Big Cat Health Updates

Tomorrow is Panacur for 3 days. It’s a dewormer. Any of the cats who can go without a meal, were fasted today so they will eat their meds in the morning. They aren’t happy about it, but they will be healthier as a result.

Nirvana Ocelot ate a possum and Anasazie Bobcat ate a black racer.

KEEPER NOTES: Zeus Tiger really enjoyed the cooler weather this morning. He walked around his enclosure, talked to all of the keepers and got a bloodcicle on the Keeper Tour. ~Keeper Rebecca

Keeper Marie says, “Our little Prince Cheetaro really likes his tree.”

Cheetaro did not know how to climb a tree when he first arrived at Big Cat Rescue. Keepers would hide treats in the lower branches to encourage him to climb. Once he did he loved hanging out in the branches. As he has aged he has been given platforms to help him reach the lower branches and to make it less of a leap down out of the tree.

Esther Grondahl Sings Let it Be to Spirit Feather the baby Bobcat in rehab for release at Big Cat Rescue.

Jaguar Cub Being Pimped Out in Florida

I sent the following letter to the US Fish & Wildlife Service, the Florida Wildlife Commission, USDA and the paper that ran the story:

Re: this newspaper article that suggests Judy Behrens bought a jaguar cub in AZ and imported it to FL:

Two Big Cat Babies Find Sanctuary At Panther Ridge

I would like a copy of the Florida import permit and to know who sold her the jaguar cub and who sold her the cougar cub. We all know that cubs of this size are not really “donated” but that cash changes hands when those involved are smart enough not to deal in traceable funds.

I’d also like to know how pimping the jaguar out for pay to play sessions is aiding the conservation of jaguars in the wild, and specifically how much, if any sum, was required of her in order to complete this transaction with the blessing of USFWS (if they even knew about it)

Thank you for your time.

More about Judy Berens

http://bigcatrescue.org/judy-berens-third-big-cat-incident-since-2005-jaguar-bites-off-thumb/

http://www.today.com/id/23914554/ns/today-today_news/t/cheetah-mauling-victim-says-she-assumed-risk/#.V_qERZMrI8Y

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2005-02-28/news/0502280258_1_bengal-tiger-sanctuary-tristan

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2011-09-19/news/sfl-jaguar-bite-leads-to-penalty-for-palm-beach-county-wildlife-sanctuary-20110914_1_jaguar-judy-berens-panther-ridge

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/jaguar-tears-off-thumb-of-visitor-to-panther-ridge/nL5CC/

If you remember the alert recently about Christine Janks saying she was going to take Geoffroy Cat kittens to a restaurant in Gainesville for handling; you may recall that she had tried to bribe me into signing off on her hours to get her Florida permits. When I refused, she still managed to get the permit right away and Judy Berens has been a friend of hers since then. I can’t prove it, but the FWC knows if Berens is the one who signed off for Janks without her actually putting in the 1,000 hours. 6,837 of you spoke out to protect the Geoffroy Cat kittens!

People often ask why we don’t have cheetah or jaguars at Big Cat Rescue. Here’s why: http://bigcatrescue.org/cheetah-jaguar/