October 21 2017

Big Cat Updates

Today’s Big Cat Update Highlights: Outreach, Brownies, Sundari’s turtle, Which cats can descend a tree head first? and Keeper Corner

Keeper Kathryn Stapleton’s Coordinator Report for Friday 10/20/2017

We had a good day today, busy but good.

Picky cats ate well.

We were able to clean out the empty cage next to one of the leopards, branches, branches, and more branches. Still picking up the tour path to prep for walkabout.

Projects for weekend:

Saturday Moses and Bailey’s other side
Sunday Joseph Cage’s

That’s it for me!
Kathryn

Big Cat Rescue Outreach

Partnering with the professional to help big cats

When you’re at a pet conference talking about big cats you get a lot of funny looks. “Fat domestic cats?”… “No, big cats, like lions and tigers.”

Yet it doesn’t take long for people to figure out why Big Cat Rescue would be partnering with animal care and control officials [ACOs] when they learn that there are more tigers privately owned in the United States than exist in the wild. And funny enough, many ACOs often immediately recall a pet owner they’ve come across in their jurisdiction who has a wildcat at home. It’s tough to forget about that person with a tiger in their garage.

We have a big cat pet epidemic in our country and it makes absolute sense to partner with the professionals who are seeing this first hand in their communities. Big Cat Rescue is proud to support those who have taken on the tough and often thankless task of investigating animal cruelty, enforcing animal care regulations, and providing resources to pet owners. The last thing these hard-working men and women need to deal with is a bite incident call for a someone’s lion. The private ownership of big cats poses an unnecessary threat to those in the animal care and control field, the communities they serve and, of course, to the animals themselves.

Jennifer Leon, BCR’s Director of Outreach with The National Animal Care & Control Association Board Members

(and the obligatory roar)

Big Cat Rescue would like to thank The National Animal Care & Control Association and their membership for their unwavering support of the Big Cat Public Safety Act and for serving both pets and families across the country.

Jennifer Leon
Director of Outreach

PS: Remember to choose BigCatRescue.org/smile and Big Cat Rescue as your charity so that Amazon will donate .5 percent of your shopping dollars to the cats AT NO COST TO YOU!!!

Brownie Fundraiser YUM!!!

I am soooo excited to share recently received email this with you. Can you imagine the time, effort, and care that went into doing this fundraiser for the cats? SOOOOOO creative and makes my mouth water!!!!!

Good morning Lawanna,

I have the results of the brownie fundraiser I did for the cats! I made a total of 7 dozen and asked for a minimal donation of $1.50 each! Are you ready . . . . we raised $260!!! I plan to deliver the cash and other supplies in November. I’m still collecting items and have supply orders on the way.

The collection can I decorated just for BCR with BCR logo and my favorite couple, CamBu

The brownies displayed in our kitchen/breakroom at the office

I’m displaying all the goodies and the special collection can

Brownies from bottom to top – Double Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint, Chocolate Cherry

German Chocolate Brownies (caramel, coconut, pecans, extra chocolate morsels)

Chocolate Peanut Buddy Bars (peanut butter base w/semi-sweet chocolate morsels inside and melted on top)

Take care,
Melanie Lulue

Facebook Live Video Replays

Sundari’s “pet” Turtle & Keeper Kathryn’s Rescue Efforts

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Evening Meds & Snacks Part 1

CamBu ( LOL, grab your ‘sea leg’ Carole is trying out a new stabilizer)

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Evening Meds & Snacks Part 2

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Big Cat Fact

Q: Which cats can descend a tree head first?

A: There are at least five cats that can descend trees head first and slowly, even stopping: margay, marbled cat, two clouded leopards, and leopard.

Only the margay and marbled cat can rotate their ankles 180 degrees.

This would be like putting your foot completely backward just by rotating your ankle. Check out this video of a margay.

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Clouded leopards and leopards descend by strength alone, rotating their ankles but not 180 degrees backward like a squirrel. For strength to weight ratio, leopards are very hard to beat.

Sometimes people say that only the margay and marbled cat can go down a tree head first, but ankle rotation is not the only feature that enables descending a tree head first. The issue is not about going head-first down a tree, but turning the ankles 180 degrees to do that.

It’s either done by impressive strength or by a morphological adaptation.

The margay is the new world equivalent of the marbled cat just as the jaguar is of the lion or tiger, and puma of the leopard.

Thanks to Dr. Jim Sanderson for this clarification.

Jim Sanderson, Ph. D.
Global Wildlife Conservation
Program manager, Wild Cat Conservation
Small Wild Cat Conservation Foundation
Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund
IUCN Cat Specialist Group
Wildlife Conservation Network