May 6 2019

Big Cat Updates

Pharaoh went back outside to his enclosure. He currently only has access to the bubble closest to Ariel.

Alexa Flash Briefing

Wow, the letter Carole reads in this video is amazing and encouraging.

In case you have missed previous days’ news briefings you can find them all at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCPv8ivo6o4CZHFifkfRYDw

Coordinator Report – Lauren Buckingham

A huge thank you to everyone that came in today…we got a lot done! Ivermectin was a success. Steph C. got food prep done before lunch. Dylan, Brook, Andrew M., and Tanya started working on the empty cages next to Amanda in the morning. It was finished in the PM by Taylor T., Bethany, Andrew M., and the Interns.

We got two new interns today. Candy taught Mary J. how to do PM supplements and snacks. Cindy handed out PM cicles. Pharaoh went back outside. Bethany, Dylan, and Mary J. brought his recovery cages and laundry up front. We also cleaned up in the bobcat recovery hospital where he had been.

Kathryn and I went in and mended the hot wire in Dutchess’ cage. Jasmine has been hiding food in the small dens in the roof section of vacation. She appeared today at tour time with a chunk of pork from breakfast….silly girl.

Operant sign-offs were done. Tanya, Mazz, and Brook went around the sanctuary and picked up a bunch of branches that fell during the storm. They also reorganized in the project trailer.

Hospital cats, MaryAnn and Hoover, had a good day 🙂.

That’s it from me!

Trapping and Relocating Bobcats Isn’t Legal

Trapping and relocating bobcats isn’t legal and it doesn’t work. Florida law states that bobcats can only be trapped if they are damaging property and even then they have to be released as close to the pick-up spot as possible. Bobcats can travel 15 + miles in a single day, and they always go back to THEIR home, which is where you would be trapping them from.

Homeowners should be thrilled to have bobcats on the job there because anywhere there are people there are rats and the bobcats’ job is keeping the rabies vector pests in check. Bobcats almost never carry rabies, even though they prey on animals who do. They are lousy pets, but the best neighbors you’d ever want. More about that here: https://bigcatrescue.org/bobcat-rehab/

Check out our brochure about living with bobcats as neighbors. https://bigcatrescue.org/000news/pdf/2009/BCR_FLBobcat_Brochure_Web.pdf

Videos of the Day

Q&A at Big Cat Rescue- Follow along as Keeper Brittany shows you many of the Tigers, Lion, Leopards, Jaguar, Cougars, Lynx, Servals, Bobcats, Savannah Cats and an Ocelot that Call Big Cat Rescue was Rescue Home! Cats Featured: Hoover, Dutchess, King Tut, Smalls, Gilligan, Ginger, Ares, Artemis, and Jinx!

Today we celebrate the Gilligan’s Island 6 Year Rescue Anniversary!!!
Learn about the rescue and see photos and video: https://bigcatrescue.org/most-daring-rescue-ever/

Learn about the cats!

Sponsor the cats for their special day:
https://big-cat-rescue.myshopify.com/collections/sponsor-a-cat

Every morning the BCR Keepers walk the property and close the feeding lockout doors before breakfast. This is a fairly typical “Good Morning” from Amanda Tiger! What do we feed them? Find out here: https://bigcatrescue.org/feed-cats/
Learn about Amanda here: BigCatRescue.org/Amanda

Why is this serval white? Find out at https://bigcatrescue.org/pharaoh/

Carole and Kathryn were LOVE on The Dodo with tigers, Sapphire & Jasmine getting afternoon snacks.

Foster Kitten Update

The following will return to the Humane Society tomorrow morning to find their furever homes.

Mocha
Chai
Sal
Solomon
Mike

Himalayan Intern House will be getting four 6 week old kittens.
Sandcat Castle Intern House will be getting six 5 week old kittens.

Tomorrow Kitten Karma will be SNAP testing the “S” kittens.

Merchandise of the Day

Strut your chuff (stuff) with this extremely soft white tiger shirt with BCR logo! The tiger image is on the front and back of the shirt and will definitely make a statement everywhere you go <3

Shirt – Swirling Tiger Women's Fitted V-Neck

Bobcat Rehab – Sky & her Kittens Overnight Report

Sky and the kittens were so cute overnight! The way they napped and played and Sky is now playing with them a little bit too. The kittens sure do love playing on the logs. They like playing on the logs by the plastic den too.

They don’t seem to venture into the middle section much yet. They do wander in there once and a while, but they mostly stay in the front section around the wood den area. They haven’t been going underneath the den the last couple of nights, just staying out with Sky and then if she gets up they snuggle together. It was so cute, Sky was laying down napping and a couple of the kittens were nursing, but one was up playing with Sky’s head at first, then the kitten started cleaning the back of her ear. She cleaned and cleaned, it was adorable! I snapped a couple of photos of it.

Yesterday late afternoon, Sky was spooked by something down the way along the front sections of the rehab cages. She kept looking down there and carried a kitten in her mouth for 45 minutes while running around. She did it again this morning as it was just starting to get light, looking down that same way. But she didn’t carry the kitten for very long, maybe 5 to 10 minutes. When she finally puts the kitten down he/she just gets up and plays or follows her again, lol. Sky sure is a good Mom, so protective and nurturing.

Cobalt tried to climb the fencing again, but this time when he was halfway up, Sky came right over to him and chirped at him, I’m sure telling him to get down, because he immediately got down off of the fencing, lol. SO cute! 🙂

I wish you a fantastic Monday!
Warm wishes, Kristine Metzner