Big Cat Updates
Kathyrn Stapleton’s Coordinator Notes for 3/9/2018
Was a great Day!! Lots of volunteers to help today. We were full for tours today!
Finished the trees at Bobcat Rehab they are all moved. Thanks to the interns for helping get that done today.
Picky cats ate ok, the chilly weather always helps.
That’s it for me!
Kathryn
World Wildlife Day at UN
BCR REPRESENTED AT UNITED NATIONS WORLD WILDLIFE DAY EVENT
Subsequent to Carole being asked to speak last year at the Jackson Hole Film festival where big cats were the species of discussion, Carole became one of the judges for the Big Cat Film Festival held in New York City on March 2-3 for World Wildlife Day. The trip included special seating at the invitation only morning event held at the United Nations in a room just down the hall from the Security Council room. The UN event, moderated by the CITES Secretary General John Scanlon, brought together an interesting mix of conservationists, NGOs, representatives from numerous governments around the world including a representative from the US State Department, and big cat documentary film makers.
The photo shows Howard and Carole up on the big screen, but only because we happened to be sitting behind a filmmaker who was one of the speakers.
The discussion was a mix of distressing detailed statistics on habitat loss and shrinking populations interspersed with many encouraging examples of efforts that really are working. Many of the latter are focused on reducing human vs. big cat conflict caused by predator attacks on livestock. One particularly successful and very creative effort has been the establishment of the Maasai Olympics as a way for Maasai Warriors to compete and enter manhood instead of the traditional killing of lions. Another example was improved management of large parks where reintroduction of big cat species that had disappeared has turned them into successful ecotourism enterprises. The one theme running through so many of the positive examples was the necessity to enlist buy in and cooperation from the local residents in the solutions.
At the end of the session we had the opportunity to speak privately briefly with the US representative. We brought up how the Chinese were pointing to the rampant breeding and lack of tracking of tigers in this country as a way to damage the credibility of the State Department in its efforts to urge other countries to stop the sale of tiger parts and products made from tiger parts. We explained that our small organization attended for the first time the most recent CITES meeting in South Africa and was one of the organizations sponsoring the tiger side event. At that side event, which was specifically directed at tiger farming, a Chinese representative toward the end stood up and shouted “at least we know where our tigers are.”
The US representative was very frank that while he was asked to come make the prepared remarks for the meeting, this was not his expertise, but promised he would introduce us to the people in the State Department who dealt with this issue more directly. True to his word, before the day was out we received an email from him with those contacts. A few days later we had a fascinating hour long conference call with his colleagues and agreed to follow up that we are very excited about.
Big Cat TV
You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile!
Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile to find out more and sign up today. Every little bit helps the big cats!
Bobcat Rehab
Our 4 bobcat rehab cages are 4600 square feet EACH of space to run, but we had planted too many trees in the second cage, so watch as Rescuers wrestle palm trees to save the $300 each fee we were quoted by professionals to move them. Learn more about out Bobcat Rehab & Release Program
https://www.facebook.com/bigcatrescue/videos/10155197796491957/
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CamOpp Kristine Metzner’s Report on Bobcat Rehab Overnight.
Below are some notes CamOpp Kristine made for Carole. The rehab team needs to sleep at night so the amazing Explore CamOpp Kristine has been sending Carole notes about Noel’s overnight antics.
Remember, Noel is the rehab bobcat that was hit by a car on Christmas day and sustained three broken bones in two legs. Her rehab is critical because the one bone was in a very tricky place to repair. Keeping a close eye on her overnight antics is important.
March 9, 2018: Nothing much to report, since last night. Noel was very active overnight, with a couple of naps in between. She loves to sleep right in front of the den, in the grass. She found the dead rat and played like mad with it, running all over and flipping it waaaaaayyyyyyy up in the air, lol. After she was done, she chowed down. I recorded her playing with the rat
March 10, 2018: Last night, I noticed that Noel was very interested in something outside of her enclosure, then I saw that an Opossum was wandering around out there. She was intently watching it while sitting on her coolaroo. On the Explore.org cam you can see it walk by her water bowl and then go up a tree to the left of the water bowl.
Noel wanted to get to that Opossum SO bad! She actually climbed up the enclosure walls a couple of times, to the very top and one time when she jumped back down, she jumped to her coolaroo! What a smart girl! She was hopping from the wood crate to her platform and all over, trying to get to that Opossum, lol. The video is about 7 minutes long, I did pause the recording in places that she just sat staring up for a long period of time, to shorten the video a bit. I didn’t get the camera moved as quick in some places as I would have liked, because at first I was trying to take photos at the same time, then it dawned on me instead of still photos, I could just record it later. I thought you and the Rehab Team might want to observe her reaction to the Opossum, stalking it and climbing the walls.
She was very active overnight, took a couple of naps and of course stalked the Opossum. She was still looking up there for it hours later, lol.
She dug in several different places in the grass, a lot, like she was looking for something. Maybe left over rat parts? She likes to dig, nonetheless!
She is so much fun to watch, I really enjoy seeing her just being a Bobcat!
Did You Know? YOU, too, can watch the funny overnight antics of Noel on the amazing Explore.org/bigcatrescue webcams. Find the Bobcat Rehab cam link, along with all the cam links, at BigCatCams.com
Pamela Van Amstel has sent in some GREAT snapshots of Noel from March 9th and 10th. I LOVE THESE, and just have to share them with you all , as well.
Pamela: Noel is very active at night, scratching logs, digging, eating leftover rat and watching the Paddy cats. She buried the rat behind the squeeze box. She is thoroughly investigating all sections of the enclosure looking for that escape hatch. Here are a few photos from the past 2 nights and early morning.
Susann Mesna has also been VERY CONSISTENT with uploading FUN VIDEO replays from the high quality Explore.org/BigCatRescue cams to our video channels and our Facebook Group. THANK YOU, SUSAN! Here is one of those videos featuring Noel. Join our Facebook Group to see more.
Facebook Video Replays
In case you missed it yesterday, here is a repeat. Keeper Karma talks about two of the domestic foster kittens that have turned out to be little miracles. Carole talks about two wild bobcat calls.
https://www.facebook.com/bigcatrescue/videos/10155199334861957/
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Keepr Corner & Fun Photos
For all the Manny Jaguar Lovers out there
Manny Jaguar Drawstring Bag
Show your love for Manny, the jaguar, with a cool drawstring bag. This lightweight bag can be worn as a backpack with drawstring closure at top, and narrow, contrasting shoulder straps. Manny’s name and the BCR logo appear on the bottom of the bag. Image is printed on front and back.
• Bag size 15”x17”
• Twin cotton handles
• Drawstring closure
• 100% spun polyester fabric
Where's Waldo? Uh.. I mean Aphrodite
Can you find Aphrodite, the rehab bobcat in this “Where’s Waldo” style photo?
Do YOU Love Big Cats, and their babies?
Did YOU make the Call of the Wild this past week?
If not, it is not too late!!
All you have to do is go to BigCatAct.com, put your info in the secure form, and then answer your phone with it rings and say, “Please, ask your boss to Champion the Big Cat Public Safet Act, H.R. 1818. Thank you.” then simply hang up the phone.
Because it is the weekend, you will only be speaking to an answering machine.
If you love big cats, this is truly one of the most important things you can do!! Please, step up and take this one quick easy action to help save them from alive of abuse and deprivation. YOU CAN YOU IT!! YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Keeper Devin
Great day today! I got to feed and clean Outback. Lots of chatty cats as well! ~Keeper Devin
