they often take it,” said PETA Director Debbie Leahy, in a news release. “Predator World failed to properly enclose these wolves and put their safety – not to mention the safety of the community at large – at risk because of it.”
According to news reports, the wolves broke apart the fencing surrounding their enclosure and then dug their way underneath a perimeter fence. One had been captured by press time.
PETA officials say that animals can go insane from being confined as well as from a lack of physical exercise and mental stimulation.
http://www.sbj.net/article.asp?aID=6559994. 1625285.995566.1773738.8529916.103&aID2=76573
Jaguar exhibit safety door at Denver Zoo not locked
By Felisa Cardona and Katy Human
Denver Post Staff Writers
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/27/2007 01:36:03 AM MST
The locks, doors and gates to the Denver Zoo's jaguar exhibit did not malfunction and were not broken when a zookeeper was mauled to death, zoo officials said Monday.
Four investigations are looking into how Jorge the jaguar was able to attack Ashlee Germaine Pfaff, including probes by the Denver Police Department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Zoo officials have not determined why the door separating Pfaff, 28, from the jaguar was unlocked or who opened it, but they said Pfaff was alone all day in the service area where she was mauled.
Investigators do not know if Pfaff walked into the exhibit where Jorge lived - which would be against zoo safety policy - or if the 140-pound cat somehow opened the unlocked door.
"We don't know if she was going in (to the exhibit), and we never will," said zoo spokeswoman Ana Bowie. "Why that door was open and what she was doing at that moment, we will never know."
Jaguars are solitary and powerful hunters that are protective of their territory, biologists said.
"Invariably, when a keeper walks in with a big cat, it attacks. If you throw a cardboard box in there, it attacks," said Kathy Carlstead, a research scientist at the Honolulu Zoo and expert in animal stress. "It's a completely natural response, I'm afraid. When somebody forgets - if they don't check the lock, if they go in - there's nothing you can do."
Earlier this month in Belgium, a woman who stayed after hours at a zoo to visit the cheetahs was found dead in the enclosure.
In 2000, a tour guide lost her arm to a Siberian tiger at the Prairie Wind Wild Animal Refuge in Agate, after sticking her arm into the cage to show the tiger was tame.
In 1999, a leopard at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs attacked and injured a 6-year-old boy who ventured to the edge of the cat's cage. Two months ago, a 350-pound tiger reached through its cage at the San Francisco Zoo and mauled its trainer during a feeding.
Stacey Johnson, director of the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Pa., said stress was probably not a factor in Saturday's attack. The Denver Zoo's habitat was appropriate for Jorge, he said.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums inspects U.S. zoos every five years, and the Denver Zoo is "an accredited member in good standing," said spokesman Steve Feldman.
The Denver Zoo also passed a USDA animal welfare inspection last fall, said Craig Piper, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Denver Zoo.
Pfaff was able to see where Jorge was from the service area where she was working, and she was aware of the zoo's mantra, "Know where your animals are," he said.
The zoo is considering the installation of alarms on unlocked doors as well as having more than one zookeeper working in the service area.
"We are going to do everything we can to get to the bottom of what happened," Piper said
Pfaff participated in safety training specific to the feline building where she worked. For three months, Pfaff shadowed veteran keepers, officials said.
"She was dedicated to this institution; she was dedicated to her animals; and she was a great colleague and a professional," Bowie said.
The zoo also has concluded that the emergency-response team that fatally shot Jorge followed the appropriate protocol in an attempt to save Pfaff's life.
Pfaff, a 2002 New Mexico State University biology graduate, worked with tigers, otters and birds for two to three years at the former Ocean Journey downtown before she began working at the Denver Zoo in 2005.
She is survived by her parents, Norman and Janice Pfaff, her brothers, Bryon Pfaff and Aaron Pfaff, and her grandparents, Charlotte Pfaff, and Gene and Helen Barrington.
"Ashlee was a beautiful person, and was loved by many," the family said in a written statement. "The family, obviously, wants to know what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. The family is confident at this time that the investigations by the police department and the zoo into those matters will answer those questions."
There will be a memorial service at 7 tonight at Highlands Lutheran Church, 3995 Irving St., in Denver. An Albuquerque service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian Church, 1801 Montaño Road NW.
In lieu of flowers. Pfaff's family requested a donation be made to the Animal Humane Association.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
----
Behind the names
The Bolivian-born jaguar named Jorge that killed a Denver zookeeper was named after President Bush, and he had a twin brother named Osama bin Laden.
Margot Ugarteche, a veterinarian at the Santa Cruz Municipal Zoo of South American Fauna in Bolivia, which sent Jorge to the Denver Zoo, told The Associated Press that Osama was the meaner and more dominant of the two.
But Stacey Johnson, director of the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Pa., who traveled to Bolivia in 2005 to escort Jorge and three other jaguars to U.S. zoos for a national captive breeding program, said that neither Jorge or Osama was especially violent.
Both were "amazingly well-cared for, in very good psychological shape," he said.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5311583
Denver Post Staff Writers
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/27/2007 01:36:03 AM MST
The locks, doors and gates to the Denver Zoo's jaguar exhibit did not malfunction and were not broken when a zookeeper was mauled to death, zoo officials said Monday.
Four investigations are looking into how Jorge the jaguar was able to attack Ashlee Germaine Pfaff, including probes by the Denver Police Department, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Zoo officials have not determined why the door separating Pfaff, 28, from the jaguar was unlocked or who opened it, but they said Pfaff was alone all day in the service area where she was mauled.
Investigators do not know if Pfaff walked into the exhibit where Jorge lived - which would be against zoo safety policy - or if the 140-pound cat somehow opened the unlocked door.
"We don't know if she was going in (to the exhibit), and we never will," said zoo spokeswoman Ana Bowie. "Why that door was open and what she was doing at that moment, we will never know."
Jaguars are solitary and powerful hunters that are protective of their territory, biologists said.
"Invariably, when a keeper walks in with a big cat, it attacks. If you throw a cardboard box in there, it attacks," said Kathy Carlstead, a research scientist at the Honolulu Zoo and expert in animal stress. "It's a completely natural response, I'm afraid. When somebody forgets - if they don't check the lock, if they go in - there's nothing you can do."
Earlier this month in Belgium, a woman who stayed after hours at a zoo to visit the cheetahs was found dead in the enclosure.
In 2000, a tour guide lost her arm to a Siberian tiger at the Prairie Wind Wild Animal Refuge in Agate, after sticking her arm into the cage to show the tiger was tame.
In 1999, a leopard at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in Colorado Springs attacked and injured a 6-year-old boy who ventured to the edge of the cat's cage. Two months ago, a 350-pound tiger reached through its cage at the San Francisco Zoo and mauled its trainer during a feeding.
Stacey Johnson, director of the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Pa., said stress was probably not a factor in Saturday's attack. The Denver Zoo's habitat was appropriate for Jorge, he said.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums inspects U.S. zoos every five years, and the Denver Zoo is "an accredited member in good standing," said spokesman Steve Feldman.
The Denver Zoo also passed a USDA animal welfare inspection last fall, said Craig Piper, executive vice president and chief operating officer of the Denver Zoo.
Pfaff was able to see where Jorge was from the service area where she was working, and she was aware of the zoo's mantra, "Know where your animals are," he said.
The zoo is considering the installation of alarms on unlocked doors as well as having more than one zookeeper working in the service area.
"We are going to do everything we can to get to the bottom of what happened," Piper said
Pfaff participated in safety training specific to the feline building where she worked. For three months, Pfaff shadowed veteran keepers, officials said.
"She was dedicated to this institution; she was dedicated to her animals; and she was a great colleague and a professional," Bowie said.
The zoo also has concluded that the emergency-response team that fatally shot Jorge followed the appropriate protocol in an attempt to save Pfaff's life.
Pfaff, a 2002 New Mexico State University biology graduate, worked with tigers, otters and birds for two to three years at the former Ocean Journey downtown before she began working at the Denver Zoo in 2005.
She is survived by her parents, Norman and Janice Pfaff, her brothers, Bryon Pfaff and Aaron Pfaff, and her grandparents, Charlotte Pfaff, and Gene and Helen Barrington.
"Ashlee was a beautiful person, and was loved by many," the family said in a written statement. "The family, obviously, wants to know what happened, how it happened, and why it happened. The family is confident at this time that the investigations by the police department and the zoo into those matters will answer those questions."
There will be a memorial service at 7 tonight at Highlands Lutheran Church, 3995 Irving St., in Denver. An Albuquerque service is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at Shepherd of the Valley Presbyterian Church, 1801 Montaño Road NW.
In lieu of flowers. Pfaff's family requested a donation be made to the Animal Humane Association.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
----
Behind the names
The Bolivian-born jaguar named Jorge that killed a Denver zookeeper was named after President Bush, and he had a twin brother named Osama bin Laden.
Margot Ugarteche, a veterinarian at the Santa Cruz Municipal Zoo of South American Fauna in Bolivia, which sent Jorge to the Denver Zoo, told The Associated Press that Osama was the meaner and more dominant of the two.
But Stacey Johnson, director of the Lehigh Valley Zoo in Schnecksville, Pa., who traveled to Bolivia in 2005 to escort Jorge and three other jaguars to U.S. zoos for a national captive breeding program, said that neither Jorge or Osama was especially violent.
Both were "amazingly well-cared for, in very good psychological shape," he said.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5311583
Denver Zoo jaguar had "violent" brother
Jaguar had violent brother
By Chase Squires
The Associated Press
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/26/2007 01:49:44 PM MST
A Bolivian-born jaguar named Jorge that killed a Denver zookeeper was well-behaved as a young cat, but he had a twin brother who was so mean that his handlers named him Osama, a Bolivian zoo official said today.
Ashlee Pfaff, 27, died from a broken neck and other injuries after Jorge attacked her when she opened a door to his enclosure on Saturday, the coroner said. A zoo employee shot and killed Jorge when he approached emergency workers trying to save Pfaff.
Jorge—Spanish for George—had been named after President Bush, said Dr. Margot Ugarteche, a veterinarian at the Santa Cruz Municipal Zoo of South American Fauna in Bolivia, which sent Jorge to the Denver Zoo.
"Osama was always the more dominant of the two," Ugarteche said. "He was always rough with George. That was the relationship we saw between them."
"Jorge wasn't bad, really," she said. "I don't know what could have happened. Perhaps because he was so well-behaved, the trainer (in Denver) thought she could trust him. But you never know with wild animals. Anything can happen at any moment."
Denver Zoo officials said the jaguar attacked Pfaff when she opened a door from a service area into his enclosure while the cat was still in the enclosure. They said they did not know why, because zoo policy forbids keepers and big cats from being in an enclosure together.
The jaguar had no history of unusual behavior in Denver, Denver Zoo spokeswoman Ana Bowie said.
The zoo and Denver police have launched investigations. The U.S. Agriculture Department, which inspects zoos at least annually, also planned to investigate, spokesman Darby Holladay said.
The Denver Zoo has said Jorge was about 6 years old, but Ugarteche said the brothers were born in 1996. Tiffany Barnhart, a spokeswoman for the Denver Zoo, said officials there had only estimated Jorge's age because his birthdate had not been documented.
Jorge and Osama were captured by a family in the countryside of the tropical lowland state of Santa Cruz, in eastern Boliva, and were keeping them as pets until a local conservation group brought them to the zoo when they were 6 months old, Ugarteche said.
The pair did not have names until two or thee years ago, she said.
"We named him Jorge, like President George, the president of the United States, and the other one Osama, because he was the bad one of the two," she said.
The Denver Zoo obtained Jorge in March 2005. Ugarteche said the Santa Cruz zoo received various supplies in exchange, including computers and lab equipment.
"Jorge wasn't very big, but he's the one that qualified (to be shipped to Denver), because his attitude made him seem the better animal" for the trip, Ugarteche said.
She said Osama remains at the Santa Cruz zoo. She said news of Pfaff's death had saddened the staff there.
Pfaff, who had worked at the Denver Zoo for about a year, had undergone regular safety training for the jaguar exhibit, shadowed veteran keepers and attended mandatory safety meetings, officials said.
"She was an experienced animal keeper," Bowie said. "This wasn't like it was her first job working with cats."
A family member said Pfaff's parents were traveling to Denver from their home in New Mexico.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5307744
By Chase Squires
The Associated Press
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/26/2007 01:49:44 PM MST
A Bolivian-born jaguar named Jorge that killed a Denver zookeeper was well-behaved as a young cat, but he had a twin brother who was so mean that his handlers named him Osama, a Bolivian zoo official said today.
Ashlee Pfaff, 27, died from a broken neck and other injuries after Jorge attacked her when she opened a door to his enclosure on Saturday, the coroner said. A zoo employee shot and killed Jorge when he approached emergency workers trying to save Pfaff.
Jorge—Spanish for George—had been named after President Bush, said Dr. Margot Ugarteche, a veterinarian at the Santa Cruz Municipal Zoo of South American Fauna in Bolivia, which sent Jorge to the Denver Zoo.
"Osama was always the more dominant of the two," Ugarteche said. "He was always rough with George. That was the relationship we saw between them."
"Jorge wasn't bad, really," she said. "I don't know what could have happened. Perhaps because he was so well-behaved, the trainer (in Denver) thought she could trust him. But you never know with wild animals. Anything can happen at any moment."
Denver Zoo officials said the jaguar attacked Pfaff when she opened a door from a service area into his enclosure while the cat was still in the enclosure. They said they did not know why, because zoo policy forbids keepers and big cats from being in an enclosure together.
The jaguar had no history of unusual behavior in Denver, Denver Zoo spokeswoman Ana Bowie said.
The zoo and Denver police have launched investigations. The U.S. Agriculture Department, which inspects zoos at least annually, also planned to investigate, spokesman Darby Holladay said.
The Denver Zoo has said Jorge was about 6 years old, but Ugarteche said the brothers were born in 1996. Tiffany Barnhart, a spokeswoman for the Denver Zoo, said officials there had only estimated Jorge's age because his birthdate had not been documented.
Jorge and Osama were captured by a family in the countryside of the tropical lowland state of Santa Cruz, in eastern Boliva, and were keeping them as pets until a local conservation group brought them to the zoo when they were 6 months old, Ugarteche said.
The pair did not have names until two or thee years ago, she said.
"We named him Jorge, like President George, the president of the United States, and the other one Osama, because he was the bad one of the two," she said.
The Denver Zoo obtained Jorge in March 2005. Ugarteche said the Santa Cruz zoo received various supplies in exchange, including computers and lab equipment.
"Jorge wasn't very big, but he's the one that qualified (to be shipped to Denver), because his attitude made him seem the better animal" for the trip, Ugarteche said.
She said Osama remains at the Santa Cruz zoo. She said news of Pfaff's death had saddened the staff there.
Pfaff, who had worked at the Denver Zoo for about a year, had undergone regular safety training for the jaguar exhibit, shadowed veteran keepers and attended mandatory safety meetings, officials said.
"She was an experienced animal keeper," Bowie said. "This wasn't like it was her first job working with cats."
A family member said Pfaff's parents were traveling to Denver from their home in New Mexico.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5307744
Canadian group rehabilitates orphaned cougar cub
By CP
CALGARY -- A conservation group in Alberta hopes it has the expertise to raise an orphaned cougar cub for release into the wild, despite a previous attempt that failed.
The three-month-old cub, whose sibling was found dead and whose mother was believed to have been shot, was discovered recently near the community of Millarville, south of Calgary. It was barely alive when it was found, but has tripled its weight over the past three weeks.
"You need to be able to prove to a concerned public that this is doable and that it's safe, and that it's just as easy to rehabilitate a cougar as it is to rehabilitate a hawk, which we've done thousands of times," said Diane Wittner, with the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation.
Wittner says the group is following protocols developed in the United States, where cougars have been successfully released into the wild after being raised in captivity.
Members of the group say they will also keep the cub in captivity for at least a year and a half, which is how long a cub in the wild would normally spend with its mother learning to hunt.
To ensure the cub doesn't become too familiar with humans, Wittner says they're building a special pen that will limit the cub's human contact.
"It's so easy to want to look at this little guy and say, 'He's a beautiful animal, let's play with him, let's stare at him, let's gawk at him. But it's a terrible disservice to do that to him," Wittner said.
The cub is being fed cougar milk which is being imported from the U.S., as well as mice and deer.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/ 2007/02/26/3667876-sun.html
CALGARY -- A conservation group in Alberta hopes it has the expertise to raise an orphaned cougar cub for release into the wild, despite a previous attempt that failed.
The three-month-old cub, whose sibling was found dead and whose mother was believed to have been shot, was discovered recently near the community of Millarville, south of Calgary. It was barely alive when it was found, but has tripled its weight over the past three weeks.
"You need to be able to prove to a concerned public that this is doable and that it's safe, and that it's just as easy to rehabilitate a cougar as it is to rehabilitate a hawk, which we've done thousands of times," said Diane Wittner, with the Alberta Institute for Wildlife Conservation.
Wittner says the group is following protocols developed in the United States, where cougars have been successfully released into the wild after being raised in captivity.
Members of the group say they will also keep the cub in captivity for at least a year and a half, which is how long a cub in the wild would normally spend with its mother learning to hunt.
To ensure the cub doesn't become too familiar with humans, Wittner says they're building a special pen that will limit the cub's human contact.
"It's so easy to want to look at this little guy and say, 'He's a beautiful animal, let's play with him, let's stare at him, let's gawk at him. But it's a terrible disservice to do that to him," Wittner said.
The cub is being fed cougar milk which is being imported from the U.S., as well as mice and deer.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/Alberta/ 2007/02/26/3667876-sun.html
Pakistani snow leopard settles in at Bronx Zoo
February 26, 2007
An orphaned snow leopard cub from northern Pakistan in enjoying its first winter at the Bronx Zoo in New York, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The cub, named Leo, was moved to the zoo last fall.
Leo, the Bronx Zoo's 19-month-old snow leopard who was orphaned in his native Pakistan, feels right at home in his Zoo habitat that replicates the rocky mountainous region of his homeland. It's his first NY winter and by the looks of things, he can pounce and roll around in the fluffy stuff with the best of the kids who are enjoying Monday's latest snowfall. Photos by Julie Larsen Maher of WCS.
"This is Leo’s first real snow in his new home at the Bronx Zoo," said Julie Larsen Maher, staff photographer for WCS. "He really enjoyed it. These cats are winter athletes —just made for this kind of weather with their thick fur, large paws, and long tail used for balance while leaping between rocks and ravines."
Leo came to WCS after he discovered in the remote Naltar Valley of Pakistan last year. The Pakistani government invited the conservation group to use raise the cub in the United States.
Snow leopards are among the world’s most endangered big cats with a population estimated at 3,500–7,000 in the remote mountains of Central Asia. While the Bronx Zoo has bred more than 70 snow leopards in captivity, Leo will eventually return to Pakistan once an appropriate facility can be built.
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0226-leopard.html
An orphaned snow leopard cub from northern Pakistan in enjoying its first winter at the Bronx Zoo in New York, according to the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). The cub, named Leo, was moved to the zoo last fall.
Leo, the Bronx Zoo's 19-month-old snow leopard who was orphaned in his native Pakistan, feels right at home in his Zoo habitat that replicates the rocky mountainous region of his homeland. It's his first NY winter and by the looks of things, he can pounce and roll around in the fluffy stuff with the best of the kids who are enjoying Monday's latest snowfall. Photos by Julie Larsen Maher of WCS.
"This is Leo’s first real snow in his new home at the Bronx Zoo," said Julie Larsen Maher, staff photographer for WCS. "He really enjoyed it. These cats are winter athletes —just made for this kind of weather with their thick fur, large paws, and long tail used for balance while leaping between rocks and ravines."
Leo came to WCS after he discovered in the remote Naltar Valley of Pakistan last year. The Pakistani government invited the conservation group to use raise the cub in the United States.
Snow leopards are among the world’s most endangered big cats with a population estimated at 3,500–7,000 in the remote mountains of Central Asia. While the Bronx Zoo has bred more than 70 snow leopards in captivity, Leo will eventually return to Pakistan once an appropriate facility can be built.
http://news.mongabay.com/2007/0226-leopard.html
PETA closing unauthorized animal rescue centers
PETA closing unauthorized animal rescue centers
Raghava M.
Official told to submit reports on the condition of the zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centres in State
Central Zoo Authority has recognised 15 zoos and parks in State
Zoos must get CZA recognition for carrying out their activity
INADEQUATE: Animals go through pain owing to poor infrastructure in unauthorised shelters.
In its petition before the Supreme Court, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has charged that poor infrastructure in unauthorised shelters and zoos has led to unnecessary pain and suffering of animals housed in them. PETA has sought the closure of all unrecognised zoos and unauthorised rescue and rehabilitation centres.
According to the petition filed in 2006 and pending before the Supreme Court, the Wildlife Protection Act makes it mandatory for zoos and those involved in rescue and rehabilitation of animals to get recognition from the CZA for legally carrying out their activity. The CZA, which regulates and supervises the establishment and management, stipulates inter alia the replication of the natural habitat and maintenance of hygienic conditions.
In Karnataka, the CZA recognises 15 zoos and parks. These include the
The CZA has withheld the applications filed by the PFA, the Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Bannerghatta run by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, Karuna Animal Shelter Cum Rescue Home and Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Trust, the petition stated.
The CZA has asked the rescue centres to comply with certain conditions.
These include appropriate housing and veterinary facilities, a collection plan and submission of annual inventory report to the CZA about the births, deaths, acquisitions and disposal of wild animals.
In a follow-up to the petition the Karnataka Forest Department has directed its Deputy Conservator of Forests to submit reports on the condition of the zoos and wildlife rehabilitation centres.
http://www.hindu.com/2007/02/27/stories/2007022720860300.htm
Monday, February 26, 2007
Denver Zoo keepers had safety concerns prior to jaguar attack
Zoo death raises safety concerns
Handler killed by jaguar may have let down her guard amid heavy workload
By Felisa Cardona and Karen Rouse
Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/26/2007 12:06:23 AM MST
The zookeeper who was fatally attacked by a 140-pound jaguar at the Denver Zoo on Saturday was a 27-year-old woman from New Mexico.
Ashlee Pfaff, who was described as an experienced handler, died from injuries to her neck, spinal column and spinal cord, according to the Denver medical examiner's office.
"She was grabbed or bitten around the neck," said Amy Martin, a forensic pathologist. "She had very severe, really unsurvivable injuries."
Pfaff, who specialized in carnivores, was attacked by the male cat Saturday in the Feline Building. Other Denver Zoo staff attempted to help during the attack, even trying to use a fire extinguisher to stave off the animal, according to a press statement from zoo officials.
When the jaguar approached, it was shot and killed, the statement said. Pfaff was pronounced dead at about 1 p.m. Saturday at Denver Health Medical Center.
Her family, reached at their home in a suburb of Albuquerque, said Sunday they are making arrangements and would release a statement later.
Meanwhile, Denver police continued to investigate why the keeper was in the same enclosure as the cat because that is against zoo policy and training.
David Nickolaus, a former Denver Zoo zookeeper, said he briefly met Pfaff just before leaving his job in August 2005 for safety reasons. While there, he said, he was among several zookeepers who raised concerns that their heavy workloads compromised safety.
"They just have keepers running back and forth," he said. "They're not able to be as careful because they're just under so much pressure."
Denver Zoo did not return a call for comment on safety concerns.
"Dangerous exotic animals"
Ed Hansen, executive director of the Kansas-based American Association of Zoo keepers, offered condolences to Denver Zoo employees and Pfaff's family, calling the tragedy "one too many."
He said that among zookeepers, safety is the "No. 1 priority because you're working with very, very dangerous animals."
"There is this perception in the public's eyes ... that the animals (in a zoo) are tame," Hansen said. "These are very wild, dangerous exotic animals."
The accident is likely shaking up those who work in zoos, said Hansen.
"Zookeeping is a job of routines," he said. "They have a tendency to do the same thing over and over again, day in and day out. There is a little bit of complacency involved sometimes."
Such accidents are a reminder to make sure cages are locked properly, he said.
Nick Sculac, owner of Big Cats of Serenity Springs, an animal sanctuary in Calhan, said jaguars are unpredictable, and it's becoming hard to find people willing to train them.
"They are just too dangerous," he said. "They are high-strung, and they have no facial expressions, so you cannot tell when they are going to bite you."
Sculac said he can't imagine why the keeper went into the jaguar's enclosure unless the door lock between the employee and the cat malfunctioned.
He also has questioned why other zoo employees went into the enclosure to save their co-worker without first placing the animal in a holding area.
"I guess they just tried to go in and get the zookeeper," he said.
Zoo officials said employees followed protocol when they went into the cat's enclosure with weapons. They wouldn't comment further on the investigation.
Sculac described jaguars and leopards as the "pit bulls of cats" because of their strong jaws and unpredictable nature.
"They will take a gazelle up into the trees with them," Sculac said. "That is how powerful they are."
Ana Bowie, spokeswoman for the Denver Zoo, said the feline building remained closed Sunday while other parts of the zoo were open.
Denver police are investigating the zookeeper's death, but it's possible that the U.S. Department of Agriculture - charged with licensing zoos and conducting animal inspections - could send investigators to the zoo, Bowie said.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-954-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5304917
Handler killed by jaguar may have let down her guard amid heavy workload
By Felisa Cardona and Karen Rouse
Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/26/2007 12:06:23 AM MST
The zookeeper who was fatally attacked by a 140-pound jaguar at the Denver Zoo on Saturday was a 27-year-old woman from New Mexico.
Ashlee Pfaff, who was described as an experienced handler, died from injuries to her neck, spinal column and spinal cord, according to the Denver medical examiner's office.
"She was grabbed or bitten around the neck," said Amy Martin, a forensic pathologist. "She had very severe, really unsurvivable injuries."
Pfaff, who specialized in carnivores, was attacked by the male cat Saturday in the Feline Building. Other Denver Zoo staff attempted to help during the attack, even trying to use a fire extinguisher to stave off the animal, according to a press statement from zoo officials.
When the jaguar approached, it was shot and killed, the statement said. Pfaff was pronounced dead at about 1 p.m. Saturday at Denver Health Medical Center.
Her family, reached at their home in a suburb of Albuquerque, said Sunday they are making arrangements and would release a statement later.
Meanwhile, Denver police continued to investigate why the keeper was in the same enclosure as the cat because that is against zoo policy and training.
David Nickolaus, a former Denver Zoo zookeeper, said he briefly met Pfaff just before leaving his job in August 2005 for safety reasons. While there, he said, he was among several zookeepers who raised concerns that their heavy workloads compromised safety.
"They just have keepers running back and forth," he said. "They're not able to be as careful because they're just under so much pressure."
Denver Zoo did not return a call for comment on safety concerns.
"Dangerous exotic animals"
Ed Hansen, executive director of the Kansas-based American Association of Zoo keepers, offered condolences to Denver Zoo employees and Pfaff's family, calling the tragedy "one too many."
He said that among zookeepers, safety is the "No. 1 priority because you're working with very, very dangerous animals."
"There is this perception in the public's eyes ... that the animals (in a zoo) are tame," Hansen said. "These are very wild, dangerous exotic animals."
The accident is likely shaking up those who work in zoos, said Hansen.
"Zookeeping is a job of routines," he said. "They have a tendency to do the same thing over and over again, day in and day out. There is a little bit of complacency involved sometimes."
Such accidents are a reminder to make sure cages are locked properly, he said.
Nick Sculac, owner of Big Cats of Serenity Springs, an animal sanctuary in Calhan, said jaguars are unpredictable, and it's becoming hard to find people willing to train them.
"They are just too dangerous," he said. "They are high-strung, and they have no facial expressions, so you cannot tell when they are going to bite you."
Sculac said he can't imagine why the keeper went into the jaguar's enclosure unless the door lock between the employee and the cat malfunctioned.
He also has questioned why other zoo employees went into the enclosure to save their co-worker without first placing the animal in a holding area.
"I guess they just tried to go in and get the zookeeper," he said.
Zoo officials said employees followed protocol when they went into the cat's enclosure with weapons. They wouldn't comment further on the investigation.
Sculac described jaguars and leopards as the "pit bulls of cats" because of their strong jaws and unpredictable nature.
"They will take a gazelle up into the trees with them," Sculac said. "That is how powerful they are."
Ana Bowie, spokeswoman for the Denver Zoo, said the feline building remained closed Sunday while other parts of the zoo were open.
Denver police are investigating the zookeeper's death, but it's possible that the U.S. Department of Agriculture - charged with licensing zoos and conducting animal inspections - could send investigators to the zoo, Bowie said.
Staff writer Felisa Cardona can be reached at 303-954-1219 or fcardona@denverpost.com.
Staff writer Karen Rouse can be reached at 303-954-1684 or krouse@denverpost.com.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5304917
Big Cat Rescue Series 000
Take a half hour visit into the inner workings of the world's largest accredited rescue facility for big cats.
White Tigers fact vs fiction
In this edition of specie spotlight we look at the very popular white tiger (which actually isn't a separate specie of tiger.) White tigers are produced from inbreeding and they actually weaken the captive tiger gene pool and they do nothing to help real conservation of the tiger. For more info on this: http://www.bigcatrescue.org... *Please urge anyone you see exhibiting white tigers to get them fixed as we CAN stop this abuse in our generation. Since they bring in $$$, many places breed them, and this has to be stopped in order to save the real tigers. Thank you.
Sand Cat species spotlight
Welcome to another edition of Big Cat Rescue's species spotlight. We now take a look at one of our smallest residents as well as a very elusive feline that not a lot of people have ever seen in the wild or in captivity. The sand cat is one of our favorites and hopefully will be one of yours as well. And this goes without saying but even though they are small they would not make a good pet. Hopefully this video will inspire you to support feline conservation efforts around the globe.
For more cat info then you could ever ask for, log onto:
www.bigcatrescue.org
For more cat info then you could ever ask for, log onto:
www.bigcatrescue.org
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Lion cubs boost Colorado zoo attendance
Zoo receives 500 entries to name cubs in contest to name cubs
By JAMES AMOS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Pueblo Zoo officials have received more than 500 entries - some from as far away as Alaska - with suggested names for the zoo's three lion cubs.
Entries were due last Friday for a contest held by the zoo and The Pueblo Chieftain to name the two females and one male.
The winners, one for each cub name, will be announced March 4, according to Sunny Davis, the zoo's marketing director.
The contest received national media attention and Davis said many entries came from well outside Southern Colorado.
"A gentlemen asked for an entry form to be faxed to him at a town in Alaska," she said.
Most of the submissions have come from Pueblo and other Southern Colorado communities.
The submitters of the three winning names will have their names published in the zoo's newsletter and posted next to the lion exhibit, along with the names of the cubs, until Sept. 30.
The winners also will receive a one-year family membership to the zoo, a lion cub T-shirt and a lion cub stuffed toy.
The South African lion cubs share a father, Jahari, but come from different mothers, sisters Ulana and Saida. All three adult lions live at the Pueblo Zoo.
Two of the cubs, a male and a female, were born Oct. 4, along with another male cub that died. The third cub was born Nov. 3. Both mothers refused to care for their cubs, which now weigh 30-40 pounds. The cubs were fed and raised by hand by zoo workers.
A nine-member committee will choose the winning names, according to Davis. The committee is made up of zookeepers, zoo administrators and zoo board members.
The committee is scheduled to meet next week to narrow the three lists of name suggestions.
Davis said the winners will be chosen by a vote.
African names were heavily represented in the suggested names, Davis said. But there were plenty of other submissions too.
"We've also gotten Italian names, we've gotten Spanish names, we've gotten Pueblo-area names," Davis said. "We've also had Japanese, Greek, Latin and Tibetan names.
"And then you've got the cute little cuddly names too," she said, "and I've not even through them all."
Davis said some of the names submitted were so good that if they aren't chosen for the cubs, the names will be kept on file and used for other animals that come to the zoo.
The cubs have earned a large following, Davis said. The zoo lowered admission to just $2 for the first two Sundays after the contest was announced Feb. 8 and a large number of people came to see them.
"They've gotten really attached to these lions," Davis said, "which we can relate to, because we're really attached to them."
http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1172230907/6
By JAMES AMOS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
Pueblo Zoo officials have received more than 500 entries - some from as far away as Alaska - with suggested names for the zoo's three lion cubs.
Entries were due last Friday for a contest held by the zoo and The Pueblo Chieftain to name the two females and one male.
The winners, one for each cub name, will be announced March 4, according to Sunny Davis, the zoo's marketing director.
The contest received national media attention and Davis said many entries came from well outside Southern Colorado.
"A gentlemen asked for an entry form to be faxed to him at a town in Alaska," she said.
Most of the submissions have come from Pueblo and other Southern Colorado communities.
The submitters of the three winning names will have their names published in the zoo's newsletter and posted next to the lion exhibit, along with the names of the cubs, until Sept. 30.
The winners also will receive a one-year family membership to the zoo, a lion cub T-shirt and a lion cub stuffed toy.
The South African lion cubs share a father, Jahari, but come from different mothers, sisters Ulana and Saida. All three adult lions live at the Pueblo Zoo.
Two of the cubs, a male and a female, were born Oct. 4, along with another male cub that died. The third cub was born Nov. 3. Both mothers refused to care for their cubs, which now weigh 30-40 pounds. The cubs were fed and raised by hand by zoo workers.
A nine-member committee will choose the winning names, according to Davis. The committee is made up of zookeepers, zoo administrators and zoo board members.
The committee is scheduled to meet next week to narrow the three lists of name suggestions.
Davis said the winners will be chosen by a vote.
African names were heavily represented in the suggested names, Davis said. But there were plenty of other submissions too.
"We've also gotten Italian names, we've gotten Spanish names, we've gotten Pueblo-area names," Davis said. "We've also had Japanese, Greek, Latin and Tibetan names.
"And then you've got the cute little cuddly names too," she said, "and I've not even through them all."
Davis said some of the names submitted were so good that if they aren't chosen for the cubs, the names will be kept on file and used for other animals that come to the zoo.
The cubs have earned a large following, Davis said. The zoo lowered admission to just $2 for the first two Sundays after the contest was announced Feb. 8 and a large number of people came to see them.
"They've gotten really attached to these lions," Davis said, "which we can relate to, because we're really attached to them."
http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1172230907/6
Despite bobcat complaint, OR town rules not to ban exotic pets
Pets deemed a nuisance could be ordered removed
By Buffy Pollock
for the Mail Tribune
February 24, 2007
CENTRAL POINT — The City Council has decided not to ban exotic pets, but to reserve the right to prohibit animals that are deemed a problem.
An existing pet ordinance was called under review in recent months when the city received a complaint regarding a pet bobcat owned by Blue Grass Downs homeowner Nick Kessler.
The council on Feb. 8 reviewed the revised ordinance language, which listed specific types of pets including wild cats and raccoons that would be prohibited inside city limits.
After testimony from a half-dozen residents, the council gave preliminary approval for the ordinance but requested several changes, including omission of a long list of animals to be banned. With the changes, the ordinance was OK'd at a meeting Thursday night.
City Administrator Phil Messina said council members were "not comfortable specifying types of exotic animals to be prohibited."
"They basically cropped the reference to regulating exotic animals," Messina said.
The ordinance includes a specific ban on farm-type animals, including horses and roosters, though rabbits and hens will be exempt.
In answer to concerns about exotic pets that could prove dangerous, the ordinance allows for any pet deemed a nuisance, due to odor or noise, or found to be aggressive, to be ordered removed from the city.
For example, an aggressive dog or a pet bobcat causing noise or odor problems could be addressed by city code enforcement on a case-by-case basis.
As for dogs, the new ordinance includes language requiring dogs be on a leash when on public property and that owners can be cited for failing to clean up after their dogs.
Councilman Bruce Dingler said he hoped the changes would address any issues that could come up. Dingler was opposed to listing specific animal types to be banned.
"We opted not to name certain animal types, because when you start listing those things, pretty soon somebody says, 'Well, how about this and how about that?' " Dingler said. "The bottom line is you can't please everybody. You just have to use some common sense."
Councilwoman Kay Harrison agreed with Dingler and said the issue had taken up more council time than necessary.
"You can't please everybody, so you have to do the best you can to balance it out so you're protecting everybody," she said. "Rights are really good but sometimes when you stand up for your rights you're trampling somebody else's. Basically we don't want anybody else endangered by somebody else's pet."
The revised ordinance takes effect in 30 days.
Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at buffypollock@juno.com.
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2007/0224/ local/stories/pet_ordinance.htm
By Buffy Pollock
for the Mail Tribune
February 24, 2007
CENTRAL POINT — The City Council has decided not to ban exotic pets, but to reserve the right to prohibit animals that are deemed a problem.
An existing pet ordinance was called under review in recent months when the city received a complaint regarding a pet bobcat owned by Blue Grass Downs homeowner Nick Kessler.
The council on Feb. 8 reviewed the revised ordinance language, which listed specific types of pets including wild cats and raccoons that would be prohibited inside city limits.
After testimony from a half-dozen residents, the council gave preliminary approval for the ordinance but requested several changes, including omission of a long list of animals to be banned. With the changes, the ordinance was OK'd at a meeting Thursday night.
City Administrator Phil Messina said council members were "not comfortable specifying types of exotic animals to be prohibited."
"They basically cropped the reference to regulating exotic animals," Messina said.
The ordinance includes a specific ban on farm-type animals, including horses and roosters, though rabbits and hens will be exempt.
In answer to concerns about exotic pets that could prove dangerous, the ordinance allows for any pet deemed a nuisance, due to odor or noise, or found to be aggressive, to be ordered removed from the city.
For example, an aggressive dog or a pet bobcat causing noise or odor problems could be addressed by city code enforcement on a case-by-case basis.
As for dogs, the new ordinance includes language requiring dogs be on a leash when on public property and that owners can be cited for failing to clean up after their dogs.
Councilman Bruce Dingler said he hoped the changes would address any issues that could come up. Dingler was opposed to listing specific animal types to be banned.
"We opted not to name certain animal types, because when you start listing those things, pretty soon somebody says, 'Well, how about this and how about that?' " Dingler said. "The bottom line is you can't please everybody. You just have to use some common sense."
Councilwoman Kay Harrison agreed with Dingler and said the issue had taken up more council time than necessary.
"You can't please everybody, so you have to do the best you can to balance it out so you're protecting everybody," she said. "Rights are really good but sometimes when you stand up for your rights you're trampling somebody else's. Basically we don't want anybody else endangered by somebody else's pet."
The revised ordinance takes effect in 30 days.
Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. E-mail her at buffypollock@juno.com.
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2007/0224/ local/stories/pet_ordinance.htm
25 families in Missouri have permits to possess cougars
MID-MISSOURI - There's an old saying that nice guys finish last, but here's a different thought- nice guys who find themselves at the right place at the right time.
By day Joe Neis is a welder, but his passions are trapping and bow hunting. At exactly 8:09 p.m. on the night of Dec. 7, 2006 Joe's motion detection camera snapped an unforgetable photo of a mountain lion!
"It's pretty wild to walk down the same trail a mountain lion did. If you look close enough you can see the trail the mountain lion followed, its commonly used by deer that's why the camera was in that tree," said .....?
The Missouri Conservation Department was on the trail a few days later.
"This is like winning the lottery, without the money. The odds of getting a photo of a mountain lion in Missouri are a billion in one, a million to one," Dave Hamilton, of the Missouri Conservation Department said.
Hamilton is a wildlife biologist with the Missouri Conservation Department and he probably knows more about mountain lions in Missouri than anyone else. Hamilton investigates mountain lion sightings on a daily basis, keeping an eye out for photo-shopping.
He uses a cutout called Max. Max is a cutout of a male mountain lion from Colorado, weighing about 150 pounds. Hamilton uses the cutout to look for shadows and background objects. With Max's help, Hamilton quickly verified Neis' picture.
"We've chased every lead since 1994 and so far we've only come up with ten," Hamilton said. "Joe's cat got a lot of air time in Columbia and across the state. And our calls went up dramatically after that."
Hamilton says that's because there's a mystique about mountain lions, which leads to many false claims. Usually, these sightings are house cats or dogs.
So how many mountain lions are there in Missouri?
"At any given time we could have none, or we could have a handful," Hamilton said.
Hamilton believes the mountain lion in this picture was about a year and a half old, 115 pounds, and probably a male from South Dakota. Males have been known to venture 700 miles from home, so it's anyone's guess where he is now.
"He could be watching us right now. Or he could be in Kentucky. Or he could be back home in South Dakota," Hamilton said.
Missouri's foremost expert on the mountain lion says we should respect big cats, but don't change your outdoor plans out of fear. And that takes us back to Joe, a natural born outdoorsman who, to this day, is questioned about whether his picture is real or not.
"Anybody that knows me knows I [don't have] enough money to buy a stuffed animal [to plant in the woods]" Neis joked.
There are only 25 families in Missouri who have a legitimate permit to keep a mountain lion. The Lolli brothers in Macon are one of those families.
Hamilton says if we see more and more sightings of big cats in Missouri, it doesn't necessarily mean we have more cats, but the new technology that allows us to capture priceless moments.
And just where did Joe Neis get his one in a billion shot?
Chillicothe.
Reported by: Jim Riek
Edited by: Nikki Renoit
Edited by: Lindsey Terschluse
Published: Friday, February 23, 2007 at 3:38 PM
Last Updated: Friday, February 23, 2007 at 6:33 PM
http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/c261de75-c0a8-2f11-0163-66f433d41528/ f08abf5c-c0a8-2f11-00a0-2e732ef9a19f%3E
By day Joe Neis is a welder, but his passions are trapping and bow hunting. At exactly 8:09 p.m. on the night of Dec. 7, 2006 Joe's motion detection camera snapped an unforgetable photo of a mountain lion!
"It's pretty wild to walk down the same trail a mountain lion did. If you look close enough you can see the trail the mountain lion followed, its commonly used by deer that's why the camera was in that tree," said .....?
The Missouri Conservation Department was on the trail a few days later.
"This is like winning the lottery, without the money. The odds of getting a photo of a mountain lion in Missouri are a billion in one, a million to one," Dave Hamilton, of the Missouri Conservation Department said.
Hamilton is a wildlife biologist with the Missouri Conservation Department and he probably knows more about mountain lions in Missouri than anyone else. Hamilton investigates mountain lion sightings on a daily basis, keeping an eye out for photo-shopping.
He uses a cutout called Max. Max is a cutout of a male mountain lion from Colorado, weighing about 150 pounds. Hamilton uses the cutout to look for shadows and background objects. With Max's help, Hamilton quickly verified Neis' picture.
"We've chased every lead since 1994 and so far we've only come up with ten," Hamilton said. "Joe's cat got a lot of air time in Columbia and across the state. And our calls went up dramatically after that."
Hamilton says that's because there's a mystique about mountain lions, which leads to many false claims. Usually, these sightings are house cats or dogs.
So how many mountain lions are there in Missouri?
"At any given time we could have none, or we could have a handful," Hamilton said.
Hamilton believes the mountain lion in this picture was about a year and a half old, 115 pounds, and probably a male from South Dakota. Males have been known to venture 700 miles from home, so it's anyone's guess where he is now.
"He could be watching us right now. Or he could be in Kentucky. Or he could be back home in South Dakota," Hamilton said.
Missouri's foremost expert on the mountain lion says we should respect big cats, but don't change your outdoor plans out of fear. And that takes us back to Joe, a natural born outdoorsman who, to this day, is questioned about whether his picture is real or not.
"Anybody that knows me knows I [don't have] enough money to buy a stuffed animal [to plant in the woods]" Neis joked.
There are only 25 families in Missouri who have a legitimate permit to keep a mountain lion. The Lolli brothers in Macon are one of those families.
Hamilton says if we see more and more sightings of big cats in Missouri, it doesn't necessarily mean we have more cats, but the new technology that allows us to capture priceless moments.
And just where did Joe Neis get his one in a billion shot?
Chillicothe.
Reported by: Jim Riek
Edited by: Nikki Renoit
Edited by: Lindsey Terschluse
Published: Friday, February 23, 2007 at 3:38 PM
Last Updated: Friday, February 23, 2007 at 6:33 PM
http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/c261de75-c0a8-2f11-0163-66f433d41528/ f08abf5c-c0a8-2f11-00a0-2e732ef9a19f%3E
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Denver Zoo keeper mauled to death by jaguar
By Kirk Mitchell
Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/24/2007 04:58:04 PM MST
A jaguar mauled a Denver zookeeper to death today at about 11:30 a.m. as she was working inside the animal's cage, officials say.
The employee, whose identity was not released, was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, but died from her injuries, said Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman.
Zookeepers who entered the jaguar's enclosure to rescue the injured worker shot the animal to death when it approached them, said Tiffany Barnhart, zoo spokeswoman.
Police are investigating the mauling, said Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman.
"Any time you have an accident under unusual circumstances, we do an investigation," Jackson said.
The incident occurred within the animal's exhibit and at no time was the public in any danger, Barnhart said. The zoo was closed after the incident, she said.
"Denver Zoo's top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests, employees and animals," Barnhart said.
The jaguar came to Denver from Santa Cruz Zoo, Bolivia, in March of 2005, she said. The cat is approximately six years old.
The jaguar is the third largest cat in the world behind the tiger and lion, according to the zoo's website.
"Yet, they have the most powerful jaw of all the big cats," the zoo website says. "The jaguar's coat has many rosette like markings that help them to blend into the forest. In addition they have shorter legs for running and jumping through thick jungles."
The cat is on the endangered species list because of decreasing numbers of them in the wild, the website says.
"The largest concerns for the jaguars are their loss of habitat and poachers," the zoo reports.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5298391
Denver Post Staff Writer
Denver Post
Article Last Updated:02/24/2007 04:58:04 PM MST
A jaguar mauled a Denver zookeeper to death today at about 11:30 a.m. as she was working inside the animal's cage, officials say.
The employee, whose identity was not released, was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, but died from her injuries, said Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman.
Zookeepers who entered the jaguar's enclosure to rescue the injured worker shot the animal to death when it approached them, said Tiffany Barnhart, zoo spokeswoman.
Police are investigating the mauling, said Sonny Jackson, Denver police spokesman.
"Any time you have an accident under unusual circumstances, we do an investigation," Jackson said.
The incident occurred within the animal's exhibit and at no time was the public in any danger, Barnhart said. The zoo was closed after the incident, she said.
"Denver Zoo's top priority is the safety and well-being of our guests, employees and animals," Barnhart said.
The jaguar came to Denver from Santa Cruz Zoo, Bolivia, in March of 2005, she said. The cat is approximately six years old.
The jaguar is the third largest cat in the world behind the tiger and lion, according to the zoo's website.
"Yet, they have the most powerful jaw of all the big cats," the zoo website says. "The jaguar's coat has many rosette like markings that help them to blend into the forest. In addition they have shorter legs for running and jumping through thick jungles."
The cat is on the endangered species list because of decreasing numbers of them in the wild, the website says.
"The largest concerns for the jaguars are their loss of habitat and poachers," the zoo reports.
Staff writer Kirk Mitchell can be reached at 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com.
http://www.denverpost.com/ci_5298391
Friday, February 23, 2007
NC county makes it illegal to keep wild animals as pets
County Adopts New Animal Control Ordinance
By Scott Nicholson
The Watauga County commissioners adopted a new animal control ordinance after a year of discussion and revisions, putting a little more bite in dealing with potentially dangerous dogs.
The ordinance defines public nuisance and dangerous animals, and commission chairman Jim Deal said the public hearing process had provided good information and helped draft an ordinance that had a lot of input behind it. The ordinance grants enforcement powers for regulating wild and dangerous animals to the animal control department. A public nuisance is defined as an animal that damages property, attacks a person or other animal, chases or snaps at people or animals, or is otherwise a public danger.
A “dangerous dog” is one that has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person, has engaged in dangerous behaviors, or has been trained for dog fighting. A “potentially dangerous dog” is one that has inflicted a serious injury to a person, killed or injured another domestic animal, or approached someone in a vicious or threatening manner when not on the owner’s property. The ordinance grants the animal control department determination authority of conditions under which a potentially dangerous dog can be released to the owner.
The ordinance gives pet owners the option of installing an identifying microchip in the animal instead of using a collar or tag. Animals brought into the county must be vaccinated within one week of entering the county.
Two signed and detailed complaints are required before an investigation of a nuisance animal is triggered. Owners who violate the ordinance are subject to a $50 civil penalty. The ordinance outlines provisions for the county’s storage or destruction of seized animals.
The ordinance also toughens and broadens animal cruelty penalties. It’s now unlawful to leave an animal locked in a closed vehicle that threatens the animal’s life, and chained animals must have at least eight feet of chain with a swivel. Animal abandonment can lead to a misdemeanor charge.
The ordinance avoids controversial language that would appear to target specific breeds some consider to be more likely to be dangerous, but does make allowance for “an inherently dangerous animal.” It’s unlawful to keep a wild animal except for in licensed sanctuaries.
Pets are required to have an up-to-date rabies vaccination. Cats aren’t required to display tags, though the owner is required to have written evidence of inoculation.
The commissioners had previously discussed a spay-and-neuter ordinance but decided to make that a separate discussion and will likely hold public hearings on the issue later this year. Some animal advocates said such an ordinance would reduce the number of unwanted and abandoned pets and also lower the public cost of dealing with such animals.
Animal control officer Dave Simpkins said the new ordinance dealt with a number of areas in which the laws had changed since the county’s ordinance was last revised in 1994. Some of those were made to correspond with state laws and others gave his department more powers of discretion to act quickly in the interest of public safety.
“Some areas had gone from black and white (in the old ordinance) to gray,” Simpkins said Wednesday. “This puts in some stiffer guidance for public nuisance and helps us make determinations in the field.”
http://www.mountaintimes.com/mtweekly/ 2007/0222/aniaml_control.php3
By Scott Nicholson
The Watauga County commissioners adopted a new animal control ordinance after a year of discussion and revisions, putting a little more bite in dealing with potentially dangerous dogs.
The ordinance defines public nuisance and dangerous animals, and commission chairman Jim Deal said the public hearing process had provided good information and helped draft an ordinance that had a lot of input behind it. The ordinance grants enforcement powers for regulating wild and dangerous animals to the animal control department. A public nuisance is defined as an animal that damages property, attacks a person or other animal, chases or snaps at people or animals, or is otherwise a public danger.
A “dangerous dog” is one that has killed or inflicted severe injury on a person, has engaged in dangerous behaviors, or has been trained for dog fighting. A “potentially dangerous dog” is one that has inflicted a serious injury to a person, killed or injured another domestic animal, or approached someone in a vicious or threatening manner when not on the owner’s property. The ordinance grants the animal control department determination authority of conditions under which a potentially dangerous dog can be released to the owner.
The ordinance gives pet owners the option of installing an identifying microchip in the animal instead of using a collar or tag. Animals brought into the county must be vaccinated within one week of entering the county.
Two signed and detailed complaints are required before an investigation of a nuisance animal is triggered. Owners who violate the ordinance are subject to a $50 civil penalty. The ordinance outlines provisions for the county’s storage or destruction of seized animals.
The ordinance also toughens and broadens animal cruelty penalties. It’s now unlawful to leave an animal locked in a closed vehicle that threatens the animal’s life, and chained animals must have at least eight feet of chain with a swivel. Animal abandonment can lead to a misdemeanor charge.
The ordinance avoids controversial language that would appear to target specific breeds some consider to be more likely to be dangerous, but does make allowance for “an inherently dangerous animal.” It’s unlawful to keep a wild animal except for in licensed sanctuaries.
Pets are required to have an up-to-date rabies vaccination. Cats aren’t required to display tags, though the owner is required to have written evidence of inoculation.
The commissioners had previously discussed a spay-and-neuter ordinance but decided to make that a separate discussion and will likely hold public hearings on the issue later this year. Some animal advocates said such an ordinance would reduce the number of unwanted and abandoned pets and also lower the public cost of dealing with such animals.
Animal control officer Dave Simpkins said the new ordinance dealt with a number of areas in which the laws had changed since the county’s ordinance was last revised in 1994. Some of those were made to correspond with state laws and others gave his department more powers of discretion to act quickly in the interest of public safety.
“Some areas had gone from black and white (in the old ordinance) to gray,” Simpkins said Wednesday. “This puts in some stiffer guidance for public nuisance and helps us make determinations in the field.”
http://www.mountaintimes.com/mtweekly/ 2007/0222/aniaml_control.php3
China: Tiger kills child during photo session
Friday Feb 23 14:45 AEDT
A six-year-old girl was mauled to death by a perfoming tiger at a zoo in China as she was being photographed with the animal, state press said.
The attack occurred Thursday at the Kunming Zoo in Yunnan province. The animal lunged at the girl's head when a flashbulb went off as the child was being photographed, the Kunming Daily reported.
The tiger held the child's head in its mouth for over a minute as frantic trainers beat the animal with clubs and a chair, trying to force it to let go of the girl, identified as Rui Xin.
She was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead with a crushed skull. Her mother was also bitten on the arm.
The male tiger had been performing at the zoo since May 2005, the paper said. Visitors paid around $2.40 for a photo with the animal.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=229127
A six-year-old girl was mauled to death by a perfoming tiger at a zoo in China as she was being photographed with the animal, state press said.
The attack occurred Thursday at the Kunming Zoo in Yunnan province. The animal lunged at the girl's head when a flashbulb went off as the child was being photographed, the Kunming Daily reported.
The tiger held the child's head in its mouth for over a minute as frantic trainers beat the animal with clubs and a chair, trying to force it to let go of the girl, identified as Rui Xin.
She was rushed to hospital, where she was pronounced dead with a crushed skull. Her mother was also bitten on the arm.
The male tiger had been performing at the zoo since May 2005, the paper said. Visitors paid around $2.40 for a photo with the animal.
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=229127
Evicted Wash. cats move to facility with 2003 tiger attack
Information
The zoological park:
www.cattales.org
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
LEWIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
When the Lewis County Sheriff's Office found out that a Napavine family with four Siberian tigers was being evicted, it helped find sanctuary for the four big cats in the Spokane area.
Samson and Delilah and Romeo and Juliet aren't your garden-variety house cats.
So when Paul Mason, who lives in Napavine, Lewis County, decided he could no longer care for the Siberian tigers, he knew he couldn't take them to the nearest animal shelter. Instead, he turned to Cat Tales Zoological Park, a Spokane-area exotic-animal rescue.
Though Lewis County is largely rural — with horses, emus and even a camel — tigers are far from the norm, said sheriff's Deputy Chief Gene Seiber. When Seiber became aware of the fact that Mason, his daughter, granddaughter and their four tigers were being evicted from their Napavine home, he helped find the cats a home.
"This whole issue wasn't the fact he had tigers, the issue is he didn't pay his bills," Seiber said. Cat Tales, a sanctuary for 43 other big cats, volunteered to take the Siberian tigers. "The family, they're taking it pretty hard; it's like losing your kids."
Mike Wyche, Cat Tales curator, said these are the first Siberians for the sanctuary.
On Wednesday, Wyche and his staffers tranquilized the cats and tested them for disease before the drive to Spokane County. In addition to caring for the four cats, Cat Tales will also raise Juliet's cub when it is born, Wyche said.
"They look and appear to be in good shape," Wyche said of the tigers. "I have no doubt in my mind these people did care for their animals."
Siberian tigers, which are native to northeastern China and Russia, are rare in the wild, Wyche said. Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle doesn't have any Siberian tigers, but they do have three Sumatran tigers — a smaller subspecies of the Siberian, said Woodland Park Zoo animal curator Martin Ramirez.
To some, exotic animals can be tempting as pets, but it's a bad idea, he said.
"One of the things we try to get across to people, even our visitors who come here, is that exotic pets aren't the way to go," said Ramirez. "We try to teach people a tiger is really cool to look at, but they don't make good pets."
Full-grown tigers live long lives and can be dangerous, Ramirez said. Wyche said he doesn't know where Mason got the tigers. He said Samson and Delilah are parents to Romeo and Juliet. The cats range from 400 to 650 pounds.
Once at Cat Tales, the siblings will live together and the parents will live in a separate area, Wyche said. Cat Tales, a nonprofit zoo, is in the midst of remodeling its big-cat sanctuary and the tigers will soon have access to more play space and a waterfall.
The sanctuary made news in 2003 when a South Korean television personality was attacked by a white tiger, according to The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane. A Cat Tales attorney accused the woman of prodding the tiger. The woman was not seriously injured.
When Mason's family moved to Napavine, Lewis County did not have a dangerous-animal ordinance that included tigers, Seiber said. This month, the county approved a new ordinance placing tighter restrictions on dangerous animals, including mandatory insurance policies, specific guidelines on enclosures and the right of the county to confiscate, Seiber said.
Because of foreclosure, Mason and his family will be evicted from their home today, Seiber said. The family had planned to keep Samson and Delilah, but when they realized their cages weren't stable enough for transport, they asked Cat Tales to take the two older cats, Seiber said.
Seattle Times staff reporter Brian Alexander contributed to this report.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ localnews/2003583289_tigers22m.html
The zoological park:
www.cattales.org
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
LEWIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
When the Lewis County Sheriff's Office found out that a Napavine family with four Siberian tigers was being evicted, it helped find sanctuary for the four big cats in the Spokane area.
Samson and Delilah and Romeo and Juliet aren't your garden-variety house cats.
So when Paul Mason, who lives in Napavine, Lewis County, decided he could no longer care for the Siberian tigers, he knew he couldn't take them to the nearest animal shelter. Instead, he turned to Cat Tales Zoological Park, a Spokane-area exotic-animal rescue.
Though Lewis County is largely rural — with horses, emus and even a camel — tigers are far from the norm, said sheriff's Deputy Chief Gene Seiber. When Seiber became aware of the fact that Mason, his daughter, granddaughter and their four tigers were being evicted from their Napavine home, he helped find the cats a home.
"This whole issue wasn't the fact he had tigers, the issue is he didn't pay his bills," Seiber said. Cat Tales, a sanctuary for 43 other big cats, volunteered to take the Siberian tigers. "The family, they're taking it pretty hard; it's like losing your kids."
Mike Wyche, Cat Tales curator, said these are the first Siberians for the sanctuary.
On Wednesday, Wyche and his staffers tranquilized the cats and tested them for disease before the drive to Spokane County. In addition to caring for the four cats, Cat Tales will also raise Juliet's cub when it is born, Wyche said.
"They look and appear to be in good shape," Wyche said of the tigers. "I have no doubt in my mind these people did care for their animals."
Siberian tigers, which are native to northeastern China and Russia, are rare in the wild, Wyche said. Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle doesn't have any Siberian tigers, but they do have three Sumatran tigers — a smaller subspecies of the Siberian, said Woodland Park Zoo animal curator Martin Ramirez.
To some, exotic animals can be tempting as pets, but it's a bad idea, he said.
"One of the things we try to get across to people, even our visitors who come here, is that exotic pets aren't the way to go," said Ramirez. "We try to teach people a tiger is really cool to look at, but they don't make good pets."
Full-grown tigers live long lives and can be dangerous, Ramirez said. Wyche said he doesn't know where Mason got the tigers. He said Samson and Delilah are parents to Romeo and Juliet. The cats range from 400 to 650 pounds.
Once at Cat Tales, the siblings will live together and the parents will live in a separate area, Wyche said. Cat Tales, a nonprofit zoo, is in the midst of remodeling its big-cat sanctuary and the tigers will soon have access to more play space and a waterfall.
The sanctuary made news in 2003 when a South Korean television personality was attacked by a white tiger, according to The Spokesman-Review newspaper in Spokane. A Cat Tales attorney accused the woman of prodding the tiger. The woman was not seriously injured.
When Mason's family moved to Napavine, Lewis County did not have a dangerous-animal ordinance that included tigers, Seiber said. This month, the county approved a new ordinance placing tighter restrictions on dangerous animals, including mandatory insurance policies, specific guidelines on enclosures and the right of the county to confiscate, Seiber said.
Because of foreclosure, Mason and his family will be evicted from their home today, Seiber said. The family had planned to keep Samson and Delilah, but when they realized their cages weren't stable enough for transport, they asked Cat Tales to take the two older cats, Seiber said.
Seattle Times staff reporter Brian Alexander contributed to this report.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/ localnews/2003583289_tigers22m.html
Ravi Shankar's daughter dresses like cheetah for PETA
Anoushka Shankar, a two time Grammy award nominee and the daughter of musical maestro Ravi Shankar, has lent her support to PETA to fight for animal rights. She got dressed in a special costume resembling a Cheetah which was designed by Sandeep Khosla. The pictures for this campaign have been shot by Dabboo Ratnani.
In the picture above, Anoushka can be seen sitting on a tree with a pluck card that says ‘Exotic animals belong in the wild and not in zoos’.
http://www.indiafm.com/features/2007/02/22/2292/
In the picture above, Anoushka can be seen sitting on a tree with a pluck card that says ‘Exotic animals belong in the wild and not in zoos’.
http://www.indiafm.com/features/2007/02/22/2292/
Thursday, February 22, 2007
SC Fire engulfs home, endangers exotic animals 4:48 PM
Fire engulfs home, endangers exotic animals 4:48 PM
04:48 PM EST on Thursday, February 22, 2007
By WCNC Staff
E-mail Us: 6NEWS@WCNC.com
The fire broke out in a home on
A 19-year-old woman who was renting the home woke up to smoke and ran out of the house. No one was injured
The home’s owners live behind the rental property, where they train exotic animals, including four tigers, three bears, a camel, a mountain lion and a cougar. The brush fire threatened the animals’ homes, and Chester County Animal Control was called out to help.
WCNC talked with the mother of the woman who lived in the rental house. She said her daughter just moved into the home Wednesday with her fiancé, and now they've lost everything.
Firefighters are looking into electrical problems as a possible cause.
They do know what made the fire so hard to control – wind.
High winds and low humidity created conditions ideal for fires across much of the area Thursday. Brush fires also broke out in Burke and Rutherford counties.
http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-022207-fire.1f7603b.html
Mo. Senate ponders big cat restrictions
JEFFERSON CITY - Owners of big cats in Missouri may soon see restrictions on their animals.
"It's a big problem, and it needs to be addressed before someone gets killed," said Rosella Baller.
Baller lives near a facility she says houses 84 large, potentially dangerous animals. She has been active for 4 years trying to get legislation to regulate the ownership of these big carnivores in Missouri.
"It will give someone oversight on what's going on. Right now, the sheriff will not go out and count the animals, and the conservation department cannot make them abide by the wildlife code, and the USDA has no jurisdiction," Baller said.
Senator Jolie Justus of Kansas City sponsored Senate Bill 206 because right now Missouri is one of the only states without regulations on the animals.
"Missouri is quickly becoming a haven for people who want to have these large carnivores without a permit," Justus said.
The bill would prohibit ownership of the meat eaters without permits and liability insurance. Some large cat owners agree there needs to be regulation, but disagree with some of the stipulations.
"To put an insurance policy that is so prohibitive, that none of us can afford it, and that effectually bans the ownership of these animals," said J.B. Anderson of the Feline Conservation Federation.
"If these people can't afford the insurance, they can't afford the animals, the same as if you can't afford car insurance, you can't afford to drive," Baller said in reply.
If the bill passes, anyone possessing, breeding, or transporting a large carnivore after January 1, 2008 must have a permit from the Department of Agriculture.
Tuesday was the first hearing on the bill.
Edited by: Jonathan Coffman
Reported by: Natalie Swallow
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 10:38 PM
http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/ c261de75-c0a8-2f11-0163-66f433d41528/ e21bae0c-c0a8-2f11-0110-55abb852dbe4
"It's a big problem, and it needs to be addressed before someone gets killed," said Rosella Baller.
Baller lives near a facility she says houses 84 large, potentially dangerous animals. She has been active for 4 years trying to get legislation to regulate the ownership of these big carnivores in Missouri.
"It will give someone oversight on what's going on. Right now, the sheriff will not go out and count the animals, and the conservation department cannot make them abide by the wildlife code, and the USDA has no jurisdiction," Baller said.
Senator Jolie Justus of Kansas City sponsored Senate Bill 206 because right now Missouri is one of the only states without regulations on the animals.
"Missouri is quickly becoming a haven for people who want to have these large carnivores without a permit," Justus said.
The bill would prohibit ownership of the meat eaters without permits and liability insurance. Some large cat owners agree there needs to be regulation, but disagree with some of the stipulations.
"To put an insurance policy that is so prohibitive, that none of us can afford it, and that effectually bans the ownership of these animals," said J.B. Anderson of the Feline Conservation Federation.
"If these people can't afford the insurance, they can't afford the animals, the same as if you can't afford car insurance, you can't afford to drive," Baller said in reply.
If the bill passes, anyone possessing, breeding, or transporting a large carnivore after January 1, 2008 must have a permit from the Department of Agriculture.
Tuesday was the first hearing on the bill.
Edited by: Jonathan Coffman
Reported by: Natalie Swallow
Last Updated: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 at 10:38 PM
http://www.komu.com/satellite/SatelliteRender/KOMU.com/ c261de75-c0a8-2f11-0163-66f433d41528/ e21bae0c-c0a8-2f11-0110-55abb852dbe4