Big Cat Health Updates

Jumanji Leopard still drinking a lot, but eating well.

Cameron, TJ and Joseph continue to be difficult to feed, but are eating enough.

Diablo Hybrid (pictured above) had a tapeworm but is being treated. Here is an old video of Diablo’s rescue:

Big Cat Rescue News

The Dickerson Park Zoo only said this in response to our offer to give Petra a safe, comfortable place to retire: “Petra is in good hands and receiving excellent medical care. Thank you for your concern.”

The Dodo did a great article on the incident with photos and videos that you can see here: https://www.thedodo.com/petra-tiger-leg-amputation-zoo-2009714017.html

This isn’t the first time that there’s been a big cat tragedy at Dickerson Park Zoo. On Nov. 9, 2003 this story ran:

Male lion kills female lion at Springfield zoo

SPRINGFIELD (AP) – Tensions between the two lions at Springfield’s Dickerson Park Zoo came to a violent end when one attacked and killed the other, zoo officials said.

Thursday’s attack by the male lion, Kenya, on the female, Kierra, was witnessed in part by a zoo staffer and two vendors working at a nearby concession trailer, zoo director Mike Crocker said.

Crocker announced the attack to members of the Springfield-Greene County Park Board during a meeting Friday.

Efforts to get the lions to share their compound began with Kierra showing aggressiveness toward Kenya after he arrived in July, Crocker said.

Kim Lillard, guest services supervisor at the zoo, said she and two soda vendors were working near the lion enclosure just after noon Thursday when the pair started making noises.

After they finished work, the three walked over to the enclosure.

“He had her pinned with his mouth on her neck,” said Lillard. “They weren’t moving very much.

“I said, ‘That’s kind of mean,’ but I thought they were playing.”

Lillard found a keeper to report the incident – but by that time, Kierra was dead. http://archive.columbiatribune.com/2003/Nov/20031109News011.asp

Jewelry Scam

Yesterday we were alerted that someone using the name Big Cat Society was selling jewelry on Facebook and telling people that every sale benefitted us, but when you went to their website they were promoting Black Jaguar White Tiger. We didn’t know if it was #BJWT using a clever ruse to try and steal our supporters private info, or a scammer who doesn’t know that Big Cat Rescue is all about ending the private possession of big cats while places that post pictures of people posing with big cats are driving the pet trade and abuse. In either case we threatened legal action and they took down our logo and all reference to us as well.

We kept screenshots, in case we have to prosecute, but for now I just wanted to thank those of you who reported this and ask that any time someone says they are doing something to benefit us that you contact us and let us know. Most of the time, even in cases where the person actually does donate, it is usually such a tiny percentage of the money they are making off the scheme that it really isn’t worth it for our donors.

From what we can tell Big Cat Society sold 80 bracelets, which would be a net of about $400 to them. It’s doubtful that we will see any part of that, although they said they would send something after they got caught. Big Cat Society did it by saying you pay $10 shipping and handling and get the bracelet for free. Come on kids! Your momma taught you that nothing in life is free, right? The bracelets cost us about $5 including shipping to the buyer, and we sell them for $20. On our site we tell you that $15 of that goes to the cats. So you are paying more to get the bracelets from us, but most of the price you pay actually goes to the cats at Big Cat Rescue.

This is the one we sell and I wear mine every day:

Bracelet – Tiger Rescuer Tiger's Eye

Cat News Around the Globe

The Animal Legal Defense League put’s Landry’s Houston Aquarium on notice of their intent to sue to protect the tigers that are kept there in barren concrete cells. Read more: https://bigcatrescue.org/aldf-notice-sue-houston-aquarium-tigers/

This is hopeful news for the white tigers languishing inside the Houston Aquarium! We applaud Animal League Defense Fund and local Houston animal advocates for taking action for these tigers!

“Of the more than a hundred AZA-accredited facilities housing tigers in the United States that were surveyed, only two do not have outdoor exhibits for the tigers: the Downtown Aquarium in Houston and the Downtown Aquarium in Denver,” the intent to sue said.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Animal-welfare-group-threatens-lawsuit-over-9231998.php