August 19 2017

Big Cat Updates

Keeper Afton’s Coordinator Report for Friday, August 18, 2017

We had just enough people to clean and do tour, so no projects were done today.

The Windsong hospital needs to be mopped. Otherwise, Kathryn will be in tomorrow, and she will assign any projects that need to get done.

Picky cats did pretty good today. I worked my Cameron magic, and he ate really well!!  He as been in a turkey drum mood lately. I thawed lamb out to try with the smaller picky cats. Little White Dove and Banshee did really well with that, especially Little White Dove!!  (Little White Dove is the oldest cat here right now.  She is 24)

 Happy Birthday, Joseph

Big Cat Friend, Silver made an adorable birthday collage for Joseph.  Read more about Joseph further on down in this page.

 Bobcat Rehab

Big Cat Friend, Shawna Prested, captured a video of Cooper you just have to see.  Note from Shawna: Cooper got a vaccine from Karma today, and then was given access to the biggest part of his enclosure yet. He was busy exploring before getting distracted by his dinner. He was so excited that he jumped too soon, but by practicing he will learn to hold still until his prey is too exposed to get away. He is still a little guy!

Wildcat Walkabout 2017 Gear

Photo – Reise Cougar 8×10 Wildcat Walkabout

Celebrate Big Cat Rescue’s 25th anniversary and help support conservation projects aimed at saving tigers, ocelots, cougars, bobcats, and lions in the wild with the purchase of this awesome 2017 Wildcat Walkabout photo. Glossy color 8×10 photo of Reise the cougar features the Wildcat Walkabout logo silhouettes of tiger, ocelot, cougar, bobcat, and lion and the text “Wildcat Walkabout – Big Cat Rescue – 25 Saving Big Cats for 25 Years – End Exploitation, Support Conservation.

Proceeds from the sale of these tees go towards; Primorskii Regional Non-commercial Organization in Russia, S.P.E.C.I.E.S. in Trinidad, The Mountain Lion Foundation and the Felidae Conservation Fund in California, and Working Dogs for Conservation in Africa.

 The Big Cat Times

The Big Cat Times is available for free download at http://bigcatrescue.org/big-cat-times/

Win A Big Cat Rescue Supporter Band

Show the world that you support Big Cat Rescue by wearing one a Big Cat Rescue awareness bracelet. Band is black with the BCR tiger, paw prints, and the words Big Cat Rescue in white.
Show the world that you support Big Cat Rescue by wearing one a Big Cat Rescue awareness bracelet. Band is black with the BCR tiger, paw prints, and the words Big Cat Rescue in white.

How to Win: Make the Call of the Wild at https://BigCatAct.com Each day that you make the Call of the Wild Carole is notified and at the end of every day, Carole will run a randomizer to pick one winner every day. It is important that when you make the Call of the Wild that you use you accurate address because that is the address that Keeper Lauren Buckingham will then mail a Big Cat Rescue Supporter Wrist Band to the daily winner. LaWanna will post the winner every day on Big Cat Updates. When you see your name on the list below you will know there is a wrist band on it’s way to you.

Note about Security: When you input your name and address at https://BigCatAct.comit is a secure system. The system uses your address to connect you with the lawmaker for your area. We NEVER share your information with any third parties, ever!

August Winners:

• August 10, 2017 Brian G.
• August 11, 2017 Nicole F.
• August 12, 2017 Mahaillie G.
• August 13, 2017 Rob B.
• August 14, 2017 Kelly P.
• August 15, 2017 Sarah H.
• August 16, 2017 Danielle C.
• August 17, 2017 Susanne M.
• August 18, 2017 Sarah M.
• August 19, 2017 Stephen J.

If you do not know what the Call of the Wild is check out the info at: http://bigcatrescue.org/cta-call-wild/

Make the Call of the Wild at http://BigCatAct.com

Note of Clarification: Every day that YOU make the Call of the Wild your name is added to the drawing pool. Each day one name is drawn from that pool. The more days you make the call, the more times your name is in the drawing pool.

 Foster Kitten Program

The following kittens went to their forever homes this week:

• Cecil
• Barry Allen
• Phillip

I think everyone also knows that Kelly and Kevin went home today with friends of Dr. Justin!

More about Joseph, the birthday boy

Joseph is 19 years old today.   Joseph was born 8/19/1998.  He was rescued 10/21/2007.  He has spent the last 10 years at Big Cat Rescue during which time he has gained many friends.

Joseph is quite a character.  He can be comical at times.  He has a habit of watching the keepers clean his cages and gather is poop.  As soon as they walk away, he ‘replaces’ the stolen poop with fresh.

Joseph the lion was rescued along with several other lions and tigers who had been bred to be used as photo and ego props. It took the combined efforts of USDA, undercover agents and concerned citizens seven years to shut down Diana McCourt (aka Cziraky) and her Siberian Tiger Foundation. It wasn’t until her landlords, Donnalynn and Christian Laver were able to evict her from the property that Knox County was able to seize the six cats who had been used for years as props in Diana McCourt’s “tiger training” scheme.

By the end of the ordeal eye witnesses said that the cats were starving and they still have inadequate shelter from the elements.

Even though McCourt lost her USDA license to operate the tiger-tamer camp in 2000, and permanently in 2006, she still continued to charge people to come into her back yard in Gambier, OH and pet the adult lions and tigers.

The cats would often be chained down so that people could touch them or have their photos made with the cats.

To make the cats more pliable McCourt had their teeth and claws removed. (Joseph still has his canine teeth) Despite the abusive violations to their bodies and mobility, the USDA investigation included eight allegations of attacks on visitors in an 8 month period.

Most cases that 6 years or more to prosecute so animals suffer most or all of their lives waiting for help to arrive. The only way to put an end to the suffering is to end the private possession of big cats and eliminate the USDA loophole that allows people to keep big cats if they have a $40 USDA license. It is too easy to get and too hard to lose to provide any sort of enforcement of the Animal Welfare Act.

In May of 2007 Diana McCourt emailed Carole Baskin asking if she could move her operation to Tampa and bring her cats to Big Cat Rescue. Our response was that her cats were welcome here but her brand of animal abuse was not. By August McCourt had been evicted and Knox County was awarded custody of the four tigers and two lions. Dean Vickers, the State Director for the Ohio branch of the HSUS contacted Big Cat Rescue and asked if we could take the cats.

Read more details about Joseph’s rescue at:  http://bigcatrescue.org/joseph/

Joseph at Big Cat Rescue – A few memories

A frequently asked question is, “Do big cats cough up hairballs?” Check out this specimen from Joseph:

When a lens luxated due to old age it became very irritated and had to be dealt with right away. Dr. Miller, Dr. Wynn and Dr. Boorstein all came in to the Windsong Memorial Hospital to see if the eye could be saved. Joseph lion has a visit from the eye specialist, Dr. Tammy Miller, DVM. He underwent a procedure to remove the lens in his eye. Big Cat Rescue thanks these vets for donating their time to help our cats have the best lives possible: Dr. Tammy Miller, DVM, Dr. Sami Pederson, DVM, Dr. Liz Wynn, DVM and Dr. Justin Boorsteain, DVM.

Joseph Lion getting his much loved vanilla ice cream for his birthday in 2015.

There is a clip in this video of Joseph getting watermelons.