New Jersey Residents!! Take Action For Tigers Today!! Senate Votes on S945 March 15, 2012

New Jersey Residents: Please Take Action TODAY For Tigers!! Vote is Thursday March 15th, 2012 for S945. Visit the link in this post for info about S945 and how to contact your Senator.

NJ Residents Only!! Friends!! Please take a few minutes to call and ask your Senator to vote for S945 a bill to require tiger tracking and help tigers today! They vote on this bill tomorrow March 15th, 2012 so it is crucial to take action now! Please visit this action alert from Big Cat Rescue - Tampa Florida for all the information you need to contact your Senator TODAY!!

http://www.capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/callalert/index.tt?alertid=61094456&type=ST

From Big Cat Rescue - Tampa Florida

Senate Votes Thursday - March 15, 2012 on Tigers - Support S945

S 945 is a bill that requires people who have tigers to report and register them.

Your senator is going to be voting on this bill Thursday March 15, so we need you to call them and say something like this, "Hi! I am in your district and I want you to vote FOR S945, a bill to require tiger owners to register their cats."

That's all you have to say, but it would also be helpful if you include that there should be no exceptions, other than AZA accredited zoos. The ZAA, a group that promotes private owners having tigers, is trying to get an exemption too, but that would render the law toothless.

The call won't take even 3 minutes of your time, but can save thousands of tigers because other states will use NJ as a model if this passes.

Direct Link To This Alert:
http://www.capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/callalert/index.tt?alertid=61094456&type=ST

Ask Your Congressperson to Support H.R.4122 - The Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act

Please ask your congressperson to support H.R.4122 - The Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act would prohibit private possession of big cats except at highly-qualified facilities like accredited zoos where they can be properly cared for and safely managed. Enter your zip code at this link: http://capwiz.com/bigcatrescue/issues/bills/?bill=61054001 for a fast easy way to voice your support of this bill and ask your congressperson to co-sponsor it. Please share the link. Thank You.

WWF - Latest News - Taking Tigers Out of American Backyards
Mar 01, 2012

© Indiana Dept. of Natural Resources

Did you know that there are more tigers in American backyards than there are in the wild around the world?

Estimated at perhaps 5,000 tigers, they are found in:

backyards
urban apartments
sideshows
truck stops
private breeding facilities

For the past four years, WWF and TRAFFIC have raised the alarm on the lack of captive tiger regulation. Thanks to the “Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act” introduced by Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) on February 29, 2012, the U.S. is now taking a step in the right direction.

“We welcome this important legislation because as the Zanesville incident showed, it’s critical for America to clear out captive big cats from our backyards,” says WWF’s Leigh Henry. “This is a matter not only of public safety, but also of preventing captive tigers from being fed into the massive illegal tiger trade driven by a booming black market for tiger products."

If the bill passes, it will:

Prohibit private possession of big cats like tigers and lions except at highly-qualified facilities, like accredited zoos and sanctuaries, where they can be properly cared for and restrained.

Require any persons who currently possess big cats to register those animals with the USDA in order to keep the cats they currently own.

Outlaw the breeding of any big cat except at accredited zoos and research and educational institutions.

Violators could face stiff penalties including confiscation of animals, fines as much as $20,000 and up to five years in jail.

Senator John Kerry (D-MA) is working on introducing a companion bill in the Senate.

Learn more
Watch a video to learn how captive tigers impact wild tigers
Is your toilet paper linked to tiger habitat destruction?

http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2012/WWFPresitem27118.html

Telly Awards: The Plight of Tigers in the US

Please visit the link http://www.youtube.com/tellyawards?x=8Ed8XJNM_V0 and give a "thumbs up" to this important video: Educational Forum: The Plight of Tigers in the US / Massachusetts School of Law. Thank You.

Video in its entirety can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xf5-Hk_UrlM

Former Tarzan actor has his wild cats seized by state officials

Steve Sipek, in 2005, with a Siberian Bengal tiger named "Bo" on his property in Loxahatchee. (File, Sun Sentinel / July 13, 2007)

He was also arrested for not having a federal permit and for keeping two tigers and a leopard as pets

By Angel Streeter, Sun Sentinel
7:25 p.m. EST, February 27, 2012

Former Tarzan actor Steve Sipek no longer has his cherished wild cats, losing them Monday after years of failing to comply with state and federal laws.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission seized two tigers and a black leopard from his 5-acre Loxahatchee compound, saying it was time to step in to protect the public and the animals. They were the only wild animals Sipek had left.

It was the first time the commission seized animals from Sipek.

Officials said Sipek had no federal permit to keep the animals, and there were violations concerning fencing and caging.

There also wasn't consistent commercial activity at Sipek's property, a requirement for him to maintain his commercial license, officials said.

Authorities said the animals weren't being fed a proper diet, they had bitten people multiple times and had escaped in the past.

Two of Sipek's acquaintances were bitten in 2002 and 2010, but did not press charges. In December 1996, a cougar escaped from Sipek's C Road property by leaping over a perimeter fence.

But it was the escape in 2004 of Bobo, a 600-pound Bengal tiger, that drew the attention of authorities and garnered international headlines. The tiger wandered the rural residential Loxahatchee community before being shot by a Fish and Wildlife officer.

Since Bobo's escape, Sipek has been battling state and federal officials to keep large cats.

FWC officers, who inspect properties with captive wildlife twice a year, had been working with Sipek to get him and his partner, Melanie Boynes, into compliance, FWC spokeswoman Carli Segelson said.

It got to the "point that we felt it was a safety hazard to the public, but also there were concerns about the well-being of the animals," Segelson said..

FWC officers on Monday also arrested Sipek for having the animals without a federal permit and for keeping them as pets. Florida law prohibits keeping wild animals as pets; they must be used for commercial purposes and exhibited to the public.

Sipek faces second-degree misdemeanor charges. He was released from jail Monday afternoon.

The FWC took the big cats to another captive-wildlife facility, but because of the investigation declined to disclose the location.

Sipek will have a chance to appeal the decision in order to get the cats back, Segelson said.

The Croatian-born Sipek starred as Tarzan in a foreign remake of the jungle-adventure film in 1970. His dedication to large felines began when a lion saved his life by dragging him to safety during a fire on the set of that movie.

Changes in state rules for keeping Class I wildlife, made in 2004, barred Sipek from acquiring new exotic cats as pets.

But Sipek found a loophole in the law by applying for a state commercial license for two tiger cubs. One of those cubs was among the animals removed Monday. The commercial license requires Sipek to meet certain criteria, including an advertising campaign and regular "open for business" hours.

However, federal authorities declined to issue Sipek a permit, saying he failed to meet the standards of the Animal Welfare Act.

That left Sipek in a tough spot. Without a federal permit, he's not allowed to legally exhibit the animals, which he has to do to keep his commercial license from the state.

Dave Sacks, a spokesman with theU.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, said Sipek never held a federal permit. Sipek and Boynes applied several times, but never completed the process, Sacks said.

Last year, the USDA denied their license application based on their lack of fitness to hold a license, Sacks said.

That's because his most recent application in 2010 was incomplete. There were minor deficiencies noted in an on-site inspection. Those deficiencies could have been easily corrected and would have allowed them to obtain a license. But they never were addressed by the partners, Sacks said.

Those deficiencies included inadequate veterinary care and lack of documentation to show adequate experience and knowledge of the species. Plus, the indoor and outdoor housing facilities and sanitation needed to be improved and the height of the perimeter fence needed to be raised.

Sipek has said in the past that he would not part with his cats.

"There's no person in this world that can take my animals away from me," he told the Sun Sentinel in 2006.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/fl-steve-sipek-home-warrant-20120227,0,5779943.story

Chinese tigers learn to hunt under an African sun in bid to save species

Li Quan with one of the cubs born in the African reserve

Published on Monday 27 February 2012 02:07

Any schoolchild will tell you that there are no tigers in Africa – but they would be wrong. They are hunting and breeding in the wild in the African bush in a remarkable scheme to save the most iconic sub-species of the magnificent Asian big cat from extinction.

A century ago there were 40,000 South China tigers roaming across a vast area of south-eastern China. Today the animal is extinct in the wild in China: only some fifty to sixty of these emblematic animals, widely believed to be the original “stock” from which all nine tiger sub-species evolved, survive in Chinese zoos.

Enter Li Quan, a rich and petite Chinese high-flying Gucci fashion executive, who persuaded the Chinese government to back her dream of reintroducing tigers to the wild in China after first retraining zoo animals in the art of hunting across 130 square miles of African bush.

Li Quan bought and game-fenced seventeen defunct sheep farms straddling the mighty Orange River in South Africa’s sparsely-populated Karoo, and named it Laohu Valley Reserve – valley of the tigers. Once the sheep-denuded vegetation and local prey animals had begun to recover, Beijing, in 2004, released from Shanghai Zoo four young South China tigers, including two who were rechristened Madonna and TigerWoods.

The initial task of getting the animals to behave like real wild tigers was tricky. They had been fed only chicken in their Chinese zoo and had only ever trodden on concrete. “They had never seen grass before and were reluctant to move from their trailers and put their paws into the dirt and grass of Africa,” said Li Quan.

They were put initially into an enclosure with guinea fowl and chickens as their practice prey. It took them time to understand that things that moved were their lunch.

But within four years huge breakthroughs had been made. The tigers were stalking and killing South African prey animals such as blesbok, kudu and springbok. Madonna and TigerWoods and others that arrived from China were ready to mate. In November 2007 the first South China tiger cub was born in the African wilderness.

Thirteen cubs have been born altogether, six in the past year, in Laohu. There have been setbacks. One tiger died of pneumonia and a cub was taken by one of Africa’s great predatory eagles. But the survival rate for the tigers is many times greater in the Karoo than in China’s zoos where it is believed about nine out of ten tiger cubs fail to survive.

Of course, it is little use to “re-wild” Chinese tigers in Africa if there are no wilderness areas with good populations of prey species for them back home. The Chinese government has identified four areas where reserves can be created in South China.

But the problems of creating reserves in such a densely populated country as China are immense. The reserves will have to be a minimum of 80 square miles in area. They will have to be fenced, restocked with local game and protected by armed rangers.

Chinese communities are notorious for using wild animal parts for medicine. Powerful criminal gangs are bound to try to target the new reserves. Li Quan and her supporters are, however, undeterred.

Scottish broadcaster and author Sue Armstrong will tell the story of the Chinese tigers in Africa in a two-part BBC Radio 4 series on Tuesday 28 February and 6 March at 11am, to be repeated at 9pm on 1 and 8 March.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/international/chinese_tigers_learn_to_hunt_under_an_african_sun_in_bid_to_save_species_1_2140695

Pug marks confirm tiger in Saranda

B SridharB Sridhar, TNN Feb 21, 2012, 07.28AM IST

JAMSHEDPUR: Speculation over the presence of the big cat in the Saranda forest was put to rest,when the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, confirmed the presence of the tiger here recently. The divisional forest officer,K K Tiwary, however, clarified that the institute has not suggested the specific number of tigers. In its preliminary report, the institute confirmed the pug marks that were sent by the forest officials for examination last year.

"The preliminary report has confirmed the presence of a tiger in the Gua area of the forest cover but for further confirmation we need to have visual evidence," said Tiwary. In November last year, the forest department traced pug marks beside the carcass of a bison suggesting an attack by a tiger. Thereafter, the pug marks were collected using tracing paper and plaster of Paris and were sent to the Betla Project Tiger office for examination. "Betla officials sent the pug marks to Dehradun, which examined the evidences and confirmed the pug marks," said Tiwary.

Since then, the department has been on the lookout for evidence. "The possibility of tigers straying into the West Singhbhum area from Simplipal cannot be ruled out. So we need visual evidence before we confirm their resident status," said Tiwary.

He also said since November last there has been no report of animal casualty involving an attack by a tiger or tigress. Saranda, spread over 850 sq km, has about 1,000 cheetals, 300 sambars and 25 bisons, according to the last census. "Till a few decades ago, there were tigers in Saranda but over the years their number has declined," said a forest conservator, adding, "Saranda was home to wild boars, barking deer and antelope which suggest their predator's (tiger) presence nearby."

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/Pug-marks-confirm-tiger-in-Saranda/articleshow/11972056.cms

Tiger trackers get their due

Relief for cash-strapped Palamau park
A.S.R.P. MUKESH

Ranchi, Feb. 20: The weekend has proved lucky for striking trackers at Palamau Tiger Reserve currently in a no-pay-no-work mode, with the forest headquarters releasing partial funds in a bid to grant wages pending for seven months and the state deciding to gift cycles to each.

The 150 trackers at PTR had been on strike since February 9 to protest against the non-payment of their wages — Rs 125 a day for each — for all these months, which The Telegraph highlighted on Saturday in its report on the funds tangle that crippled the reserve.

In an overnight development, yesterday, the forest headquarters at Doranda released partial funds of around Rs 31 lakh to pay the wages. However, the core issue — why the state doesn’t bother to send the Centre a letter of utilisation of funds, which is why the tiger reserve is cash-strapped for years on end — has been left hanging.

The cheque, addressed to Palamau Tiger Reserve divisional forest officer Premjit Anand, could not be encashed today as banks were closed on Shivratri. Officials said that emergency funds were managed from other sources.

Chief conservator of forests (wildlife) A.K. Gupta confirmed the development. “Yes, funds have been released. It is a little over Rs 31 lakh. The cheque has been given to the divisional forest officer (Anand) and payments will take place once the bank reopens on Tuesday,” he said.

The strike is, therefore, expected to end in a couple of days.

Once it does, trackers — who walk more than 10km a day — can also expect cycles, thanks to the first-of-its-kind largesse of the state forest department, which earlier only doled out biscuits and canvas shoes.

This maiden experiment to increase the mobility of trackers and tiger protection force members has already started rolling with Saturday’s launch of a tendering process for branded cycle companies.

“We have decided to give them cycles with the twin objectives of boosting their morale and increasing their mobility,” Gupta told The Telegraph.

The cycles will be a more-than-welcome bonus in the coming summer months, giving the trackers the motivation to cover the reserve more thoroughly, even alternating between treks and pedals.

GPS devices and CCTV cameras will complement fieldwork for better monitoring.

However, what needs to be done is to get cracking on the bigger picture — ensuring that the Centre’s funds are not locked by state’s bureaucratic apathy — for smooth operations of the tiger abode that faces countless problems, animal and human.

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120221/jsp/frontpage/story_15160297.jsp

'Toothless' regional tiger cell meets today

Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN Feb 21, 2012, 06.11AM IST

NAGPUR: With time running out for tigers and wildlife in particular due to poaching and the shrinking habitat, the regional tiger cell will meet on Tuesday after a gap of nine months to address various issues.

PK Mahajan, deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) for Nagpur division and member-secretary of the cell, said this is the 12th meeting and will be held at 4.30 pm at Van Sabhagruha, Seminary Hills.

The meet will be chaired by special IGP Rajinder Singh. It will be attended by divisional forest officers (DFOs), MSEDCL officials and superintendents of police from Gondia, Nagpur, Gadchiroli, Wardha, Chandrapur and Bhandara districts. Member-NGOs including Prafulla Bhamburkar of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), Nitin Desai of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), Harshawardhan Dhanwatey of Tiger Research and Conservation Trust (TRACT) and Kundan Hate have also been invited.

The regional tiger cell meeting should be held every three months but it's not been happening. The cell was formed in 2000. The last meeting was held on April 11, 2011.

Mahajan said the meeting could not be called early as the officials concerned were busy with recruitment of forest guards and later with the winter session of the state legislature followed by the zilla parishad, municipal council and corporation elections.

"We will approve the minutes of the last meeting and discuss strategy on wildlife protection and better coordination," Mahajan added.

Meanwhile, conservationists have expressed grave concern over lack of action on a host of decisions taken by the cell in the past. They want the cell to take issues seriously. "Such meets should not end up as mere tea sessions," a member felt.

The cell has failed to act on many decisions taken for wildlife protection including curbing and nailing culprits in illegal fishing in Pench, forming a special committee to look into skin seizure cases, preventive action against habitual offenders, operations against Baheliyas and checking 'musafir registers' with police patils.

In the last meeting it was decided that police station diaries will have a special column for wildlife crime and police personnel will take part in the tiger estimation exercise, but the decision remains only on paper.

"As the cell meetings are not held at regular intervals, every time a new Special IGP chairs the meet. This leads to a fresh discussion on issues," said one of the members.

They added that many wild animals continue to be poached for meat and body parts. The meat is openly sold in weekly markets in rural area but officials' action is not forthcoming. "These illegal activities only go to show that due to lack of coordination between the forest department, the police and NGOs, the results are nil. These cells have become clawless," moaned conservationists.

Decisions Only On Paper

* FDCM, which has a large forest area under its jurisdiction, not invited to meetings

* Decision on expert group of police and forest officials in vulnerable Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Gondia, Wardha, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara, Thane and Mumbai not taken

* Decision on secret funds hanging by fire

* No special cell for handling wildlife crime cases. Joint forest and MSEDCL teams too not formed
* Several tiger poaching cases in Chandrapur not reopened as promised by the then Spl IGP SB Sawarkar

* Police station diaries with special columns for wildlife crime pending. Cops too not part of the census exercise as decided

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Toothless-regional-tiger-cell-meets-today/articleshow/11971424.cms

Two direct tiger sightings in Melghat during census

Vijay PinjarkarVijay Pinjarkar, TNN Feb 21, 2012, 06.27AM IST

NAGPUR: Tigers are always elusive in Melghat Tiger Reserve (MTR), fondly called 'Kipling Country'. But two direct sightings during the nine-day Phase IV tiger estimation exercise has thrilled field staff and officials. This may be perhaps the first time such sightings have been recorded during the census.

The exercise on distance sampling to know density of ungulates through line transects concluded on Sunday. It started on February 10 and was conducted in over 6,250 beats in protected as well as non-protected areas in state, including tiger-bearing patches in Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM). Now, exercise to know 'proportions of animals captured' with the help of camera traps will start in March and will continue for 45-60 days.

Melghat, known for its mystifying landscape with high hills and deep valleys, revealed clinching evidence of carnivores like pugmarks, scrapes and scent marks, scats etc. Field staff sighted a tiger on February 13 while walking on the transect line in Somthana range of Wan sanctuary (part of Melghat) and another tiger was seen near Semadoh on February 16. One direct tiger sighting has also been recorded in FDCM area of Chandrapur.

VK Sinha, chief conservator (CCF) & field director of Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), says there could be more such records from TATR once data is compiled. The analysis of data will be done by researchers at the regional level. "Based on this data, camera traps will be installed," he added.

AK Mishra, CCF & field director of MTR, was overjoyed by the direct tiger sightings. He too admits that due to complex landscape and dense forest cover, sightings are rare. However, he said that tigers have occupied territories in all the three villages relocated a year ago.

"The exercise was done in 275 beats. With two pairs of cameras in each beat, we'll need 450 cameras from March 1. It will help us find the individual tiger numbers of the reserve," Mishra said.

The MTR documentation at different levels and data collected shows presence of around 50 tigers. However, in 2010, the monitoring of tigers, co-predators and prey as per the instructions of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Wildlife Institute of India ( WII), Dehradun, revealed that MTR supports population of 39 tigers in 1,800 sq km.

In MTR's 230 sq km Dhargad range, comprising Gurgipati, Koktu, Kelpani, Bori, Boripati and Gullarghat, huge evidence of carnivore and herbivore presence was recorded. These dense forest patches are said to have half of MTR's tiger population. Regular sightings of bisons, chitals, sambars, and sloth bears were reported around transect lines here.

Field director AK Mishra, Akot deputy conservator of forests (DyCF) Vijay Godbole and ACF Pramod Panchabhai closely monitored the drive by walking on transect lines. Godbole says it is important to note that more animals in an area may not result in enhanced detection probability, since the latter is governed by terrain features, cover, visibility etc.

The 2010 tiger assessment involved three phases. This will be for the first time fourth phase will be added to the three phases. Across 41 tiger reserves, the 2010 assessment estimated 1,706 tigers (range between 1,571 and 1,875).

The Way Ahead

Camera traps at density of one pair per 4-5 sq km

Minimum trap nights of a 1,000 per 100 sq km (i.e. 25 pairs of cameras in 100 sq km for 40 days)

Minimum area coverage of 400 sq km

Closure period of 40 to 60 days

Entire reserve needs to be sampled

In case of larger reserves like MTR, the area will be covered by dividing into blocks for camera trapping

Two transects of 2-km length for each beat to be walked three times during each season. This protocol should be done for two seasons (summer and winter)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Two-direct-tiger-sightings-in-Melghat-during-census/articleshow/11971552.cms

RM170mil for tiger corridor

By ISABELLE LAI
Tuesday February 21, 2012

PETALING JAYA: The Government has allocated RM170mil to build wildlife-friendly viaducts that are vital in linking fragmented tiger populations and reducing conflict with humans, said Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup.

He said these included viaducts along the East-West Highway in Perak costing RM60mil in addition to earlier approved projects in Terengganu and Pahang costing RM110mil.

The viaducts will allow safe passage across highways for wildlife, including tigers and elephants, between conservation corridors such as the Greater Taman Negara and Belum-Temengor Priority Tiger Landscape.

“This is an ambitious yet strong commitment from the Government to strive to double the wild tiger population by 2022,” he said in his speech before launching the Cross-Sectoral Executive Leadership Forum on Mainstreaming Tiger Habitats here yesterday.

Despite the high cost, Kurup said it was possible to build these viaducts through early intervention during the planning stage of infrastructure development.

He said Malaysia would continue to ensure tiger conservation efforts were part of mainstream state and district-level programmes through its Central Forest Spine master plan and National Tiger Conservation Action Plan.

Malaysia was one of 13 countries that took part in the International Tiger Summit in 2010 in St Petersburg, Russia, to address the threat of tiger extinction and highlight the animals as the face of biodiversity.

Keshav Varma, the World Bank programme director for the Global Tiger Initiative, said the Malaysian Government had been “extremely forward-looking” in finding a balance between using its natural resources and protecting wildlife, including accommodating the needs of tigers and other species amid development.

“If the Malaysian model is adopted, the future prospects for tigers and other species could improve markedly,” he said.

Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute director Steven Montfort said tiger conservation could be achieved by working together with all parties involved.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/21/nation/10758932&sec=nation

Tourist sights tiger near Perunkundru hills

A tiger spotted by a tourist at Kadavusathi area in Anamalai Tiger Reserve near Top Slip.

February 10, 2012

Officials confirm presence of tiger in the area

An auditor from Pollachi, Vivek, who was on tour to Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in the second week of January, sighted a tiger near Kadhavu Saathi near Perunkundru hills.

Vivek has furnished a photograph of a full-grown tiger, presumably a male.

ATR officials released the picture on Thursday and confirmed the tiger's presence in the area.

Top Slip Range Officer V.A. Saravanan said the place where the big cat was found was a high altitude area near Nerkundru, accessible from Ambuli rest house and Kozhikamudhi where the department had a camp for tamed/trained kumki elephants.

Even by conservative estimates, ATR, which lies closer to the Parambikulam Tiger Reserve, is estimated to have 15 tigers. The figures were arrived at on the basis of the previous census findings.

In December too a tiger was found in the sanctuary area. Cameras set up by ATR also had captured a few tigers.

However, a tiger in flesh and blood was a sight to behold, Mr. Saravanan said.

Beginning Friday, the ATR officials are embarking on a census to enumerate the tiger population, other predators and assess their prey density.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/article2878570.ece

WWF Finds U.S. Grocery Retailers Stocking Toilet Paper Linked To Rain Forest Destruction

New report highlights several retailers that have already dropped Paseo products, made from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) fiber.

Washington DC (PRWEB) February 08, 2012

American companies and consumers are inadvertently contributing to Indonesian rain forest and tiger habitat destruction by buying toilet paper and other tissue products made with fiber from Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), according to a World Wildlife Fund report released today.

Don’t Flush Tiger Forests: Toilet Paper, U.S. Supermarkets, and the Destruction of Indonesia’s Last Tiger Habitats finds that APP, the fifth-largest tissue producer in the world, is rapidly expanding into the U.S. market with paper linked to rain forest destruction, originating from areas that are the last home for critically endangered species such as Sumatran tigers, elephants, and orangutans.

Products made with APP fiber, such as toilet paper, paper towels and tissue, are increasingly landing in grocery stores, restaurants, schools and hotels across the country under the Paseo and Livi brand names.

Eight large retailers – BI-LO, Brookshire Grocery Company, Delhaize Group (owner of Food Lion chain), Harris Teeter, Kmart, Kroger, SUPERVALU, and Weis Markets – have decided to stop carrying tissue products made with APP fiber during the last several months.

“We applaud the decision by these companies to remove these products from their stores,” said Jan Vertefeuille, head of WWF’s Tiger Campaign.

Since it began operating in Indonesia in 1984, WWF estimates that APP and its affiliates have pulped nearly 5 million acres of tropical forest on the island of Sumatra, which equals an area roughly the size of 4 million football fields or larger than the state of Massachusetts.

“Consumers shouldn’t have to choose between tigers and toilet paper,” said Linda Kramme, a WWF forest expert. “We’re asking retailers, wholesalers and consumers not to buy Paseo or Livi products until APP stops clearing rain forests in Sumatra.”

Fastest-growing toilet paper brand in the U.S.

APP distributes its tissue, paper and paper-based packaging products through a number of North American-based subsidiaries and affiliates, including Solaris Paper, Mercury Paper, Paper Excellence, Global Paper Solutions, and Eagle Ridge Paper.

In recent years, APP has greatly expanded into the U.S. tissue market, including through Paseo and Livi tissue products. Oasis Brands, which markets Paseo, announced in 2011 that Paseo had become the fastest-growing brand of toilet paper in the U.S. Paseo and Livi are also marketed as "away-from-home" products used in public restrooms in restaurants, office buildings, schools and hotels.

“More than 50 percent of shoppers say they consider sustainability when they shop, but Americans may not be aware that products used every day, like paper and tissue, can be linked to devastating impacts on forests in faraway places,” the report states.

To produce the report, WWF researched Paseo sales to U.S. grocery chains and found Paseo products being carried in grocery chains across the country in 2011. WWF contacted 20 grocers sourcing the largest amounts of Paseo to make them aware of Paseo's link to rain forest destruction.

The 12 companies identified and contacted, but that did not respond or commit to stopping Paseo sales, are:

Albertsons LLC
Giant Eagle
Hy-Vee
IGA
Ingles
K-VA-T (sold at Food City)
Lowes Food Stores
Marsh
Price Chopper
Roundy’s (sold at Roundy's, Pick'n Save, Rainbow and Copps)
Save Mart
Spartan

“We urge companies to be responsible stewards of the planet and stop carrying Paseo products until APP stops clearing rain forest,” Kramme said.

Trying to improve the pulp and paper sector

Paseo is produced with pulp from APP, a subsidiary of China-based Sinar Mas Group and one of the world’s largest pulp and paper companies. APP owns two pulp mills on the Indonesian island of Sumatra – one of them among the world’s largest – and is responsible for more deforestation in Sumatra than any other company, according to field investigations, government data and satellite imagery.

The research into APP and its Paseo and Livi tissue paper brands is part of efforts by WWF to encourage a more responsible pulp and paper sector, specifically by addressing the increase in the United States of pulp and paper products produced with rain forest fiber or from plantation fiber from converted rain forest.

WWF is working to ensure that North American paper sourcing no longer negatively impacts Indonesian natural forests and instead drives demand for paper from responsibly developed and managed Indonesian plantations. WWF also is working with other Indonesian pulp and paper producers willing to adopt better practices to bring more options to the marketplace.

Many responsible companies are already showing leadership. One of the easiest ways that companies and consumers can help is by buying tissue products made with fiber certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or 100 percent recycled fiber to ensure they aren’t contributing to forest destruction, and urging retailers to stop selling brands linked to destructive practices.

To download the report and learn more about WWF’s tissue campaign, please visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/tp.



ABOUT WORLD WILDLIFE FUND
WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization, working in 100 countries for nearly half a century. With the support of almost 5 million members worldwide, WWF is dedicated to delivering science-based solutions to preserve the diversity and abundance of life on Earth, halt the degradation of the environment and combat climate change. Visit http://www.worldwildlife.org/ to learn more.

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/2/prweb9176718.htm

Crackdown on tiger poachers, 11 held

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
New Delhi, February 09, 2012

A network of tiger poachers spanning across four states has been unearthed with the arrest of eleven members of three gangs in the last fortnight. Skin of eight leopard and tigers and five kilogram of bones have been seized from them. Their claim of killing eight to ten tigers in less than six months, which is about 40 percent of poaching incidents big cat deaths during the period, has caused panic.

"Their claim is alarming and we are verifying it," said a senior Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) official. About 18 tiger deaths, of which five were killed this January, have been reported in last one year.

Rise in tiger population from 1,411 to 1,706 in less than a year has pushed the big cats to the protected core areas, thereby making them vulnerable to poaching.

The WCCB officers arrested Dharambir and his four accomplices on Thursday from Bijnore, Uttar Pradesh, and seized skin of four leopards and one tiger.

The animals were apparently killed with the help of iron traps in Corbett Tiger Reserve and Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand.

They have claimed to have transported two consignments to an wildlife dealer in Delhi, identified as Lavi Singh. They were caught with animal parts in Haridwar.

WCCB officials believe that the consignment was meant for sale in the international market. Belinda Wright of NGO Wildlife Protection Society of India said the price of tiger parts has increased manifold in the international market. We have seen a sudden spurt in demand in the last few weeks which may be the cause of increase in poaching and seizures," she said.

The WCCB probe has confirmed Wright's apprehension after the arrest of a person and the seizure of tiger skin by customs officials in Siliguri, West Bengal. The probe has revealed that tigers were killed in Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Chhattisgarh also.

The WCCB has been able to establish the links with Siliguri seizure with the network of poachers in these three states.

The officials are also trying to link the arrest of five persons in Kerala and the recovery of a leopard and tiger skin from them with international wildlife smugglers.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/National-network-of-tiger-poachers-busted/Article1-809187.aspx

Update For Tony The Truck Stop Tiger Via Animal Legal Defense Fund 1.30.2012

January 30, 2012: Last Monday, Judge Caldwell denied a motion brought by Michael Sandlin and the Tiger Truck Stop (TTS) that sought to suspend Judge Caldwell’s order while Sandlin and TTS appealed. In other words, Tony would have stayed put at the truck stop until after the appeal ran its course, which could take months. Instead, Judge Caldwell’s order instructing the Department to revoke the permit will go into effect right away. Sadly, this does not necessarily mean Tony is leaving the truck stop soon. Sandlin has filed his own lawsuit against the Department, which has been temporarily restrained from taking any action to remove Tony. Our attorneys are doing everything they can to resolve these conflicting orders to make sure Tony makes his way to a humane, accredited sanctuary as soon as possible.

http://aldf.org/article.php?id=1859

Note: Please sign and share the new petition for Tony:

http://www.change.org/petitions/ldwf-ensure-tony-the-tiger-is-released-to-a-reputable-sanctuary

More ways to continue to advocate for Tony:

http://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/how-long-should-you-try-until/

Original Post: http://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/update-via-animal-legal-defense-fund-1-30-2012/

New doc says more tigers prowling North American backyards than Asian jungles

A scene from the documentary "The American Tiger" is shown in a handout photo. Tigers, once best known as the stealthy predator of the jungle, are more likely to be found these days prowling a backyard enclosure in the United States as a status symbol.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-GAT Productions

By: Nelson Wyatt, The Canadian Press
Posted: 01/31/2012 12:38 PM Last Modified: 01/31/2012 1:00 PM

MONTREAL - Tigers, once best known as the stealthy predator of the jungle, are more likely to be found these days prowling a backyard enclosure in the United States as a status symbol.

That's something that surprised Montreal filmmakers Francis Delfour and Sebastien Tetrault when they were making "The American Tiger," to be broadcast Thursday on CBC-TV's "The Nature of Things."

Tigers living in captivity number between 5,000 and 10,000, the filmmakers say. Roughly 3,000 tigers now live in the wild.

The filmmakers got interested in the subject when they saw a news item a few years ago about a 400-pound pet tiger found in a New York City apartment building.

It took 20 police officers to sedate and remove the beast, which had been kept by its owner since it was a cub.

"Thirty, 40 years ago, it was seen as something cool and hip to have a tiger as a pet," Delfour says.

However, that has changed since environmental issues have gained prominence.

"Having a tiger today is like driving a Hummer through a bicycle lane," Tetrault quipped.

The first tigers were brought to the U.S. in the 1900s by circuses and, soon, cute little cubs were showing up in people's homes as there were no controls on breeding or sales.

Tiger ownership was regarded as little more than an oddity until 2003 when Las Vegas entertainer Roy Horn was mauled on stage by one of his big cats.

Similar incidents spurred calls for bans on private ownership and breeding, including an attempt at legislation pushed by actor Tippi Hedren, best known for her role in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds."

There are no federal laws covering tigers in Canada either, although the debate and the tiger population here isn't as big a deal.

"The phenomenon is less important (here) than in the United States," Tetrault said, noting some zoos and sanctuaries have tigers. "You don't have the same fascination with showmanship of the tigers. You don't have entertainers using them at the same level that you have in the United States."

The U.S. debate is being argued on more than an animal rights and conservation basis — there are also economic arguments being made. The animals are used in the entertainment industry and that means jobs.

"The American tiger issue is a very sensitive one," Tetrault says, noting it took some coaxing to get private owners to talk because they were leery of bad publicity

He noted the private owners are also playing the conservation card, suggesting that the captive tigers could be used to help repopulate the wild.

"The private owners of these animals are saying they are keeping the animal alive, (that) it's better to have it in captivity than having no tigers at all," he said.

The captive tigers generally live longer that their wild counterparts and are fatter. Many of them are a mixture of different subspecies and scientists often dub the pampered critters "junk tigers."

Reintroducing them to the wild is being considered as a conservation method to preserve the species but it's still unknown if it's possible, for example, to teach the tigers bred in captivity to hunt.

Both Tetrault and Delfour saw the attraction of owning a tiger as they made the film.

"We were in close contact with those animals and that's an incredible feeling," said Delfour. "Your heart starts to beat faster."

He compared the relationship between many owners and their tiger to the one some people have with their tabby.

"When they're with their owners, they seem like they're big, furry, cuddly animals," Delfour said. "It's like having a big cat in your house.

"Their relationship with their owners, it's gentle and responsive. You can forget really easily that those are very dangerous animals."

But the filmmakers and their crew never forgot the maneater could very easily turn them into dinner and strict protocols were followed when around the animals.

Tetrault says he figures that only zoos will be able to own tigers in a few decades.

Both men hoped their film would clear up some of the myths still circulating about the majestic beasts.

"We still learn that tigers are free wild cats roaming the jungle of Asia," Delfour said. "That's not true anymore."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/TV/new-doc-says-more-tigers-prowling-north-american-backyards-than-asian-jungles-138414519.html

Rescued tigers relocated to Murchison refuge

Trio of cats plus two wolf hybrids at Black Beauty Ranch

Chad Wilson 2012-01-26

MURCHISON – The Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, known for being the home of burros and horses that have been abused and neglected, joined with the Humane Society to rescue three tigers and two hybrid wolves from a roadside zoo in Mississippi.

A total of 11 animals were rescued from the Collins Zoo in Collins, Miss. late Wednesday after an in-depth investigation. Five of the animals were transported to the Murchison ranch while other sanctuaries took in the remaining six animals.

“Cleveland was always in the belief that any animal, regardless whether or not it was a carnivore, herbivore or omnivore, deserves a life free of cruelty. We have had many species here, although we did start out as a burro and horse rescue,” Black Beauty Ranch Director Ben Callison said. “We have evolved to have chimps, cougars and bobcats. All these animals deserve sanctuary and a chance to live a cruelty free life. I think Cleveland would be proud of what we have done today and we know that it was always his vision to help those animals in need. We love diversity here, we have 48 species, and we will accept any animal that is in need and these guys are a prime example of that.”

The rescue comes after the Humane Society of the United States conducted an in-depth undercover investigation and submitted legal complaints to the state documenting serious animal welfare issues as well as public safety concerns at the Collins Zoo. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks served a search and seizure warrant at the Collins, Miss. property that allowed them to seize three tigers, three cougars, two leopards, two wolf-hybrids and one Macaque monkey due to violations of state permit requirements.

Callison said Black Beauty Ranch was prepared to be the home of four adult tigers but one died before the seizure took place.

“The animals at the Collins Zoo have been forced to live in inhumane conditions for many years, and The Humane Society of the United States is relieved to finally be able to rescue these animals and help them begin new lives in appropriate sanctuaries,” said Lydia Sattler, Mississippi state director for The HSUS. “The situation at the unaccredited Collins Zoo is a prime example of the animal cruelty and public safety concerns that stem from our country’s unregulated exotic animal industry. This should be a wake-up call to lawmakers and communities around the country to crack down on the casual ownership of dangerous wild animals.”

In late 2009, The HSUS conducted an undercover investigation at Collins Zoo and then submitted legal complaints to the MDWFP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The investigation uncovered injured and malnourished animals and flimsy enclosures, including venomous snakes being held in unlocked enclosures accessible to the public. Since The HSUS’ investigation, conditions at the Collins Zoo remain poor.

When responders entered the property they found the animals housed in small pens with little space and no enrichment for these animals. These animals were underweight and suffering from a variety of medical ailments.

“We often times will see these types of roadside zoos with signs posted for people to stop and we ask for people to not visit these type of places because you are supporting this type of situation,” Callison said. “If you are going to go to a zoo, go to an accredited zoo. We ask that people support laws that stop exotic ownership of pets. These guys are not pets, they shouldn’t be pets. I believe what we saw in Ohio is a prime example of that.”

The HSUS provided animal handling, transportation and placement assistance for the rescue. Carolina Tiger Rescue of Pittsboro, N. C. provided sanctuary for one cougar and two leopards. Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation of Kendalia, Texas will house two of the seized cougars. Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary of Dilley, Texas is providing sanctuary for the macaque monkey.

“This was a two-year investigation and it took us two years to get these guys out of there. If we had the correct laws this would have never happened in the first place,” Callison said.

The hybrid wolves, which seemed more like playful dogs in their temporary home in Murchison, will be transported to a facility in the northern United States in April.

Callison said he is unsure what will happen with the tigers once the HSUS investigation is complete, but he did make it clear he will do whatever is in the best interest of the large animals.

“We will do whatever is in the best interest of the tigers. If we can give them the habitat that they deserve long term then we will do that. If another sanctuary is indicated that can provide them something better than what we can, it is in the tiger’s best interest. It is all about them,” he said.

Tyler is the home of the Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge and several big cats including tigers, lions and cougars, but Callison believes the facility is one of many in the nation that are overcrowded.

“I am not aware that Tiger Creek was contacted. There were quite a few sanctuaries contacted but they were full. I know this is a huge problem and that is why we had to step in and create these temporary enclosures,” he said. “Almost every single tiger sanctuary right now is at max capacity with the reality that in Texas there are more tigers in captivity with private ownership than there are left in the wild. This is a huge problem, one we don’t always realize is here, but it is worse in Texas that it is anywhere else. Although these guys were rescued in Mississippi, this is very much a Texas and nationwide problem. We need to work to resolve that.”

The male tiger, which took seven men to transport into the holding facility after tranquilization, has a few injuries the Ranch is looking into while the two female tigers both appear to be better shape.

“It is still early and they have just come out of the rescue. We don’t have all of their blood work back yet so we don’t exactly know what true condition they are in,” Callison said. “The initial physical evaluations are promising but we will have to find out more once we get the medical information back.”

According to Mississippi’s 16 WAPT News, the owners of the Collins Zoo are Gus and Betty White and they plan to fight to get the animals back. That fight might be tough as officials have said the couple discarded paperwork on several of the animals once they were aware the seizure would take place.

Callison said some animals remain at the zoo and could not be seized by the organization because the seizure only allowed for exotic animals. Some of the remaining animals include poisonous snakes which were reportedly in unlocked cages.

http://www.c-bstatesman.com/news/2012-01-26/Front_Page/Rescued_tigers_relocated_to_Murchison_refuge.html

Tigers and Other Exotic Animals Seized from Mississippi Roadside Zoo

Photo Credit: Kathy Milani/The HSUS

More photos: http://slideshows.humanesociety.org/index/gallery/6/album/126?flash=0

January 25, 2012

Humane Society of the United States undercover investigation leads to multi-agency rescue mission

The Humane Society of the United States joined with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, Carolina Tiger Rescue, Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation and Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary to rescue 11 exotic animals from the Collins Zoo, an unaccredited roadside facility.

The rescue comes after HSUS conducted an in-depth undercover investigation and submitted legal complaints to the state documenting serious animal welfare issues as well as public safety concerns at the Collins Zoo. The MDWFP served a search and seizure warrant at the Collins, Miss., property that allowed them to seize three tigers, three cougars, two leopards, two wolf hybrids, and one Macaque monkey due to violations of state permit requirements.

The MDWFP asked The HSUS to coordinate the temporary placement of these animals at qualified sanctuaries until a judge determines the custody of the animals. The HSUS received permission from the MDWFP to transport these animals to several out-of-state sanctuaries. The HSUS will care for the three rescued tigers at its Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch, operated in Texas by its affiliate The Fund for Animals, and the two wolf hybrids will also stay at Black Beauty Ranch until the animals’ custody is determined.

"The animals at the Collins Zoo have been forced to live in inhumane conditions for many years, and The Humane Society of the United States is relieved to finally be able to rescue these animals and help them begin new lives in appropriate sanctuaries," said Lydia Sattler, Mississippi state director for The HSUS.

She continued, "The situation at the unaccredited Collins Zoo is a prime example of the animal cruelty and public safety concerns that stem from our country’s unregulated exotic animal industry. This should be a wake-up call to lawmakers and communities around the country to crack down on the casual ownership of dangerous wild animals."

In late 2009 The HSUS conducted an undercover investigation at Collins Zoo and then submitted legal complaints to the MDWFP, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The investigation uncovered injured and malnourished animals and flimsy enclosures, including venomous snakes being held in unlocked enclosures accessible to the public. Since The HSUS's investigation, conditions at the Collins Zoo remained poor.

When responders entered the property they found the animals housed in small pens with little space and no enrichment for these animals. These animals were underweight and suffering from a variety of medical ailments.

Groups and Roles

• The HSUS: animal handling, transportation and placement assistance
• Carolina Tiger Rescue of Pittsboro, N.C.: sanctuary for one cougar and two leopards
• Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation of Kendalia, Texas: housing for two cougars
• Born Free USA Primate Sanctuary of Dilley, Texas: sanctuary for the Macaque monkey

High-quality video and photos of the rescue mission will be available by email request to the media contact below. Video of the undercover investigation and copies of HSUS's legal complaints are also available.

Media Contact: Jordan Crump: 240-654-2964, jcrump@humanesociety.org

http://www.humanesociety.org/news/press_releases/2012/01/tigers_other_exotic_01252012.html#id=album-126&num=content-2388

Navy Pier shuts down royal white tigers

Royal white tiger Gita was on display Tuesday in the Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier. The exhibit, with two other royal white tigers, was shut down Tuesday when Navy Pier learned of animal cruelty allegations against the company that owns the tigers. ( José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune / January 24, 2012 )

TN Note: For information about white tigers please visit: http://advocacy.britannica.com/blog/advocacy/2010/02/white-tigers-conserving-misery/

John Kass 9:52 p.m. CST, January 24, 2012

Navy Pier abruptly closed its popular "royal white tigers" — featuring Gita and her cubs — after I showed up Tuesday asking about an interesting fact:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is revoking the white tiger owner's exhibition license for health and safety violations, including allegedly posing a danger to children.

The tiger show began Jan. 13 and was to run through Feb. 12. Navy Pier officials said they paid $27,000 to the company and had sold $16,500 in tickets so far.

According to court documents, the USDA found that Marcus Cook's company ZooCats Inc. "willfully violated" the Animal Welfare Act. The USDA has been hunting Cook for years now, alleging a long history of infractions.

"There is evidence that ZooCats trainers did not handle the animals properly, at times, using physical abuse with a cattle prod to train, work or control an animal during an exhibition," USDA spokesman Dave Sacks told us.

"They failed to provide a proper diet, treat animal illness and injury, and did not keep proper facilities. … The USDA has revoked ZooCats' animal exhibition license," Sacks said.

Officials also said the trainers let spectators at previous exhibitions get too close to the tigers — though not at Navy Pier.

All Navy Pier had to do was put Cook's name into Google. But apparently no one did, and now nobody wants to own up to the white tiger idea. I figured it was some Chicago political appointee who missed Las Vegas and the old Siegfried & Roy tiger shows that came to a rather abrupt end in 2003, particularly for Roy.

Cook denied the USDA's claims. He blamed USDA bureaucrats, particularly a higher-up, Sarah L. Conant. Cook claimed she's an animal rights activist with a political agenda aimed at eliminating all traveling zoos, exhibitors and other such entertainments from the American landscape.

USDA officials would not make Conant available for comment, but added that the agency has no political agenda but merely follows the law.

"You've got some bureaucrats who want us gone," Cook told me. "They're activists with agendas working for the USDA. We treat the animals well. We don't use cattle prods. We don't put children in danger. But these animal rights types don't want exhibitors around. You watch. Soon they'll tell you that you shouldn't have a dog because it's unkind to 'own' one."

My own opinion? Actually, I like the tigers. I like zoos, and I like smaller exhibitions like this one. But then, I've always been drawn to such things. I won't abide cruelty. But like many of you, I'm fascinated by critters.

The impulse to protect beautiful wild things like tigers is important, but traveling zoos and exhibitions aren't the reason tiger populations have dwindled to almost nothing in the wild. The loss of habitat is a reason. And killing tigers for their body parts — to satisfy the barbaric demands of alternative Asian medicine — is what marks them collectively for death.

At Navy Pier, you could see the tigers up close. The exhibit area was clean and didn't smell, and the tigers seemed healthy and well-fed. I spent hours there watching them, like the boy I once was, the one who wanted to go to Ontario Veterinary College or become a naturalist.

They were white like the color of old parchment, an off-white, with a slight yellow tinge, and the dark stripes were the color of melted chocolate. They were big and quiet and they had beautiful square heads. What I didn't want to think about was critics saying that they're mutants, inbred to maintain that aberrant white coloring.

We were at a distance from the tigers, behind a perimeter fence about 8 or more feet from the enclosure, and there was no way to reach them.

I'm still trying to figure out who's really at fault here, if anyone. And I feel bad about the tigers leaving and the kids who won't get a chance to see them.

"They're cool," said Bradley Tarjan, 8, of the Northwest Side. He was there with his aunts.

"They're white. And they're cool. And they're so big," Bradley said. "They're so cool."

And now they're so gone.

"Based on the information we received today, effective immediately we are ending the exhibit and our contractual relationship with Mr. Cook's company," said Nick Shields, a spokesman for Navy Pier.

Have there been unscrupulous critter shows and circus cruelty in the past? Of course. But is Cook's show one of them? I can't tell. The USDA makes a compelling case, and the anecdotal evidence on top of all that is troubling.

But what worries me is that the crackdown on the white tigers may be used to condemn all zoos and exhibitions as inherently cruel, in part because they hold animals captive for our interest and enjoyment.

I think saving such beautiful predators is more complicated than a slogan.

If humans don't attach themselves emotionally to the big cats, they will disappear. Their bones will be ground into powder and sold. Their habitat will be plowed and planted.

Already, the white tigers are gone from Navy Pier.

jskass@tribune.com

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-0125-20120125,0,3104247.column

New Petition For Tony: Please Sign!!

A new petition for Tony was posted on http://www.change.org/ asking the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to ensure Tony is released to a reputable sanctuary. It’s important to keep Tony’s story active, networked, and to let people know he is still at the truck stop and their support is still needed. Please sign and share – there are easy share options at the petition link for email, Facebook and Twitter.

Twice a judge has ruled in favor of Tony, barring the LDWF from issuing any further permits and at the last hearing, also revoking the current permit. Tony remains at the truck stop despite these rulings. Talk of his possible move to an exotic animal park which is nothing more than a roadside zoo is truly disturbing. LDWF must ensure he is relocated to a humane reputable big cat sanctuary that can provide the proper habitat, diet, medical care and enrichment Tony needs and deserves.

Thank you again for your support and for advocating on behalf of Tony, which also importantly raises awareness for the thousands of other privately owned tigers in the United States who need our voice.

About This Petition

Why This Is Important

Tony, a Siberian-Bengal tiger, has lived his eleven years as a roadside attraction at a truck stop in Louisiana. In two court hearings, May 6th, 2011 and November 2nd, 2011, Judge Caldwell agreed with The Animal Legal Defense Fund (representing Tony) and their argument that the permit that allows his owner to keep Tony was unlawfully issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. On May 6th, 2011 Judge Caldwell granted a permanent injunction blocking LDWF from issuing a new permit to Tony’s owner, and on November 2, 2011 he again prohibited the LDWF from issuing any new permits to the truck stop and ordered the current permit revoked,

Despite these two rulings in Tony’s favor, he remains at the truck stop due to appeals and yet another lawsuit filed by his owner, most recently on January 2nd, 2012. http://theadvocate.com/news/1713218-123/another-suit-filed-in-grosse.html

There have been recent reports about Tony’s possible move to an exotic animal park if his owner is forced to give him up. This ”park” is under investigation by the USDA for the deaths of 23 tiger cubs. http://theadvocate.com/home/1608646-125/oklahoma-park-probed-in-tiger.html This, as well as the conditions and practices of this “park” (which include exploiting tiger cubs in hands-on exhibits and photo ops) is of great concern to Tony’s supporters. Tony belongs at a true sanctuary, not another “roadside zoo.”

Please sign this petition asking the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to ensure that Tony is relocated to a reputable humane big cat sanctuary that can provide the home, care and life he needs – and has always deserved.

Petition Letter

LDWF: Ensure Tony The Tiger Is Released To A Reputable Sanctuary

Louisiana Deaprtment of Wildlife Representatives:

I respectfully request that you, as a representative of The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, ensure that Tony, an 11 year-old tiger used as a roadside attraction at Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana, is relocated to a reputable, humane, accredited big cat sanctuary.

On November 2, 2011, Judge R. Michael Caldwell ruled in favor of the Animal Legal Defense Fund and Louisiana taxpayers in their lawsuit to free Tony from the truck stop. Judge Caldwell agreed with ALDF’s argument that the permit that allows Mr. Sandlin to keep Tony was unlawfully issued by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. The judge ordered the Department to revoke the current permit and prohibited it from issuing any new permits to the Tiger Truck Stop. Despite this ruling Tony remains at the truck stop due to the appeals and recent lawsuit by his owner.

Reports about Tony’s possible move to an “exotic animal park,” under investigation by the USDA for the deaths of 23 tiger cubs as well as the conditions and practices of this “park” which include exploiting tiger cubs in hands-on exhibits and photo ops are of great concern to myself and supporters of Tony worldwide.

References:

http://theadvocate.com/home/1608646-125/oklahoma-park-probed-in-tiger.html

http://www.insideedition.com/news/7266/inside-edition-investigates-tigers-as-shopping-mall-attractions.aspx

Clearly this facility does not comply with the following sanctuary criteria as defined by The Captive Wildlife Safety Act:

• Must be a non-profit entity that is tax exempt under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code
• Cannot engage in commercial trade in big cat species, including their offspring, parts, and products made from them
• Cannot breed big cats
• Cannot allow direct contact between big cats and the public at their facilities
• Must keep records of transactions involving covered cats
• Must allow the Service to inspect their facilities, records, and animals at reasonable hours

Reference:

http://www.fws.gov/le/pdffiles/CWSA_Factsheet.pdf

It is imperative Tony be released to a sanctuary that is humane, reputable and in compliance with the above stipulations. Accredited big cat sanctuaries stand ready to provide Tony with a natural habitat, proper diet, medical care, and enrichment.

Tony represents one of an estimated 5,000 – 10,000 privately owned tigers in the United States whose numbers are greater than tigers left in the wild. Captive tigers can live 15-20 years with quality care. Tony has spent over a decade on display in the unhealthy and unnatural environment of a truck stop.

Please ensure that Tony finally has the life, care and home he needs and deserves by releasing him to an accredited reputable humane big cat sanctuary and not another roadside zoo.

Sincerely,

[Your name]



Direct Link To Petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/ldwf-ensure-tony-the-tiger-is-released-to-a-reputable-sanctuary

Tiger sanctuary in Chatham Co. welcomes visitors

Rajaji, 14, patrols his enclosure at Carolina Tiger Rescue, which gives weekend tours for visitors such as Rob Allen of Morrisville, right. Rajaji lived up to his prickly reputation by trying to spray the tour group. Photos by Corey Lowenstein

BY ANNE BLYTHE - ablythe@newsobserver.com
Published Sun, Jan 08, 2012 04:12 AM
Modified Mon, Jan 09, 2012 03:31 PM

PITTSBORO -- Out in rural Chatham County, where it is common to hear cattle lo, horses whinny and even a coyote bay, growls and roars more typical to the wilds of Asia or Africa also rise from a large, secluded property not far from Pittsboro.

There are lions and tigers at the Carolina Tiger Rescue sanctuary and preserve, and there's a host of avid volunteers ready to show off the big cats and other exotic animals in their midst.

Anita Letkemann, September's volunteer of the month, leads eager adults and children along gravel and gnarled forest paths on Saturday morning. Her first stop is at a fenced area where a caracal, a slender, long-legged cat with large, Spock-like, black-tufted ears, paces and climbs.

She moves on to a nearby ocelot, or dwarf leopard, as the cats from Central America and the southern United States were sometimes called. Their spotted pelts at one time were a favorite among furriers, who would stitch together 30 to 35 to make one coat.

As Letkemann explains how ocelots are starting to make a comeback in the wilds of Texas, Maria Maschauer, another volunteer, slips into the enclosed area with a bottle of Obsession and peppermint extract. She spritzes the perfume and dabs the extract on an old Christmas tree and waits.

The ocelot makes its way over to the tree, gives it a big sniff and walks away. Not for long, though. Soon the cat has its nose to the ground making a wide circle around the tree, seemingly obsessed with finding the source of the Obsession.

At Carolina Tiger Rescue's sanctuary and the Conservators' Center, an exotic animal sanctuary in Caswell County near Mebane, undecorated Christmas trees are a big hit.

The sanctuaries not only encourage people to leave their evergreens for the exotic animals, they stage tours, tree tosses and other events to entice new visitors and generate enthusiasm for saving and protecting wild cats in captivity and in the wild.

Carolina Tiger Rescue evolved two years ago from the Carnivore Preservation Trust, which was started in the early 1980s as a captive breeding program for such species as ocelots, servals and binturongs.

The nonprofit organization ceased its breeding program in 2000 after species survival plans began to include genetic registries to ensure diversity in the captive population. Still, the organization realized there remained a dire need for homes for displaced wildcats and the rescue operation grew from that.

Lives of the tigers

Now the sanctuary, tucked off Hanks Chapel Road in eastern Chatham County, typically has about 70 animals - 19 of which are tigers, each with its own story.

Some started off as entertainers in fancy Mexican hotels and beachfront photo booths before outgrowing their cute cub stage and being shipped to Chatham County.

An African serval named Elvis was left in a crate in the driveway with a note stating his family no longer could care for him. It was signed, "Love Me Tender, Elvis."

Lucky, a tiger, was rescued after being found in the back seat of a car in Michigan.

Tex, a tiger that lives in the same enclosed area as Jelly Bean, a blue-eyed white tiger whose original owner could not sell him on the Asian market, was rescued from a truck stop.

Rajaji, a very social tiger who came to Chatham County from a small zoo in Wake Forest, pranced back and forth in his enclosed area Saturday morning to the small tour group's many "oohs" and "aahs." His arthritic legs did not seem to be hampering his movement.

The old guy has a reputation for spraying audiences.

"If you see him turn around and lift his tail," Letkemann advised, "move to the left or right."
And sure enough, Rajaji lived up to his reputation, lifting his tail and sending an aroma in the air that Letkemann likened to buttered popcorn.

Visitors impressed

Keith Gavigan, education director at Carolina Tiger Rescue, is wild about the big cats at the sanctuary.
"They are charismatic, they are the top of the food chain - powerful, beautiful, majestic and super cool," he said.

And judging from the reaction of the young and old who took the tour, Gavigan is not alone in his thinking.

Annamarie and Larry Nelson, a couple from Sneads Ferry in Onslow County, said the three-hour drive was well worth their time on Saturday morning.

Julianne Smith, 6, and her sister Ella Smith, 5, have kitty cats at home. But the girls were thrilled their dad, Jason Smith, had arranged the outing from Cary.

Julianne was taken by the white tiger and fascinated by the one cat's obsession with Obsession. Her little sister had difficulty selecting which part of the tour was her favorite.

"I liked all of it," Ella said.

A roar of success from a preschooler.

http://www.carolinatigerrescue.org/

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/01/08/1761120/big-cats-and-the-curious.html