Posted: 4:57 AM Apr 27, 2007
Last Updated: 12:18 PM Apr 27, 2007
Reporter: Stephanie Ross
Email Address: sross@kktv11news.com
Mountain lions may be one of the last animals you want to come face to face with in our Rocky Mountains.
But there is a way to get up close to these amazing creatures right here in Colorado Springs without fearing for your life.
This week on KK's Creatures we're introducing you to four mountain lion cubs at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo. The cubs were orphaned in Wyoming and brought to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo just over a year ago. Meet Motega, Yuma, Tocho, and Kaya.
This feed bag is no match for Motega's strong jaws, and firm paws.
"This little clown over here is Motega. He is our most curious and most active of the group."
There is also Tocho and Yuma. They prefer the warm sun, then there's Kaya the shyest of the bunch.
"She's unfortunately a little bit more afraid of new stimulus, so cameras, new people, all that a little bit frightening for her still."
It may be surprising that these powerful cats are afraid of us because of what they are capable of.
"They are actually an ambush hunger, so they'll stalk their prey, hide and then ambush from behind. They can do a lot of damage before you even know that they're there."
But you may be shocked to find that humans being attacked by mountain lions in the wild is not that common.
"It's actually more likely that you'll be attacked by a deer than it is a mountain lion."
That doesn't mean these trainers don't have to take extra precautions when working with these four.
"We never put our hands in with them, if we feed them we either set it out or we use tongs, so we are never putting our fingers up to their mouth."
The bars you see play a vital role in keeping the trainers safe although very soon those bars will be gone.
"They are getting a brand new exhibit, where they will have grass and trees and you wont see this ugly mesh, it'll be really nice for them."
Nice for them, and for zoo visitors who will get to soon see the creatures in a more natural habitat where they can learn to respect and admire these great felines.
"I think it's important that they are here so that people can appreciate them and see them as more than just this scary animal that they don't understand."
Just because it isn't too common to run into a Mountain Lion in the wild, that doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared.
If you do see one while you are out, the best thing to do with them is to make yourself as big as possible, make noises, throw things but definitely don't run away. That makes you easy prey.
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/7220141.html
Sunday, April 29, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
IGNORANCE IS BLISS
IGNORANCE IS BLISS
MY DAY AT SIX FLAGS
By: Coco Hall (coco hall at earthlink net)
Imagine a five year old girl sunk in a velvety movie theater seat in 1952, clutching her bitty box of jujubes, crying for Dumbo, whose jailed mother rocks him with her trunk stuck through a prison-barred window. That was me. A half a century later, I’m preparing my campaign to free the elephants at
Six
I spent three hours with the elephants and three with the dolphins. My day as a trainer began at “Tava’s Elephant Encounter “. I was shocked by how clean everything was. The yard, the barn, the pool, and even the elephants themselves were immaculate. The aura of the exhibit was having the desired effect on me, like a magical song, “Everything is wonderful for these elephants and every step has been taken to make them happy, la la la.” I found my right brain thinking, “This isn’t so bad”, countered by my left, “What are you thinking? This is a prison!”
A description of the Six Flags elephant herd from my assigned trainer, Patrick:
Liz, Asian, 43. The San Diego Zoo sold her to Six Flags thirteen years ago saying she was a bully and had no personality. Now she is the Alpha elephant and a “big goof”. She likes to eat, is lazy, and a big baby. She has no friends but hangs out with Taj.
Taj, Asian, 67, worked in circuses, zoos, and at
Valerie, African, 25, is a “sweetheart and follows you around.” She and Bertie-May, Asian, 26, came to Six Flags two years ago. They lived together in a trailer for fifteen years, traveling around with their owners and performing in various shows.
Tava, African, 29, arrived from
Malika, African, 20, came from
Joyce, African, 22, was sold to Six Flags two years ago by a private owner. She is smart and sometimes swims with Bertie.
The elephants, overall, looked good. They were clean; their feet looked relatively healthy; they could all walk without problems; I didn’t observe any bullhook wounds or “bedsores”; their eyes appeared healthy; and they seemed weighty enough. I asked Patrick if they had health problems. He said there were none because their care was so good. I wondered about the prednisone listed on the board for one of the elephants. The rash of euthanizations in the ‘90s due to arthritis and joint problems makes his rosy picture hard to believe.
1999: Judy, 33, was euthanized because of leg deformities.
1998: Ginny was euthanized at 58 after suffering from chronic arthritis.
June 1996: Twenty-seven-year-old Bandula was euthanized because of chronic arthritis and severe joint pain.
November 1995: Mardji, a 44-year-old African elephant, was euthanized after suffering from chronic bone inflammation.2
The elephant yard is small for seven elephants and completely devoid of vegetation. In the wild, elephants forage most of the day and like to throw grass and dirt on their heads and bodies. These elephants are not provided with the opportunity to rip grass, leaves, and bark with their trunks or throw around vegetation and dirt. Sometimes they forfeit part of their precious allotment of food for tossing. At least they have dirt to stand on, and a shady shelter to stand under. They have access to a cement pond but no one went near it while I was there. Apparently it is deep enough for them to submerge themselves sideways. The barn has separate stalls for each elephant and a concrete floor. One stall had a softer material stapled to it. Patrick said they are kept in there at night (ten hours) when the weather is bad, but otherwise stay in the yard day and night. The only restraints I saw were the big bars in the barn and the fences in the yard. No observable chains.
The saddest scene of the day was the morning elephant feeding. We divvied out about two quarts of dog food-like elephant pellets into seven buckets and set them in a line, four feet apart in the yard. The trainers lined up the elephants, trunks holding tails, and marched them in an indirect circle to the buckets where the elephants stood, docile, trunks up, foot up, circus style, until they were given permission to eat.
They also get an occasional mound of alfalfa, a daily bale of hay and fresh, human-grade fruit and vegetables as treats. Unlike the inhabitants in two sanctuaries in Thailand which I recently visited where the elephants were given bushels of fruit and vegetables every day in addition to endless mounds of vegetation, each Six Flags elephant is given only one bunch of bananas, one orange, a few sweet potatoes, a few carrots, and one apple per day, and no fresh fodder.
The trainers claim that the elephants get plenty of walking exercise, pointing out that when food is abundant in the wild, elephants don’t walk tens of miles a day. But saying it doesn’t make it so. Walking two miles around the park after hours on asphalt next to a man with a bullhook, or giving rides around a one-sixteenth of a mile track for hours, will not fulfill the natural desire of elephants to travel all day with family, searching for food and water.
The noise from the rides doesn’t bother the elephants, according to Patrick. He doesn’t notice it anymore, so they don’t either. Can he hear like an elephant, through the soles of his feet?
The trainers at Six Flags are not smarmy carnies. Patrick is a UC Davis graduate in biology and animal sciences, who began working with the two Asian elephants at the Santa Barbara Zoo when he was 12. All are clean-cut, athletic types. But as I also found typical of the mahouts in
Of all the information the trainers gave me, the greatest emphasis was on the importance and justification for training, which they legitimized for making medical checks easy and stress-free for the elephants, and for the continued safety of the elephants and people. They described the ubiquitous bullhooks as “an extension of my arm” or “like a leash for a dog”. Several trainers said the bullhook doesn’t hurt the elephant at all due to their one inch thick skin, defending this falsehood even after I questioned it. “It is nothing more than an annoyance,” Patrick assured me, “like an itch.” But if they are using it only to guide, why do they need the sharp metal point and hook? For the elephant’s safety? For its stress-free medical check ups?
Neither in
No one can deny that training is essential for using animals as entertainment, and entertainment is Six Flag’s most lucrative product. In one show Liz moves logs, has a tug of war with members of the audience, and ends with her eating elephant-sized kibble from little children’s hands. One of the trainers described the other daily show as exercise for the elephants. For example, he told me with a straight face, when they sit up, it’s good ab work.
Each elephant show ends with a few sentences about the need for elephant conservation and how the audience can help by taking the proffered International Elephant Foundation (IEF) brochure. IEF is a non-profit that primarily focuses on breeding programs in zoos worldwide and management of wild elephants in Asia and
In order to combat this, Patrick said they hope to breed the three younger elephants sometime in the future. “The North American elephant herd is aging,” he said, ”and will need to be replaced.” Six Flags’ tragic history with baby elephants must have slipped his mind:
March 2003: Misha's calf was stillborn.
November 2002: Tika, a 24-year-old African elephant, died from a massive infection caused by a dead calf decomposing in her womb.
October 2002: A baby elephant died during labor.
November 2000: Six Flags ignored warnings that a still-nursing baby elephant named Kala should not be separated from his mother at Dickerson Park Zoo. Severely stressed and traumatized, 2-year-old Kala died from a viral infection just six months after the move. 4
Close contact between elephants and park-goers abounds. Standing unnaturally still as a statue, Taj welcomes them at the entrance. In defiance of the AZA policy recommendation against elephant rides, a few dollars will buy you one at Six Flags. Because the elephants are so docile and obedient, I can see why the trainers feel confident that everyone is safe. However, this is a false security. Elephants mixing with the public are accidents waiting to happen, and Six Flags should know this well.
In June 2004, an elephant keeper was critically injured after being gored by an elephant named Misha at Six Flags Marine World. Six Flags uses cruel, outdated circus-style training. Elephants are punished with bullhooks and forced to give rides and perform tricks. It comes as no surprise to PETA that a frustrated Misha snapped and attacked a keeper for the second time. In June 2001, Misha attacked a keeper during invasive artificial insemination procedures. In 1991, five people were injured during elephant rides at Marine World, and in 1993, an elephant rampaged and threw a rider onto a cement path, resulting in a $600,000 settlement. 3
When the photographer was taking my picture with Liz, the trainers encouraged me to get close to her and put my arm around her trunk. Her only actions were circus poses: open mouth, trunk up, foot raised. I loved hugging her but I felt mortified. Perhaps the elephants are bored out of their minds because there is so little enrichment, just two hanging tires, a shallow pool, and onlookers snapping photos
As I left “Tava’s Elephant Encounter,” I felt overwhelmed by their belief that this is a wonderful place. I walked away thinking that if anyone criticized their elephant exhibit, they would say with disbelief, "But it's so clean, and the elephants are SO well trained and happy."
I spent the afternoon with the dolphins. The zoo maintains four walruses, 12 dolphins, and one orca. The trainers are all women, mostly with degrees in marine biology. They obviously love their wards and enjoy training them. Like Patrick, my trainer, Becky, emphasized that the real purpose of the training was for medical checks and procedures. They take blood regularly and since the animals are so well trained, says Becky, the procedures are “stress-free”. But if they are concerned about stressing the dolphins, why do they keep them in smooth little pools, urban pools, that bear no resemblance to natural habitat? Why then do they expose them constantly to crowds of humans clamoring to touch them? Why do they keep them at all?
In a private workshop on how to train a dolphin, I learned that they work with positive reinforcement of the correct movements while ignoring the wrong ones. The trainer uses body motions to signal a trick. If the dolphin does anything close to what the trainer wants, he gets a “bridging” signal (a whistle) and a small reward. Eventually, when the dolphin figures out what the trainer wants and does it, he gets the bridge and then a big reward, a human-grade, thawed fish. All feeding is done in conjunction with training.
The role-playing I did in this workshop was phenomenally revealing. To play the role of the trainer, all I needed was a little patience. But as the dolphin, I had to try endlessly to figure out what the trainer wanted. I walked this way. I walked that way. I walked toward door one. Whistle. I walked to the door. No whistle. I walked toward door two. Whistle. I walked to the door. No whistle. This went on and on until I finally figured out she wanted me to go to the wall phone and lift the receiver. I was intensely focused on her and felt tension and stress trying to read her mind. In order to get the food reward, I had to successfully figure out what she was thinking. Had I been hungry, had my access to sustenance actually been tied to this, I could not imagine the level of stress this would have caused.
“Wow,” I said, “I felt so stressed out trying to read your mind.”
Becky laughed. “Sometimes they get to do any trick they want for the reward,” she said, sidestepping my point.
“You’re a happy guy, aren’t you?” she cooed at the mirthful-looking dolphin, using a hand sign to make the animal nod in agreement.
“Dolphins aren’t smiling,” I thought with disgust, “they look like this even when they’re dead.” I have to admit that I adored the dolphins, but my willingness to do tricks with them didn’t last very long. Even playing ball with the two-year old baby, made me feel sad.
I spent the day with people, both park-goers and employees, who sincerely believe that the animals in the park are in the best of all possible worlds. To my question, “Are the elephants happy?” Patrick answered, “Yep. They love us. We play with them. They’d be dead if they weren’t here.”
Let’s face it, most people are urbanites, invested in the tenants of modern urban life and its “improvements” over wilderness. It is clean. There are few threats or risks. Food and water are abundant. Advancing this belief for wild animals is a simple step.
Once I understood the mindset of the park people, all I could think was, “Ignorance is bliss.” As long as they believe the animals are happy, they can continue to work within their captivity. The idea that animals are miserable chattel, unable to fulfill their true nature in any manner, would be an absurd concept to them. Sadly there is little difference between their belief that the elephants and dolphins are happy in a zoo and 18th century slave ship owners claiming that the “the time passed on board a ship, while transporting from Africa to the colonies, was the happiest part of a negro’s life.” 1 Just as 18th Century people believed slavery was key to their economic survival, the majority today believe they can not live without animals for food, entertainment, and drug testing. Animal rights is the abolition movement of the 21st century.
After struggling for the last time to extricate myself from my wetsuit, I passed through the pool area, which was now abandoned. The dolphin I had interacted with was there, swimming around and around his little pool. Dolphins and elephants swim or walk forty miles a day in the wild. Instead of roaming freely, eating, playing and socializing with their families all day, as captives they are forced to be circus caricatures of themselves, forever assaulted by the flatness of their pens, the glare of the lights, and noisy roller coaster cars.
However, there is hope today for captive elephants in
1 Hochschild, Adam, Bury the Chains,
2 http://www.savewildelephants.com/sixflags.asp
4 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/04/27/18406052.php
For the cats,
Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue
an Educational Sanctuary home
to more than 100 big cats
12802 Easy Street
813.493.4564 fax 885.4457
http://www.BigCatRescue.org MakeADifference@BigCatRescue.org
Sign our petition here:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/344896451?ltl=1140270431
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Friday, April 27, 2007
India: Leopards allowed to breed at rescue center - politics at play?
Of leopard cubs and forest rules
Debashis Bhaumik
COOCH BEHAR, April 27: A leopard named Kali delivered two cubs at the Leopard Rescue Centre, Rasik-bil on Wednesday. Another leopard, Gouri, is also on the family way. The news was welcomed by many, especially the visitors. But it raised some questions too.
According to wild life activists the Central Zoo Authority norms state that carnivorous wild animals in captivity should not be allowed to multiply themselves. But animals of rare species do not come under the purview of this guideline. Mating under captivity is restricted for some other animals including herbivores. Multiplying of these animals is not encouraged because the government would have to bear the cost of maintaining the population. Moreover, there is the question of space to accommodate them.
“It is therefore suggested that rescued wild animals should be released in forests after making them acquainted with open-air wild life,” the activists state.
The two female leopards ~ Kali and Gouri ~ were brought from the Madarihat Rescue Centre to Rasik-bil Rescue Centre to attract tourists and visitors. To end their loneliness, a male adult leopard named Shankar was brought to Rasik-bil from Madarihat on 20 July 2006. All of them were kept in open enclosures at the Rasik-bil rescue centre. While Kali has delivered two cubs that are yet to be named, Gouri is an expectant mother.
When asked, a senior forest official said under condition of anonymity that permission for mating of leopards or other wild animals is allowed in some special cases depending on situations. “It is allowed in zoos, but a rescue centre is not a zoo. It is a common practice that political decisions are taken ignoring technical opinions to earn popularity,” he said.
He refrained from divulging why the rules were bent in the case of Rasik-bil.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php? clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id=154837
Debashis Bhaumik
COOCH BEHAR, April 27: A leopard named Kali delivered two cubs at the Leopard Rescue Centre, Rasik-bil on Wednesday. Another leopard, Gouri, is also on the family way. The news was welcomed by many, especially the visitors. But it raised some questions too.
According to wild life activists the Central Zoo Authority norms state that carnivorous wild animals in captivity should not be allowed to multiply themselves. But animals of rare species do not come under the purview of this guideline. Mating under captivity is restricted for some other animals including herbivores. Multiplying of these animals is not encouraged because the government would have to bear the cost of maintaining the population. Moreover, there is the question of space to accommodate them.
“It is therefore suggested that rescued wild animals should be released in forests after making them acquainted with open-air wild life,” the activists state.
The two female leopards ~ Kali and Gouri ~ were brought from the Madarihat Rescue Centre to Rasik-bil Rescue Centre to attract tourists and visitors. To end their loneliness, a male adult leopard named Shankar was brought to Rasik-bil from Madarihat on 20 July 2006. All of them were kept in open enclosures at the Rasik-bil rescue centre. While Kali has delivered two cubs that are yet to be named, Gouri is an expectant mother.
When asked, a senior forest official said under condition of anonymity that permission for mating of leopards or other wild animals is allowed in some special cases depending on situations. “It is allowed in zoos, but a rescue centre is not a zoo. It is a common practice that political decisions are taken ignoring technical opinions to earn popularity,” he said.
He refrained from divulging why the rules were bent in the case of Rasik-bil.
http://www.thestatesman.net/page.news.php? clid=10&theme=&usrsess=1&id=154837
Snow Leopard: Big Cat species spotlight
Welcome to another edition of Big Cat Rescues species spotlight. The snow leopard is one of natures most beautiful but very reclusive animals. The Snow Leopard Trust is leading the way to eduate people on this magnificent feline. Watch and learn how you can help save the snow leopard.
www.bigcatrescue.org
www.bigcatrescue.org
NHL's Luke Richardson visits the Big Cats
One of BCR's favorite supporters to have around is the NHL's Luke Richardson. Recently the Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman came out with a Sun Sports film crew to film a segment on the cats for cable tv. From years of checking people into the boards to now being a Big Cat supporter, Luke does it all.
For more info on the felines you see here log onto:
www.bigcatrescue.org
music: "Hockey Song" (SOCAN)
Version by: HANSON BROTHERS.
For more info on the felines you see here log onto:
www.bigcatrescue.org
music: "Hockey Song" (SOCAN)
Version by: HANSON BROTHERS.
Tiger experts dismayed that tiger meat on Chinese menu
KATHMANDU, Nepal, April 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- International conservation groups are calling on the Chinese government to open an immediate investigation into China's largest tiger farm, after a Beijing-based news team reported it has proof that the farm's restaurant serves tiger meat. The request stems from a report by Independent Television News (ITN) on the results of DNA testing of a piece of tiger meat served to ITN staff in February at Xiongsen Bear and Tiger Mountain Village near Guilin. After ITN aired a story about the farm's tiger entree, the businessman who owns the farm denied the claim.
The DNA was then tested by a laboratory in China. "China should take immediate action to investigate this report. It's outrageous and shocking to think that one of the world's most endangered animals could be served as a trendy dinner right under the noses of Chinese authorities," said Prasanna S. Yonzon of Wildlife Conservation Nepal. "It proves what we've said all along: tiger farms in China have nothing to do with conservation and everything to do with making money." The owner of the tiger farm serving the meat was a member of the Chinese government delegation to last week's International Tiger Symposium in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The delegation, led by State Forestry Administration officials, assured the meeting of government delegates and tiger experts that the burgeoning tiger farms in China were operating within the law. "The tiger farms are business operations. It is not surprising that these businessmen breed tigers to sell their products. What is surprising is that the tiger farm owners are allowed to attend the meeting of this esteemed world body," said Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia Regional Director for IFAW. "While all other participants are discussing ways to protect wild tigers, these tiger farm owners are openly promoting the trade of tiger parts. Their shameful actions are damaging China's image the world over."
More than 4,000 captive-bred tigers are housed on China's tiger farms, several of which have breweries attached that make what they claim is "lion- bone" wine although it is sold in tiger-shaped bottles and openly promoted as containing tiger bone. The wealthy farm owners are putting pressure on China to lift its 14-year ban on trade in tiger products. Tiger experts believe this would only rekindle demand and open opportunities for criminals trading in products from tigers poached in the wild. Additional information: The International Tiger Coalition, an alliance of 30 organizations representing more than 100 organizations and millions of people worldwide, believes reinforcement of China's 14-year internal ban on tiger trade is essential for securing a future for wild tigers.
http://www.savethetigerfund.org/AM/Template.cfm? Section=News_Headlines&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm &CONTENTID=5196
The DNA was then tested by a laboratory in China. "China should take immediate action to investigate this report. It's outrageous and shocking to think that one of the world's most endangered animals could be served as a trendy dinner right under the noses of Chinese authorities," said Prasanna S. Yonzon of Wildlife Conservation Nepal. "It proves what we've said all along: tiger farms in China have nothing to do with conservation and everything to do with making money." The owner of the tiger farm serving the meat was a member of the Chinese government delegation to last week's International Tiger Symposium in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The delegation, led by State Forestry Administration officials, assured the meeting of government delegates and tiger experts that the burgeoning tiger farms in China were operating within the law. "The tiger farms are business operations. It is not surprising that these businessmen breed tigers to sell their products. What is surprising is that the tiger farm owners are allowed to attend the meeting of this esteemed world body," said Grace Ge Gabriel, Asia Regional Director for IFAW. "While all other participants are discussing ways to protect wild tigers, these tiger farm owners are openly promoting the trade of tiger parts. Their shameful actions are damaging China's image the world over."
More than 4,000 captive-bred tigers are housed on China's tiger farms, several of which have breweries attached that make what they claim is "lion- bone" wine although it is sold in tiger-shaped bottles and openly promoted as containing tiger bone. The wealthy farm owners are putting pressure on China to lift its 14-year ban on trade in tiger products. Tiger experts believe this would only rekindle demand and open opportunities for criminals trading in products from tigers poached in the wild. Additional information: The International Tiger Coalition, an alliance of 30 organizations representing more than 100 organizations and millions of people worldwide, believes reinforcement of China's 14-year internal ban on tiger trade is essential for securing a future for wild tigers.
http://www.savethetigerfund.org/AM/Template.cfm? Section=News_Headlines&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm &CONTENTID=5196
Toledo Zoo announces birth of two cheetah cubs
April 24, 2007 09:45 AM EDT
SOUTH TOLEDO -- It's spring, and that means more animal births at The Toledo Zoo. The zoo announced Tuesday that Shaka, the cheetah, gave birth to two cubs earlier this month. Using monitors in the cheetah's enclosure, animal care staff members at the zoo say they have seen the cubs nursing, and Shaka is demonstrating excellent maternal skills.
Zookeepers say Shaka and her cubs, whose sex has yet to be determined, will be off-exhibit for approximately three months until the cubs are old enough to go outside.
According to a news release from the zoo, seven-year-old Shaka was bred as part of a Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure a future for this threatened species. Shaka was sent to the Cincinnati Zoo last August and bred with their male, named Wild Boy, returning pregnant on February 16.
The zoo says this is the first time in the history of the cheetah Species Survival Plan that a female has returned to her home institution to give birth. Shaka was also sent to the Cincinnati Zoo for breeding in 2003. She had a litter there and came back to Toledo with four cubs. Three of those four cubs are now at other institutions as part of this breeding program and the fourth will be sent out later this month.
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=6417762
SOUTH TOLEDO -- It's spring, and that means more animal births at The Toledo Zoo. The zoo announced Tuesday that Shaka, the cheetah, gave birth to two cubs earlier this month. Using monitors in the cheetah's enclosure, animal care staff members at the zoo say they have seen the cubs nursing, and Shaka is demonstrating excellent maternal skills.
Zookeepers say Shaka and her cubs, whose sex has yet to be determined, will be off-exhibit for approximately three months until the cubs are old enough to go outside.
According to a news release from the zoo, seven-year-old Shaka was bred as part of a Species Survival Plan, a cooperative breeding program established by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help ensure a future for this threatened species. Shaka was sent to the Cincinnati Zoo last August and bred with their male, named Wild Boy, returning pregnant on February 16.
The zoo says this is the first time in the history of the cheetah Species Survival Plan that a female has returned to her home institution to give birth. Shaka was also sent to the Cincinnati Zoo for breeding in 2003. She had a litter there and came back to Toledo with four cubs. Three of those four cubs are now at other institutions as part of this breeding program and the fourth will be sent out later this month.
http://www.wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=6417762
Cheetah cubs now on display at St. Louis Zoo
Created: 4/25/2007 9:14:02 AM
Last updated: 4/25/2007 8:47:45 PM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Three cheetah cubs born at the St. Louis Zoo in November are on public display for the first time starting Wednesday.
The cubs moved into their new home at the River's Edge area of the zoo.
First-time mother Lucia has been raising the two females and one male in her maternity den and behind-the-scenes in a breeding area since their birth on November tenth.
This is the first litter of cheetah cubs born at the zoo since 1992.
The cheetah is endangered throughout Africa. The zoo says that in the last century, the cheetah population, once $100,000, has declined to fewer than 12,000.
The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and admission is free.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=117726
Last updated: 4/25/2007 8:47:45 PM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Three cheetah cubs born at the St. Louis Zoo in November are on public display for the first time starting Wednesday.
The cubs moved into their new home at the River's Edge area of the zoo.
First-time mother Lucia has been raising the two females and one male in her maternity den and behind-the-scenes in a breeding area since their birth on November tenth.
This is the first litter of cheetah cubs born at the zoo since 1992.
The cheetah is endangered throughout Africa. The zoo says that in the last century, the cheetah population, once $100,000, has declined to fewer than 12,000.
The zoo is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, and admission is free.
http://www.ksdk.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=117726
Orphaned cougar cubs go to Calgary Zoo
By BILL KAUFMANN, SUN MEDIA
UPDATED: 2007-04-20 16:03:31 MST
Reunited for the first time with the orphaned cougar cubs he helped save, a provincial wildlife officer was purring today over their progress.
After the three cougars, aged five months, were coaxed from their den at the Calgary Zoo, Mark Hoskin voiced his pleasure at the sight.
"You guys have done a good job — they've doubled in weight," Hoskin said to nearby zoo officials.
In early March, Hoskin and other fish and wildlife officers spotted the trio near Caroline, 110 km northwest of Calgary, and soon discovered they were without a mother.
"We had to backtrack them 10 kilometres and there were no mother tracks around," he said.
"The mother had been poached, or killed on a road or just died."
Hoskin's team then pounced on the kittens — two males and one female — after they'd taken refuge in a vacant cabin, and the Calgary Zoo then stepped in.
The skinny cougars, who would have perished in the wild, have flourished in quarantine and have been adjusting to the public glare for the past 11 days, said Kevin Strange, the zoo's manager of education.
"It's exceptional — we're kind of loathe to do this kind of thing but we had the capacity to accept them and the emergency network is there," said Strange.
That network involves several other zoos that will accept the cougars, he said, likely this fall.
The zoo is asked to take in numerous orphaned animals but isn't always able to oblige, said spokeswoman Cathy Gaviller.
"The supply is endless," she said.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/ 2007/04/20/4080803.html
UPDATED: 2007-04-20 16:03:31 MST
Reunited for the first time with the orphaned cougar cubs he helped save, a provincial wildlife officer was purring today over their progress.
After the three cougars, aged five months, were coaxed from their den at the Calgary Zoo, Mark Hoskin voiced his pleasure at the sight.
"You guys have done a good job — they've doubled in weight," Hoskin said to nearby zoo officials.
In early March, Hoskin and other fish and wildlife officers spotted the trio near Caroline, 110 km northwest of Calgary, and soon discovered they were without a mother.
"We had to backtrack them 10 kilometres and there were no mother tracks around," he said.
"The mother had been poached, or killed on a road or just died."
Hoskin's team then pounced on the kittens — two males and one female — after they'd taken refuge in a vacant cabin, and the Calgary Zoo then stepped in.
The skinny cougars, who would have perished in the wild, have flourished in quarantine and have been adjusting to the public glare for the past 11 days, said Kevin Strange, the zoo's manager of education.
"It's exceptional — we're kind of loathe to do this kind of thing but we had the capacity to accept them and the emergency network is there," said Strange.
That network involves several other zoos that will accept the cougars, he said, likely this fall.
The zoo is asked to take in numerous orphaned animals but isn't always able to oblige, said spokeswoman Cathy Gaviller.
"The supply is endless," she said.
http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/ 2007/04/20/4080803.html
Lioness, rescued from French circus, dies in S. Africa
25 April 2007
Dear Friends
They say that things happen in threes and following the predicted death of Royale, one of our tigers in India (after 10 years with Born Free) and the unexpected death of Djunka, our wonderful male lion rescued from that despicable French circus at the end of 2006, I have the very sad duty of reporting the death of Nalla, Djunka's long-term partner.
I think we were all aware that Nalla had but a short time left to enjoy her new found freedom. Her condition at the circus last summer was poor and John Knight, our excellent vet, noticed that she was passing a little blood in her urine during the rescue itself. Subsequent blood tests showed that Nalla had serious kidney disease. Since November last year, she had responded to treatment including rehydration and she had a good appetite and had put on a little weight but the periods of remission between the administration of her treatment became shorter and shorter and last week she went off her food again. Shamwari's veterinary team darted her last Sunday hoping that she would once again bounce back but she was lethargic and refused to eat. No-one wanted her to suffer and so, in consultation with One Voice and Born Free, together with John Knight, our vet, and the Shamwari veterinary team, the decision was made to put her to sleep. She was 16 years old.
Nalla will be buried next to her mate, Djunka, under the wide open skies of Shamwari and we can all be thankful that for a short time at least Africa was her home. It is always desperately sad when such a life comes to an end, particularly when so many of the previous years have been wasted, and it is always important to remember that the effects of an unnatural captive life in a circus beast wagon or a tiny zoo cage frequently means that an animal's life expectancy is cut short.
Born Free has been rescuing big cats in need for many, many years. In all cases, however long they are with us, they can be guaranteed care, attention, respect and compassion. After all they have been through it's the least they deserve. So it was for Nalla.
With all good wishes
Will Travers
http://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/news-article/ ?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=51
Dear Friends
They say that things happen in threes and following the predicted death of Royale, one of our tigers in India (after 10 years with Born Free) and the unexpected death of Djunka, our wonderful male lion rescued from that despicable French circus at the end of 2006, I have the very sad duty of reporting the death of Nalla, Djunka's long-term partner.
I think we were all aware that Nalla had but a short time left to enjoy her new found freedom. Her condition at the circus last summer was poor and John Knight, our excellent vet, noticed that she was passing a little blood in her urine during the rescue itself. Subsequent blood tests showed that Nalla had serious kidney disease. Since November last year, she had responded to treatment including rehydration and she had a good appetite and had put on a little weight but the periods of remission between the administration of her treatment became shorter and shorter and last week she went off her food again. Shamwari's veterinary team darted her last Sunday hoping that she would once again bounce back but she was lethargic and refused to eat. No-one wanted her to suffer and so, in consultation with One Voice and Born Free, together with John Knight, our vet, and the Shamwari veterinary team, the decision was made to put her to sleep. She was 16 years old.
Nalla will be buried next to her mate, Djunka, under the wide open skies of Shamwari and we can all be thankful that for a short time at least Africa was her home. It is always desperately sad when such a life comes to an end, particularly when so many of the previous years have been wasted, and it is always important to remember that the effects of an unnatural captive life in a circus beast wagon or a tiny zoo cage frequently means that an animal's life expectancy is cut short.
Born Free has been rescuing big cats in need for many, many years. In all cases, however long they are with us, they can be guaranteed care, attention, respect and compassion. After all they have been through it's the least they deserve. So it was for Nalla.
With all good wishes
Will Travers
http://www.bornfree.org.uk/news/news-article/ ?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=51
Group claims cougars released into English countryside
An animal group claims that two female pumas have been released into the countryside.
Kent Big Cat Research says it cannot say where the animals have been let loose so that hunters will not be alerted.
Wildlife expert Neil Arnold said: "We have established that both animals are young and healthy, and also prove that people are still able to obtain such animals which in turn will bolster the abundant population that already roams the county.
"The two cats released will certainly be used to humans, but should anyone come in contact with any kind of large, exotic cat they should not approach, but neither run, but instead back of slowly."
Kent Big Cat Research claims it has received more than 65 eye-witness reports of large cats ranging from black leopard to lynx this year.
Mr Arnold added: "During our investigations we are still uncovering numerous pens and illegal enclosures where large cats were once housed and also released so this recent incident is by no means nothing new."
Pumas - native to the USA where they are also called cougars - measure up to five-feet in length and have a fawn or tan coloured coat and a long tail with a black tip.
http://www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/Pumas -released-into-Kent-countryside-newsinkent3594.aspx
Kent Big Cat Research says it cannot say where the animals have been let loose so that hunters will not be alerted.
Wildlife expert Neil Arnold said: "We have established that both animals are young and healthy, and also prove that people are still able to obtain such animals which in turn will bolster the abundant population that already roams the county.
"The two cats released will certainly be used to humans, but should anyone come in contact with any kind of large, exotic cat they should not approach, but neither run, but instead back of slowly."
Kent Big Cat Research claims it has received more than 65 eye-witness reports of large cats ranging from black leopard to lynx this year.
Mr Arnold added: "During our investigations we are still uncovering numerous pens and illegal enclosures where large cats were once housed and also released so this recent incident is by no means nothing new."
Pumas - native to the USA where they are also called cougars - measure up to five-feet in length and have a fawn or tan coloured coat and a long tail with a black tip.
http://www.kentnews.co.uk/kent-news/Pumas -released-into-Kent-countryside-newsinkent3594.aspx
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Animal activists praise Colo. shopping center
Dennis Webb
Vail, CO Colorado
April 24, 2007
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is lauding the Glenwood Springs Mall for canceling an exotic animal display.
The animal rights group, also known as PETA, says the organization that was to have put on the display this week abuses the animals under its care.
Last week, PETA sent the mall a letter asking that it cancel the appearance by GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park, based in Wynnewood, Okla. And on Monday, PETA announced it was giving the mall its "Compassionate Business" Award for agreeing to PETA’s request.
"It is a huge step, the fact that the mall has done this. We’re really deeply appreciative of this and want to congratulate them for it," said Lisa Wathne, captive exotic animal specialist for PETA.
Disagreement with PETA
The exotic animal park said PETA’s allegations are off base and the cancellation is unfortunate for Glenwood Springs.
"It’s a shame that the people in that area … they miss out on a good thing, they miss out on a little bit of education," said an employee who would give his name only as Mark, and said he is the manager.
Glenwood Springs Mall manager Sonia Davis did not return calls for comment Monday.
GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park is a nonprofit organization that specializes in taking in rescued animals such as big cats and bears, the park manager said.
It was founded by Joe Schreibvogel in memory of his brother, who was killed by a drunk driver.
The organization goes around the country talking to kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and incorporating animals into its presentation.
PETA says the park has been cited repeatedly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failing to meeting standards of care required by the Animal Welfare Act. In January 2006, it was put on probation for 18 months and paid a $25,000 fine to settle charges.
PETA also videotaped operations at the park last year in an undercover investigation and says it found problems including a lion that wasn’t treated for pain from amputation after part of its leg was torn off by tigers, a horse that suffered for days with an untreated broken leg before dying and being fed to big cats, and tigers that were hit with a rifle butt.
Wathne said other problems involving the park have included animals not being fed for days, a number of baby bears and lions dying on the road, a woman being bitten by an African lion cub at a mall in Texas, and an adult tiger escaping from a show a few years ago in Oklahoma.
"We receive more complaints about GW Exotics than just about any roadside and traveling zoo in the country," Wathne said.
She said the park removes baby animals from their mothers within days or weeks of birth to take them on the road. She also said the park promotes itself as a sanctuary and yet breeds animals, going against a guiding principle that sanctuaries shouldn’t add to the problem by bringing more animals into the world.
"There’s really a crisis in this country right now with exotic animals, and specifically tigers. For any individual to be producing more tigers is criminal," she said.
Daily vet visits
Mark, the park manager, said it doesn’t breed animals often. Some of the cats it rescues turn out to be pregnant, he said.
He said a veterinarian visits the park almost daily, and the facility and its traveling display have received clean bills of health from the Department of Agriculture over the last year.
If poor nutrition were a problem, "USDA would shut us down tomorrow," he said.
Wathne said PETA is trying to stop malls nationwide from providing a venue for the facility’s display. An appearance in Texas was canceled after a city council turned down a request for a permit.
PETA contends exotic-animal displays are a threat to the public and has asked the Glenwood Springs Mall to ban them permanently. Wathne said the mall has not committed to such a ban.
On the Net
* GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park: http://www.gwpark.org/
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: http://www.peta.net/
* Glenwood Springs Mall: http://gwsmall.com/
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/ 20070424/NEWS/70424010
Vail, CO Colorado
April 24, 2007
GLENWOOD SPRINGS — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is lauding the Glenwood Springs Mall for canceling an exotic animal display.
The animal rights group, also known as PETA, says the organization that was to have put on the display this week abuses the animals under its care.
Last week, PETA sent the mall a letter asking that it cancel the appearance by GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park, based in Wynnewood, Okla. And on Monday, PETA announced it was giving the mall its "Compassionate Business" Award for agreeing to PETA’s request.
"It is a huge step, the fact that the mall has done this. We’re really deeply appreciative of this and want to congratulate them for it," said Lisa Wathne, captive exotic animal specialist for PETA.
Disagreement with PETA
The exotic animal park said PETA’s allegations are off base and the cancellation is unfortunate for Glenwood Springs.
"It’s a shame that the people in that area … they miss out on a good thing, they miss out on a little bit of education," said an employee who would give his name only as Mark, and said he is the manager.
Glenwood Springs Mall manager Sonia Davis did not return calls for comment Monday.
GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park is a nonprofit organization that specializes in taking in rescued animals such as big cats and bears, the park manager said.
It was founded by Joe Schreibvogel in memory of his brother, who was killed by a drunk driver.
The organization goes around the country talking to kids about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and incorporating animals into its presentation.
PETA says the park has been cited repeatedly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for failing to meeting standards of care required by the Animal Welfare Act. In January 2006, it was put on probation for 18 months and paid a $25,000 fine to settle charges.
PETA also videotaped operations at the park last year in an undercover investigation and says it found problems including a lion that wasn’t treated for pain from amputation after part of its leg was torn off by tigers, a horse that suffered for days with an untreated broken leg before dying and being fed to big cats, and tigers that were hit with a rifle butt.
Wathne said other problems involving the park have included animals not being fed for days, a number of baby bears and lions dying on the road, a woman being bitten by an African lion cub at a mall in Texas, and an adult tiger escaping from a show a few years ago in Oklahoma.
"We receive more complaints about GW Exotics than just about any roadside and traveling zoo in the country," Wathne said.
She said the park removes baby animals from their mothers within days or weeks of birth to take them on the road. She also said the park promotes itself as a sanctuary and yet breeds animals, going against a guiding principle that sanctuaries shouldn’t add to the problem by bringing more animals into the world.
"There’s really a crisis in this country right now with exotic animals, and specifically tigers. For any individual to be producing more tigers is criminal," she said.
Daily vet visits
Mark, the park manager, said it doesn’t breed animals often. Some of the cats it rescues turn out to be pregnant, he said.
He said a veterinarian visits the park almost daily, and the facility and its traveling display have received clean bills of health from the Department of Agriculture over the last year.
If poor nutrition were a problem, "USDA would shut us down tomorrow," he said.
Wathne said PETA is trying to stop malls nationwide from providing a venue for the facility’s display. An appearance in Texas was canceled after a city council turned down a request for a permit.
PETA contends exotic-animal displays are a threat to the public and has asked the Glenwood Springs Mall to ban them permanently. Wathne said the mall has not committed to such a ban.
On the Net
* GW Exotic Animal Memorial Park: http://www.gwpark.org/
* People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals: http://www.peta.net/
* Glenwood Springs Mall: http://gwsmall.com/
http://www.vaildaily.com/article/ 20070424/NEWS/70424010
S. African died of stroke, then mauled by lions - report
April 24 2007 at 08:33AM
Game park owner Dirk Brink, 58, died of a stroke and was not killed by the lions that mauled him, Beeld reported on Tuesday.
This came to light on Monday during the post-mortem on Brink, who owned the Krugersdorp game park.
It showed that he was attacked by the pride at Ngonyama Lion Lodge only after his death from a stroke.
Brink's body was found at 12.45pm on Friday where it had been dragged by the lions to dense trees near the feeding area, where his 4x4 vehicle was found.
'Caused by a blood clot in the brain'
Louis van der Walt, a family friend who lives in the game park, said on Monday the post-mortem showed that Brink's death was caused by a blood clot in the brain.
Paramedics, police and game wardens struggled for nearly an hour to get Brink's body away from the lions. Shots were fired eventually to scatter them.
Beeld was told that although Brink's body was badly mauled his head was intact and his brain could be examined without difficulty.
His family and friends said earlier that Brink would never have got out of the vehicle.
It now appears that he staggered out of the vehicle in his last moments, and died outside it.
Van der Walt said Brink was definitely dead by the time the lions began to chew on his body.
"There were no blood marks near the vehicle and there was definitely no sign of a struggle, said Van der Walt.
"Everything there indicates that the lions dragged him off under the trees after he had died."
Professor H O de Waal of the University of the Free State, an expert on the feeding patterns of game, said the lions could hardly be blamed for Brink's death.
They would have regarded him as prey if he was out of the vehicle, and they acted instinctively.
"A lion is a wild animal and will kill you if gets the opportunity," he said.
Coert Steynberg, an expert from South Africa's game industry, agreed and said it would be a travesty to destroy the pride.
"A lion does not distinguish between people and animals, both are food to him. How can you blame something that was merely finishing its lunch?" said Steynberg.
Beeld reported on Monday that the lions might be moved and replaced by another pride.
Steynberg pointed out that it would be difficult to move them to another camp, because lions had a rigid social structure and were not likely to tolerate others trying to get in.
"The dominant male would kill the less-dominant one and his offspring, to ensure the propagation of his own pride's gene pool."
De Waal said the most important message of the tragic events was never to underestimate such animals. - Sapa
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_ Environment&set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=nw20070424082833930C845153
Game park owner Dirk Brink, 58, died of a stroke and was not killed by the lions that mauled him, Beeld reported on Tuesday.
This came to light on Monday during the post-mortem on Brink, who owned the Krugersdorp game park.
It showed that he was attacked by the pride at Ngonyama Lion Lodge only after his death from a stroke.
Brink's body was found at 12.45pm on Friday where it had been dragged by the lions to dense trees near the feeding area, where his 4x4 vehicle was found.
'Caused by a blood clot in the brain'
Louis van der Walt, a family friend who lives in the game park, said on Monday the post-mortem showed that Brink's death was caused by a blood clot in the brain.
Paramedics, police and game wardens struggled for nearly an hour to get Brink's body away from the lions. Shots were fired eventually to scatter them.
Beeld was told that although Brink's body was badly mauled his head was intact and his brain could be examined without difficulty.
His family and friends said earlier that Brink would never have got out of the vehicle.
It now appears that he staggered out of the vehicle in his last moments, and died outside it.
Van der Walt said Brink was definitely dead by the time the lions began to chew on his body.
"There were no blood marks near the vehicle and there was definitely no sign of a struggle, said Van der Walt.
"Everything there indicates that the lions dragged him off under the trees after he had died."
Professor H O de Waal of the University of the Free State, an expert on the feeding patterns of game, said the lions could hardly be blamed for Brink's death.
They would have regarded him as prey if he was out of the vehicle, and they acted instinctively.
"A lion is a wild animal and will kill you if gets the opportunity," he said.
Coert Steynberg, an expert from South Africa's game industry, agreed and said it would be a travesty to destroy the pride.
"A lion does not distinguish between people and animals, both are food to him. How can you blame something that was merely finishing its lunch?" said Steynberg.
Beeld reported on Monday that the lions might be moved and replaced by another pride.
Steynberg pointed out that it would be difficult to move them to another camp, because lions had a rigid social structure and were not likely to tolerate others trying to get in.
"The dominant male would kill the less-dominant one and his offspring, to ensure the propagation of his own pride's gene pool."
De Waal said the most important message of the tragic events was never to underestimate such animals. - Sapa
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?from=rss_ Environment&set_id=1&click_id=14&art_id=nw20070424082833930C845153
So. Cal. sanctuary takes in 3 lion cubs
POSTED: 9:54 am PDT April 24, 2007
UPDATED: 10:58 am PDT April 24, 2007
SAN DIEGO -- Officials with a local exotic animal shelter said they have rescued three young lion cubs.
The cubs were 28 days old and weighed less than 10 pounds when they were taken in by the San Diego County-based Lions Tigers and Bears.
"We could not sit back and ignore the plight of these helpless cubs," Lions Tigers and Bears spokesowoman Bobbi Brink said in a news release.
The shelter took responsibility for the cubs from Louisiana Big-Cat rescue. Officials with that organization said the cubs were born after a pair of failed vasectomies in two of their lions.
According to shelter officials in Alpine, they took custody of the cubs after getting emergency clearance from California Fish & Game.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/ 13009126/detail.html
UPDATED: 10:58 am PDT April 24, 2007
SAN DIEGO -- Officials with a local exotic animal shelter said they have rescued three young lion cubs.
The cubs were 28 days old and weighed less than 10 pounds when they were taken in by the San Diego County-based Lions Tigers and Bears.
"We could not sit back and ignore the plight of these helpless cubs," Lions Tigers and Bears spokesowoman Bobbi Brink said in a news release.
The shelter took responsibility for the cubs from Louisiana Big-Cat rescue. Officials with that organization said the cubs were born after a pair of failed vasectomies in two of their lions.
According to shelter officials in Alpine, they took custody of the cubs after getting emergency clearance from California Fish & Game.
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/ 13009126/detail.html
Lioness recovering after surgery at La. facility
By Vickie Welborn
vwelborn@gannett.com
April 24, 2007
FRIERSON – Boo Boo the lioness was returned this morning to the pride at Yogie and Friends Exotic Cat Sanctuary to continue recovering after a successful surgery.
Boo Boo was spayed April 18, not only because the procedure eliminates the chance of unplanned births but because of other physical benefits as well, said Jenny Senier, Yogie and Friends director.
"She was in the lockdown pen till this morning and the boys were sleeping around the pen and basically watching over her the entire time. What a bunch of cool cats," Senier said in an e-mail to The Times.
It was Boo Boo’s unexpected pregnancy last year that eventually led her to the operating table. Boo Boo was in a pen with a male lion, Batman, but a pregnancy wasn’t a concern since Batman had had a vasectomy.
That’s why Senier and founder Tim Mills were surprised on Feb. 27, 2006 to find a single lion cub standing in a puddle of water in Boo Boo’s and Batman’s pen. Boo Boo actually gave birth to three fully formed cubs. But it was only the male cub, later named Moses, who survived.
Moses is thriving, and two months ago celebrated his first birthday.
Batman had his second vasectomy in July. Yogie, another female lioness, will be spayed May 2.
"That way there’s no doubt," Senier said.
A new medical team is assisting with the surgeries, which cost $1,500 each. The team consists of Corrine Brown, a doctor of veterinary medicine, and Joanne Luebbert, a waterfowl biologist, both of Grand Cane, and April Hightower, a veterinarian technician with Southern Hills Animal Hospital.
Brown and Luebbert are business partners who co-founded the Grand Cane-based Wild Waterbird Conservancy, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on waterbird research, rehabilitation and education.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=/20070424/NEWS/70424018
vwelborn@gannett.com
April 24, 2007
FRIERSON – Boo Boo the lioness was returned this morning to the pride at Yogie and Friends Exotic Cat Sanctuary to continue recovering after a successful surgery.
Boo Boo was spayed April 18, not only because the procedure eliminates the chance of unplanned births but because of other physical benefits as well, said Jenny Senier, Yogie and Friends director.
"She was in the lockdown pen till this morning and the boys were sleeping around the pen and basically watching over her the entire time. What a bunch of cool cats," Senier said in an e-mail to The Times.
It was Boo Boo’s unexpected pregnancy last year that eventually led her to the operating table. Boo Boo was in a pen with a male lion, Batman, but a pregnancy wasn’t a concern since Batman had had a vasectomy.
That’s why Senier and founder Tim Mills were surprised on Feb. 27, 2006 to find a single lion cub standing in a puddle of water in Boo Boo’s and Batman’s pen. Boo Boo actually gave birth to three fully formed cubs. But it was only the male cub, later named Moses, who survived.
Moses is thriving, and two months ago celebrated his first birthday.
Batman had his second vasectomy in July. Yogie, another female lioness, will be spayed May 2.
"That way there’s no doubt," Senier said.
A new medical team is assisting with the surgeries, which cost $1,500 each. The team consists of Corrine Brown, a doctor of veterinary medicine, and Joanne Luebbert, a waterfowl biologist, both of Grand Cane, and April Hightower, a veterinarian technician with Southern Hills Animal Hospital.
Brown and Luebbert are business partners who co-founded the Grand Cane-based Wild Waterbird Conservancy, Inc., a non-profit organization focused on waterbird research, rehabilitation and education.
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ article?AID=/20070424/NEWS/70424018
Federal legislation introduced to protect public from big cats
Monday, April 23, 2007
WASHINGTON, DC (23 April 2007) – IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) today commended members of the 110th Congress for introducing bipartisan federal legislation to protect the public from attacks by captive big cats, such as lions and tigers, at facilities licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. H.R. 1947, also known as Haley's Act, is named in memory of Haley Hilderbrand, a 17-year-old high school student who was killed at a USDA-licensed facility by a 550-pound Siberian tiger while being photographed for her senior picture. Haley was originally scheduled to be photographed with two tiger cubs.
There are currently more than 10,000 captive big cats, such as tigers and lions, held captive in the U.S. In recent years, captive big cats have killed more than a dozen people and injured more than 50 people. Many big cats are owned by individuals or organizations that have been licensed by the USDA to exhibit, breed, or sell these dangerous wild animals. While the terms of the license include certain requirements for the care of the big cats, the license does not address risks to public safety, nor does it firmly prohibit direct contact between the public and big cats.
"Lions and tigers are wild animals, not pets, and USDA-licensed facilities should treat these creatures accordingly. Congress must establish strict guidelines to prevent further tragedies from occurring due to poor safety standards and minimal fines," said Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (D-KS), whose legislation, H.R. 1947 is cosponsored by her three Kansas colleagues Reps. Dennis Moore (D-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), as well as Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Barney Frank (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), George Miller (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Fortney "Pete" Stark (D-CA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Last year after Haley's death, the Kansas state legislature banned the private ownership of big cats as pets and forbade public contact with big cats at USDA facilities to help prevent future tragedies. However, the problem extends well beyond Kansas. In 2006 and 2007 alone there were big cat incidents, including escapes or attacks, from California to Texas to Indiana to North Carolina and Florida. These states have yet to enact a prohibition on direct contact at USDA facilities. "If a law to prevent direct contact between big cats and the public were in place already, Haley might still be with us today," said Haley Hilderbrand's parents, Ronda and Mike Good, who have worked closely with legislators and IFAW to champion the legislation in Topeka and Washington. "If Congress acts soon, we can save lives."
Haley's Act would amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to prohibit direct contact between the general public and big cats, including lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars and hybrids. The bill does not discourage public display of big cats in accredited zoos, or housing big cats in sanctuaries, but rather seeks to strengthen safety for the public. It also significantly increases fines for violations of the AWA to further encourage facilities to abide by the law and treat the animals well.
"Even in the hands of experienced trainers, big cats are unpredictable and there is no margin for error", said Monica Medina, U.S. Deputy Director of IFAW, who added that Haley's Act is one of IFAW's top legislative priorities. "Haley's Act will spare families from the horrible anguish caused by such attacks, while also ensuring the humane treatment of these remarkable animals who are forced to live in captivity."
For media-related inquiries, contact:
Alyson Mazzarelli
212-255-8455 x236
alyson@rosengrouppr.com
http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/ default.aspx?oid=210182
WASHINGTON, DC (23 April 2007) – IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) today commended members of the 110th Congress for introducing bipartisan federal legislation to protect the public from attacks by captive big cats, such as lions and tigers, at facilities licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. H.R. 1947, also known as Haley's Act, is named in memory of Haley Hilderbrand, a 17-year-old high school student who was killed at a USDA-licensed facility by a 550-pound Siberian tiger while being photographed for her senior picture. Haley was originally scheduled to be photographed with two tiger cubs.
There are currently more than 10,000 captive big cats, such as tigers and lions, held captive in the U.S. In recent years, captive big cats have killed more than a dozen people and injured more than 50 people. Many big cats are owned by individuals or organizations that have been licensed by the USDA to exhibit, breed, or sell these dangerous wild animals. While the terms of the license include certain requirements for the care of the big cats, the license does not address risks to public safety, nor does it firmly prohibit direct contact between the public and big cats.
"Lions and tigers are wild animals, not pets, and USDA-licensed facilities should treat these creatures accordingly. Congress must establish strict guidelines to prevent further tragedies from occurring due to poor safety standards and minimal fines," said Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (D-KS), whose legislation, H.R. 1947 is cosponsored by her three Kansas colleagues Reps. Dennis Moore (D-KS), Jerry Moran (R-KS) and Todd Tiahrt (R-KS), as well as Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO), Barney Frank (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), George Miller (D-CA), James Moran (D-VA), Janice Schakowsky (D-IL), Fortney "Pete" Stark (D-CA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD).
Last year after Haley's death, the Kansas state legislature banned the private ownership of big cats as pets and forbade public contact with big cats at USDA facilities to help prevent future tragedies. However, the problem extends well beyond Kansas. In 2006 and 2007 alone there were big cat incidents, including escapes or attacks, from California to Texas to Indiana to North Carolina and Florida. These states have yet to enact a prohibition on direct contact at USDA facilities. "If a law to prevent direct contact between big cats and the public were in place already, Haley might still be with us today," said Haley Hilderbrand's parents, Ronda and Mike Good, who have worked closely with legislators and IFAW to champion the legislation in Topeka and Washington. "If Congress acts soon, we can save lives."
Haley's Act would amend the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) to prohibit direct contact between the general public and big cats, including lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars and hybrids. The bill does not discourage public display of big cats in accredited zoos, or housing big cats in sanctuaries, but rather seeks to strengthen safety for the public. It also significantly increases fines for violations of the AWA to further encourage facilities to abide by the law and treat the animals well.
"Even in the hands of experienced trainers, big cats are unpredictable and there is no margin for error", said Monica Medina, U.S. Deputy Director of IFAW, who added that Haley's Act is one of IFAW's top legislative priorities. "Haley's Act will spare families from the horrible anguish caused by such attacks, while also ensuring the humane treatment of these remarkable animals who are forced to live in captivity."
For media-related inquiries, contact:
Alyson Mazzarelli
212-255-8455 x236
alyson@rosengrouppr.com
http://www.ifaw.org/ifaw/general/ default.aspx?oid=210182
Colo. mall receives PETA award for canceling baby animal appearance
Decision Follows PETA's Request to Nix Appearance by Abusive Exhibitor
For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2007
Contact:
Lisa Wathne 757-622-7382
Glenwood Springs, Colo. — For the compassionate decision to cancel an appearance by G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park's (GW) exotic-animal display, Glenwood Springs Mall manager Sonia Davis will receive PETA's "Compassionate Business" Award. PETA sent Davis an urgent letter last Wednesday after learning that GW was scheduled to set up an exhibit at the mall from April 25 to 29. In its letter, PETA pointed out that GW has a record of animal abuse and chronic failure to comply with the federal Animal Welfare Act and warned Davis about the dangers posed to the public by exotic-animal displays. PETA also asked the mall to establish a permanent policy banning exotic-animal displays. Colorado Division of Wildlife district officer Sonja Marzek notified PETA of the mall's decision.
PETA also told Davis about its 2006 undercover investigation of GW, which revealed that a lion was not provided with pain relief following the amputation of the stump of her leg after it was torn off by tigers, that a wounded horse suffered for days with an untreated broken leg before dying and being fed to big cats, and that tigers were hit with a rifle butt. GW has been cited repeatedly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violating the minimum standards of care set forth in the federal Animal Welfare Act. In January 2006, GW was put on probation for 18 months and paid a $25,000 fine to settle USDA charges.
"We commend Ms. Davis for letting the likes of GW know that Glenwood Springs Mall is strictly off limits," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "This compassionate stand will serve as an example to other businesses that abusive and dangerous animal displays will not be tolerated."
PETA's correspondence with the mall and broadcast-quality video footage of PETA's investigation are available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.
http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=9741
For Immediate Release:
April 23, 2007
Contact:
Lisa Wathne 757-622-7382
Glenwood Springs, Colo. — For the compassionate decision to cancel an appearance by G.W. Exotic Animal Memorial Park's (GW) exotic-animal display, Glenwood Springs Mall manager Sonia Davis will receive PETA's "Compassionate Business" Award. PETA sent Davis an urgent letter last Wednesday after learning that GW was scheduled to set up an exhibit at the mall from April 25 to 29. In its letter, PETA pointed out that GW has a record of animal abuse and chronic failure to comply with the federal Animal Welfare Act and warned Davis about the dangers posed to the public by exotic-animal displays. PETA also asked the mall to establish a permanent policy banning exotic-animal displays. Colorado Division of Wildlife district officer Sonja Marzek notified PETA of the mall's decision.
PETA also told Davis about its 2006 undercover investigation of GW, which revealed that a lion was not provided with pain relief following the amputation of the stump of her leg after it was torn off by tigers, that a wounded horse suffered for days with an untreated broken leg before dying and being fed to big cats, and that tigers were hit with a rifle butt. GW has been cited repeatedly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for violating the minimum standards of care set forth in the federal Animal Welfare Act. In January 2006, GW was put on probation for 18 months and paid a $25,000 fine to settle USDA charges.
"We commend Ms. Davis for letting the likes of GW know that Glenwood Springs Mall is strictly off limits," says PETA Director Debbie Leahy. "This compassionate stand will serve as an example to other businesses that abusive and dangerous animal displays will not be tolerated."
PETA's correspondence with the mall and broadcast-quality video footage of PETA's investigation are available upon request. For more information, please visit PETA.org.
http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=9741
Canada: Mounties look for stolen Asian leopard cat
CBC News
Last Updated: Monday, April 23, 2007 - 9:17 AM CT
Lloydminster RCMP are on the lookout for an exotic cat that looks like a baby leopard that was stolen during the weekend.
According to the RCMP, someone entered a garage at a home in Lashburn, Sask., between 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. CT Sunday and stole Lucius, a purebred Asian leopard cat.
This purebred Asian leopard cat, named Lucius, was stolen from a home in Lashburn, Sask., during the weekend.
(RCMP) The cat, tan with black spots and a white belly, is originally from the Czech Republic and had been raised in a zoo before being purchased by its owners in Saskatchewan.
Police said the cat is 8 1/2 months old, weighs about 12 pounds (about 5.4 kilograms) and has had all its shots.
Police also said the cat "walks very low to the ground" and will become defensive only if cornered.
They're asking anybody with information to give them a call. They're also asking veterinarians, pet shops, kennels, groomers and zoos to keep an eye out for Lucius.
Lashburn is about 35 kilometres southeast of Lloydminster.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/ 04/23/cat.html
Last Updated: Monday, April 23, 2007 - 9:17 AM CT
Lloydminster RCMP are on the lookout for an exotic cat that looks like a baby leopard that was stolen during the weekend.
According to the RCMP, someone entered a garage at a home in Lashburn, Sask., between 6 p.m. Saturday and 2 a.m. CT Sunday and stole Lucius, a purebred Asian leopard cat.
This purebred Asian leopard cat, named Lucius, was stolen from a home in Lashburn, Sask., during the weekend.
(RCMP) The cat, tan with black spots and a white belly, is originally from the Czech Republic and had been raised in a zoo before being purchased by its owners in Saskatchewan.
Police said the cat is 8 1/2 months old, weighs about 12 pounds (about 5.4 kilograms) and has had all its shots.
Police also said the cat "walks very low to the ground" and will become defensive only if cornered.
They're asking anybody with information to give them a call. They're also asking veterinarians, pet shops, kennels, groomers and zoos to keep an eye out for Lucius.
Lashburn is about 35 kilometres southeast of Lloydminster.
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/ 04/23/cat.html
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Happenings at S.C. animal park have activists howling
By RACHEL E. LEONARD, Staff Writer
Published April 22, 2007
There's no doubt Hollywild Animal Park owner David Meeks has a passion for animals.
So do animal rights advocates who would rejoice in seeing the park shut down. That's where the similarities come to a screeching halt and warring philosophies on exotic animal care come into play.
Carolina Animal Action, a North Carolina-based animal rights group calling for the park to ban breeding and acceptance of new animals in light of inspections alleging animal welfare violations, opposes keeping wild animals in captivity. If exotic animals are confined to zoos, the group maintains, allowing close contact with the public and using animals as entertainment in commercials and movies should be stopped.
The Hollywild philosophy stresses socializing animals for contact with the public, which Meeks says keeps critters happy and also allows his animals to appear in films, commercials and photo shoots. It's a way of thinking that has allowed the Inman-area park to flourish as a popular attraction for tourists, locals and schoolchildren through an educational pilot program.
Meeks, who also serves as the nonprofit park's executive director, takes pride in socializing animals to properly react to and, for some, interact with people.
"There's not an animal ever born that once you put him in an enclosure, he doesn't know that he's enclosed," he said. "But we don't want them to think he's in a pen, in a cell. We want him to enjoy where he's at and have fun with that.
"We want them to be stimulated. The people that come in the park are a huge stimuli to our animals."
Traditionally human-shy wolves come to Meeks when he approaches them. A photograph in his office features a smiling Jeanna Raney-Beasley, Miss South Carolina 2001, posed atop an elephant. Hollywild employees know their animals by name and socialize with them each day, said head keeper Jeanne Peters, a former employee of Zoo Atlanta.
"The animals here are happier than any animals I have ever worked with," she said. "They have a relationship with the keeper."
Animal care
Pongo easily learned to buckle a seat belt around his hips.
The orangutan at Hollywild has been featured in countless commercials and 62 feature films. Pongo's task was to buckle the seat belt during a commercial for a state seat belt safety campaign.
The day he arrived for the video shoot in Columbia, Pongo refused to perform the task. Meeks had an idea - Pongo might be interested in unbuckling a seat belt. The great ape unbuckled it happily, and the footage was reversed so the final product depicted Pongo buckling the belt.
That's only one example of an animal eager to perform a trick for the camera, Meeks said. His animals are never harmed or unduly coerced to complete a task, he said.
But animal rights groups take issue with the practice. Most animals are beaten or deprived of food to perform, said Leslie Armstrong, a Carolina Animal Action volunteer. That's especially true for large cats and bears.
"Animals like that are wild animals, and when people use them for television commercials or any way that involves entertainment, there's absolutely no way they can train them without being abusive," Armstrong said. "It's just a known fact that animals that are wild are not going to respond to any other types of training techniques."
Lisa Wathne, spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said hauling wild animals to movie sets is stressful and can't be considered natural in any way. She also is concerned about excessive handling by humans.
"One thing that always surprises me is that people don't realize in these type of situations, in order to be handled by people, animals have to be removed from the mother at a very young age, far younger than their mother would naturally wean them and send them out on their own. And that is something that is extremely cruel, not only for the babies, but for the mothers. All animals have strong maternal instincts, and they do not willingly give up their babies."
Meeks agrees, to an extent. Raising a baby animal only around humans is a horrible thing, he said.
At Hollywild, the baby stays with its mother for at least 72 hours. It's then taken away and reared alongside animals of its own species and other species, sometimes visiting the mother.
When that's done, Meeks said, the animals "know us, they know other animals and they know their own kind."
The exception is primates, who are reared along with other primates in a group society.
The lesser of two evils?
While opposing wild animals kept in captivity, groups including Carolina Animal Action and PETA say zoos should at least be accredited by the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Hollywild is not.
Terri David, Carolina Animal Action vice president, said the exotic animals remain dangerous, even if properly socialized, and diseases easily can spread if human contact is too close. Exotic animals born in captivity have the same instincts as their cousins born in the wild, said Wathne, with PETA.
For animals to be physically and psychologically healthy, she said, they need the opportunity to express natural behaviors.
"The number one concern of anyone holding wild animals in captivity should be to provide them with as natural an environment as possible," Wathne said. "That means a space that is close to the size they would have as their territory in the wild, as close to the land they would have in the wild, and one that provides them with the behavioral opportunities that they have in the wild."
The space is tight at Hollywild, with about 750 animals housed on 100 acres. But if an animal doesn't adjust well to the conditions, Meeks said, it heads to a sanctuary, a zoo or might be traded for another animal of the same species with different characteristics.
"We don't want any animals in here who don't want to be in there," he said.
He maintains properly socialized animals are more likely to alert keepers to any sickness they experience and are less likely to attack people.
"They're happy," Meeks said. "They don't feel threatened when a person comes in. They like to have the people looking at them."
In business
Meeks himself is a "card-carrying" member of PETA but disagrees with some of the group's standards for animal care. People simply enjoy the up-close access to animals, he said.
That environment also provides for education, said Sharon Foulks-Hammonds, Hollywild board president. Visitors, especially children, she said, learn to respect the animals.
"I think that that allows, especially children and young adults, to learn more about the types of animal species and not just the animals themselves, but their habitats, and it teaches them some form of responsibility about caring about animals."
The bottom line is a great deal of people like what they see at Hollywild. It brings them back, year after year, and it's by their choice the park flourishes.
Rachel E. Leonard can be reached at 562-7230 or rachel.leonard@shj.com.
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20070422/ NEWS/704220375/1051/NEWS01
Published April 22, 2007
There's no doubt Hollywild Animal Park owner David Meeks has a passion for animals.
So do animal rights advocates who would rejoice in seeing the park shut down. That's where the similarities come to a screeching halt and warring philosophies on exotic animal care come into play.
Carolina Animal Action, a North Carolina-based animal rights group calling for the park to ban breeding and acceptance of new animals in light of inspections alleging animal welfare violations, opposes keeping wild animals in captivity. If exotic animals are confined to zoos, the group maintains, allowing close contact with the public and using animals as entertainment in commercials and movies should be stopped.
The Hollywild philosophy stresses socializing animals for contact with the public, which Meeks says keeps critters happy and also allows his animals to appear in films, commercials and photo shoots. It's a way of thinking that has allowed the Inman-area park to flourish as a popular attraction for tourists, locals and schoolchildren through an educational pilot program.
Meeks, who also serves as the nonprofit park's executive director, takes pride in socializing animals to properly react to and, for some, interact with people.
"There's not an animal ever born that once you put him in an enclosure, he doesn't know that he's enclosed," he said. "But we don't want them to think he's in a pen, in a cell. We want him to enjoy where he's at and have fun with that.
"We want them to be stimulated. The people that come in the park are a huge stimuli to our animals."
Traditionally human-shy wolves come to Meeks when he approaches them. A photograph in his office features a smiling Jeanna Raney-Beasley, Miss South Carolina 2001, posed atop an elephant. Hollywild employees know their animals by name and socialize with them each day, said head keeper Jeanne Peters, a former employee of Zoo Atlanta.
"The animals here are happier than any animals I have ever worked with," she said. "They have a relationship with the keeper."
Animal care
Pongo easily learned to buckle a seat belt around his hips.
The orangutan at Hollywild has been featured in countless commercials and 62 feature films. Pongo's task was to buckle the seat belt during a commercial for a state seat belt safety campaign.
The day he arrived for the video shoot in Columbia, Pongo refused to perform the task. Meeks had an idea - Pongo might be interested in unbuckling a seat belt. The great ape unbuckled it happily, and the footage was reversed so the final product depicted Pongo buckling the belt.
That's only one example of an animal eager to perform a trick for the camera, Meeks said. His animals are never harmed or unduly coerced to complete a task, he said.
But animal rights groups take issue with the practice. Most animals are beaten or deprived of food to perform, said Leslie Armstrong, a Carolina Animal Action volunteer. That's especially true for large cats and bears.
"Animals like that are wild animals, and when people use them for television commercials or any way that involves entertainment, there's absolutely no way they can train them without being abusive," Armstrong said. "It's just a known fact that animals that are wild are not going to respond to any other types of training techniques."
Lisa Wathne, spokeswoman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said hauling wild animals to movie sets is stressful and can't be considered natural in any way. She also is concerned about excessive handling by humans.
"One thing that always surprises me is that people don't realize in these type of situations, in order to be handled by people, animals have to be removed from the mother at a very young age, far younger than their mother would naturally wean them and send them out on their own. And that is something that is extremely cruel, not only for the babies, but for the mothers. All animals have strong maternal instincts, and they do not willingly give up their babies."
Meeks agrees, to an extent. Raising a baby animal only around humans is a horrible thing, he said.
At Hollywild, the baby stays with its mother for at least 72 hours. It's then taken away and reared alongside animals of its own species and other species, sometimes visiting the mother.
When that's done, Meeks said, the animals "know us, they know other animals and they know their own kind."
The exception is primates, who are reared along with other primates in a group society.
The lesser of two evils?
While opposing wild animals kept in captivity, groups including Carolina Animal Action and PETA say zoos should at least be accredited by the national Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Hollywild is not.
Terri David, Carolina Animal Action vice president, said the exotic animals remain dangerous, even if properly socialized, and diseases easily can spread if human contact is too close. Exotic animals born in captivity have the same instincts as their cousins born in the wild, said Wathne, with PETA.
For animals to be physically and psychologically healthy, she said, they need the opportunity to express natural behaviors.
"The number one concern of anyone holding wild animals in captivity should be to provide them with as natural an environment as possible," Wathne said. "That means a space that is close to the size they would have as their territory in the wild, as close to the land they would have in the wild, and one that provides them with the behavioral opportunities that they have in the wild."
The space is tight at Hollywild, with about 750 animals housed on 100 acres. But if an animal doesn't adjust well to the conditions, Meeks said, it heads to a sanctuary, a zoo or might be traded for another animal of the same species with different characteristics.
"We don't want any animals in here who don't want to be in there," he said.
He maintains properly socialized animals are more likely to alert keepers to any sickness they experience and are less likely to attack people.
"They're happy," Meeks said. "They don't feel threatened when a person comes in. They like to have the people looking at them."
In business
Meeks himself is a "card-carrying" member of PETA but disagrees with some of the group's standards for animal care. People simply enjoy the up-close access to animals, he said.
That environment also provides for education, said Sharon Foulks-Hammonds, Hollywild board president. Visitors, especially children, she said, learn to respect the animals.
"I think that that allows, especially children and young adults, to learn more about the types of animal species and not just the animals themselves, but their habitats, and it teaches them some form of responsibility about caring about animals."
The bottom line is a great deal of people like what they see at Hollywild. It brings them back, year after year, and it's by their choice the park flourishes.
Rachel E. Leonard can be reached at 562-7230 or rachel.leonard@shj.com.
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20070422/ NEWS/704220375/1051/NEWS01
Future of lions uncertain after deadly attack in S. Africa
By Eleanor Momberg
April 22 2007 at 09:24AM
The Krugersdorp Game Reserve has been closed until police complete their investigation into the killing of the reserve's owner, Dirk Brink, by a pride of lions on Friday.
A reserve official said yesterday that Brink had driven into the lions' enclosure in his bakkie, apparently to take photographs to test a new camera. It appeared that he had got out of his vehicle, as the door was still open.
Five lions had attacked him and dragged him into nearby bushes, where he was mauled and partially eaten before the lions were scared off by the sound of gunshots.
Reserve staff have been instructed not to speak to anyone about the fatal attack, saying only that a press conference will be held "sometime next week".
However, one official did say that no decision had yet been taken on the future of the lions.
"That is obviously a matter that is on the table - whether they must be put down or shipped out. It is a decision that must be made much higher up and nothing has been decided yet," the man, who did not want to be named, said.
Superintendent Eugene Opperman, a police spokesperson, said they had turned down a request on the scene from reserve officials to kill the lions. This was because this task was not their responsibility.
Lions were a protected species. Any decision on the future of the animals would therefore have to be made in conjunction with conservation authorities.
Yesterday Brink's wife Elna, son Derek and daughter Liezel, who had heard about the attack within an hour, were trying to come to terms with what had happened.
Paramedics said when they arrived on the scene at 12.30pm, several rangers were trying to chase the lions away from Brink. The police arrived shortly afterwards.
Mark Stokoe, a Netcare 911 spokesperson, said on Friday that there was nothing they could have done: "The game rangers on the scene could not get the lions away and it was too dangerous to approach, so after more than an hour we still didn't know if he was dead or alive," he said.
Rangers and police only managed to clear the lions from the area by 2.30pm. Police said they had fired shots into the air to scare the lions off. It was only then that paramedics were able to get close to Brink, who was confirmed dead.
Brink is not the first owner of a lion reserve to be killed by lions in his care. In 2005 Lourens van Straaten, the owner of the Addo Croc and Lion Ranch in the Eastern Cape, was attacked and killed by lions while repairing an electric fence in their enclosure.
In March 2005, a Pretoria high-school boy was mauled by a pair of lions at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve near Krugersdorp. Dane Kieser suffered serious injuries to his legs, arms and chest
A man was killed by lions near the Phalaborwa Gate in the Kruger National Park in the same year, and two game farm security guards were mauled to death by lions at a lodge near Hennenman in the Free State in August 2006.
In March this year, Gemma Huggins, an Australian embassy employee, was attacked and seriously injured by a lioness at the Lion and Cheetah Park outside the Zimbabwe capital, Harare. Huggins has since been discharged from hospital.
This article was originally published on page 3 of Sunday Independent on April 22, 2007
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id =13&art_id=vn20070422085839105C469473
April 22 2007 at 09:24AM
The Krugersdorp Game Reserve has been closed until police complete their investigation into the killing of the reserve's owner, Dirk Brink, by a pride of lions on Friday.
A reserve official said yesterday that Brink had driven into the lions' enclosure in his bakkie, apparently to take photographs to test a new camera. It appeared that he had got out of his vehicle, as the door was still open.
Five lions had attacked him and dragged him into nearby bushes, where he was mauled and partially eaten before the lions were scared off by the sound of gunshots.
Reserve staff have been instructed not to speak to anyone about the fatal attack, saying only that a press conference will be held "sometime next week".
However, one official did say that no decision had yet been taken on the future of the lions.
"That is obviously a matter that is on the table - whether they must be put down or shipped out. It is a decision that must be made much higher up and nothing has been decided yet," the man, who did not want to be named, said.
Superintendent Eugene Opperman, a police spokesperson, said they had turned down a request on the scene from reserve officials to kill the lions. This was because this task was not their responsibility.
Lions were a protected species. Any decision on the future of the animals would therefore have to be made in conjunction with conservation authorities.
Yesterday Brink's wife Elna, son Derek and daughter Liezel, who had heard about the attack within an hour, were trying to come to terms with what had happened.
Paramedics said when they arrived on the scene at 12.30pm, several rangers were trying to chase the lions away from Brink. The police arrived shortly afterwards.
Mark Stokoe, a Netcare 911 spokesperson, said on Friday that there was nothing they could have done: "The game rangers on the scene could not get the lions away and it was too dangerous to approach, so after more than an hour we still didn't know if he was dead or alive," he said.
Rangers and police only managed to clear the lions from the area by 2.30pm. Police said they had fired shots into the air to scare the lions off. It was only then that paramedics were able to get close to Brink, who was confirmed dead.
Brink is not the first owner of a lion reserve to be killed by lions in his care. In 2005 Lourens van Straaten, the owner of the Addo Croc and Lion Ranch in the Eastern Cape, was attacked and killed by lions while repairing an electric fence in their enclosure.
In March 2005, a Pretoria high-school boy was mauled by a pair of lions at the Rhino and Lion Nature Reserve near Krugersdorp. Dane Kieser suffered serious injuries to his legs, arms and chest
A man was killed by lions near the Phalaborwa Gate in the Kruger National Park in the same year, and two game farm security guards were mauled to death by lions at a lodge near Hennenman in the Free State in August 2006.
In March this year, Gemma Huggins, an Australian embassy employee, was attacked and seriously injured by a lioness at the Lion and Cheetah Park outside the Zimbabwe capital, Harare. Huggins has since been discharged from hospital.
This article was originally published on page 3 of Sunday Independent on April 22, 2007
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id =13&art_id=vn20070422085839105C469473