February 3 2018

Big Cat Updates

Devin Saari’s Coordinator Notes for Friday, February 2, 2018

Such an eventful day!

Kewlona and Dryden are moved to Little Dove and Banshee’s old cages. Zucari was moved to Kewlona and Dryden’s old cages.

Funcation was mowed, weed-eated, and we got rid of the fire ant piles. Manny is out in FunCation.

Gabby is home from vacation. Vacation was mowed and we did some other updates and cleanup. Priya is now on vacation..

Kali’s big enrichment was taken out of her enclosure. Bathroom supplies were moved to the staff offices. Alyssa helped finish food-prep in the afternoon.

The cicle cats loved their cicles. People that needed sign-offs got them. The cages and nets on the slab were cleaned and put away

Dililah got her 10 week reward today!

That’s all for today!
-Devin

SAVE Award for January 2018

Scratch’s Award for Volunteer Excellence, the SAVE Award

For outstanding volunteer service, the January 2018 SAVE Award goes to Desmond Fowles!

Desmond is an invaluable volunteer who leads specialty and regular tours in addition to cleaning and feeding several days a week. Desmond is also not afraid to get his hands dirty and volunteers for the stinky job of changing the flytraps in the summer.

We appreciate you so much Desmond and are so grateful to have you on the big cat team!

A donation of $1000 has been made in your honor to the Snow Leopard Trust.

Understanding the ecology and habitat needs of any species is a key building block to create and maintain successful conservation programs. In order to protect snow leopards, it is first imperative to identify the resources they use within their home ranges and varying landscapes, in addition to how they interact with each other, as well as other wildlife. The Snow Leopard Trust conducts groundbreaking ecological research across 5 of the 12 countries Snow Leopards inhabit, China, India, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Pakistan. These 5 countries together contain over 75% of the worlds population of wild snow Leopards.

In Mongolia, specifically, they have created a Long-Term Ecological Study that is focused on growing knowledge of Snow Leopard behaviour and patterns of land use. Through this study they have been able to continuously monitor wild snow leopards, including their spatial behaviours, predation patterns, prey preference, disease ecology and a most importantly form a determination of population size.

As with many species, human-animal conflict is an ongoing problem, as humans increase land use, decreasing the availability of land for wildlife, decreasing prey availability and increasing mortality threats such as poaching, deforestation and mining.

To further protect snow leopards, the snow leopard trust works on a larger landscape level, finding ways for snow leopards to coexist with the people sharing their habitat. Many families living in snow leopard habitats are herders who live on less than $2 a day and depend on their livestock for food and income. Occasionally snow leopards will kill livestock, as they are an easy prey source, and members of the community resort to retaliation killings or poaching of the big cats. Therefore the snow leopard trust saw an immediate need and is working to initiate community based conservation programs to break the cycle of poverty and create incentive for herders to protect the wildlife and ecosystems.

Promotions

Please join us in congratulating these truly pawsome keepers and interns.

Promoted to Yellow Level Keeper:

Mary Ellen Gagliordi
Karla Pinzon
Bridget Sardone

Promoted to Green Level Keeper:

Candy Couser
Victoria DiGiacomo
Aleesa Salcido

Promoted to Level 2 Intern

Annabelle Couture
Stephanie Noble
Brandy Spellman
Abbey Rivett

Promoted to Level 3 Intern

Steven Becker

Why Can’t Hoover Tiger Go on Vacation?

Hoover has some health issues and does not eat very much at once so requires being fed more than once a day to keep him eating enough. However, he does not choose to come to lockout for multiple feedings so keepers have to use a feeding stick to put the food right at his mouth to coax him to eat enough.

In some of the enclosures platforms, dens, etc are positioned closer to the enclosure walls so keepers can reach a cat with the feeding stick if the cat chooses to not come get his meal.

Hoover has to stay in enclosures that have platforms & dens positioned like that so keepers can reach his food right to his mouth, otherwise this boy would choose to skip too many meals. Skipping meals would not be healthy for Hoover.

Keepers do work with him on Breakfast trying to get him back in the habit of coming to lockout to eat. Until he does, we cannot risk his health by putting him in an enclosure that keepers cannot reach him with the feeding stick or long feeding pole.

Hoover is a very loved, spoiled, and pampered tiger.

Kewlona is one smart cookie!

Afton hiding from Kewlona Bobcats, but says, “Even like this, she knows something is up. Too suspicious.

Facebook Video Replays

Enjoy some cute LIVE video of Andy Tiger swimming. Help feed big cats and kittens like these by making Big Cat Rescue your charity of choice at Smile.Amazon.com where Amazon makes a donation, at no cost to you, every time you shop.