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

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 )

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

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

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

Marta stays close to her twin Amur tiger cubs, now on exhibit at the Toledo Zoo in Toledo, Ohio. THE BLADE/LORI KING

BY TANYA IRWIN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Published: 1/6/2012 – Updated: 2 days ago

Two of the Toledo Zoo’s most anticipated young residents got a warm welcome Friday morning from zoo employees, volunteers, and the public as they went on exhibit for the first time.

Viktor and Talya — born Sept. 26 to first-time mother Marta — are Amur tiger cubs, a critically endangered species. The cubs, which weigh about 35 pounds, are expected to reach their mother’s weight of 325 to 350 pounds.

PHOTO GALLERY: Click here to view images

The tiger family is scheduled for daily public viewing from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Later, they will be on exhibit from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

However, weather and exhibit conditions, and/or the animals’ continued well-being could require temporarily moving them from public exhibit, said Dr. Randi Meyerson, curator of mammals.

Marta, who was born at the Toledo Zoo in 2003, has been an excellent mother, Dr. Meyerson said. “We are really happy Marta raised them on her own (without a lot of assistance from the zookeepers),” she said. “It’s always nice when cubs are mother-reared.”

Dr. Meyerson and her staff had no contact with Marta and the cubs during the first 24 hours of their lives. They then had very limited contact for the first week, not even coming into physical contact with the young creatures for three weeks, she said.

Most of the cubs’ nutrition is still from nursing but they are eating small amounts of their mother’s ground meat diet.

“The cubs will remain here at least for two years, and Talya could stay longer with her mother,” Dr. Meyerson said. At 2 years old it will be necessary to move Viktor so he doesn’t try to breed with his mother or sister, she added. Talya might be bred, giving the zoo a third generation of cubs.

“The Tiger Species Survival Program does space surveys before any new breeding occurs to make sure possible new homes are available,” she said. The Amur tiger’s life expectancy is about 15 years, she said.
Amur tigers, also known as Siberian tigers, are the largest tiger subspecies. About 143 Amur tigers live in about 53 Association of Zoos & Aquariums-accredited zoos. Originally, eight subspecies existed; three of those subspecies are now extinct. The five remaining subspecies, including the Amur tiger, are critically endangered because of habitat loss and fragmentation as well as poaching of both tigers and their prey.

Art Dorf, a Toledo resident and 15-year-volunteer at the zoo, was among the first to see the cubs on exhibit.

“Talya is definitely more curious,” he said, adding that on Tuesday when the cubs were shown briefly to volunteers, she was pressing her giant paws up against the glass.

Wendi Davis of Carleton, Mich., and her two home-schooled daughters, Lorna, 8 and Shelby, 6, were among the first zoo-goers to see the cubs.

“I’ve seen their pictures on the zoo’s Facebook page,” Mrs. Davis said. “To get to see them in person is pretty exciting.” Her daughters agreed, squealing as they took pictures. “My cat at home does that,” said Lorna, as Viktor prepared to pounce on his sister.

Zoo-goers will be asked to pony up a few more dollars this year to cover increasing costs at the zoo.
For the first time in three years, the zoo is raising its admission prices and introducing a two-tier admission structure that gives Lucas County residents a break.

But next weekend — Jan. 14 to 16 of Martin Luther King, Jr., weekend — admission is free for Lucas County residents.

And Lucas County residents with valid ID will continue to be admitted free every Monday (except holidays when the zoo is closed) between 10 a.m. and noon.

As of Monday, daily admission went up $3 while giving a $2 discount to Lucas County residents.

Lucas County residents will be charged $5 for adults and $3.50 for children in January and February, and in November and December. Other visitors will be charged $7 for adults and $5.50 for children.

From March to October, the Lucas County rate will be $12 for adults and $9 for children and seniors. Other visitors will be charged $14 for adults and $11 for children and seniors.

The zoo’s annual family membership rate also has increased from $71 to $73 for Lucas County families and $79 for others.

The zoo is opens daily at 10 a.m. Closing times vary by the season.

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/01/06/Young-tigers-draw-raves-as-they-make-public-debut.html

MADIKERI: The tiger, which attacked and injured three buffaloes on Friday, killed a cow on Saturday night at Netkundh near Birunani in South Kodagu. Chottangada Rohith found the half-eaten carcass of his cow near its shed.

People in South Kodagu are fearful because the tiger, which claimed several livestock in October and November last year, has resurfaced. A forest department team had kept cages to capture it. These men were relieved when the tiger’s pugmark was seen about 500 metres from the Kallalla forest touching Nagarahole on Nov. 9. No incidents were reported after that in Kanoor, Shrimangala, T Shettigeri and Hudikeri villages.

The trouble spot is on the Birunani Kodagu – Kerala border. Shrinivas Naik, the Shrimangala wildlife range forest officer, told TOI a leopard may have attacked the cattle. The incidents happened at Birunani near Brahmagiri wildlife forest range and the animal probably arrived from this forest he said, adding, “We are trying our best to chase the animal back to the forest by bursting crackers in the bushes and trees,” Naik said. The animal can be identified only after veterinarians survey these area, he added.

KA Manu of Birunani villager and Kanoor villager S.P.Mahadevappa told TOI villagers are afraid to move about freely on work and students are tense on their way to school and back. After class, students reach home by about 7pm and they tremble with fear on their way back. Virajpet taluk in-charge deputy conservator of forests Anand said cages would be kept in certain points to capture the animal. He said forest guards in groups will try and capture the tiger.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bangalore/Killer-tiger-resurfaces-in-Kodagu/articleshow/11429631.cms

By METRO WEB REPORTER – 5th January, 2012

A three-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being attacked by a tiger at a travelling zoo in Russia.

The child had been posing for a photograph with the big cat next to a small fence when he was clawed in the head by the tiger, sustaining horrific injuries.

A man nearby tried to stop the attack, which took place in Blagoveshchensk, in the Amur region of Russia.

‘I hit it [the tiger] with a stick, there was a metal thing on it. But it clutched the kid very tight,’ he said.

The young boy was rushed to the Amur Regional Hospital for emergency treatment.

A doctor said: ‘The boy was brought in a bad condition, he had an emergency operation which lasted several hours.

‘He is in intensive care now, in a bad condition. It is hard to give any prognosis so far.’

Sky News reports an official of the Amur Regional Investigative Committee as saying that an investigation is looking into the incident.

‘According to the information we have, the tiger was not inside the cage, it was between the fence and the cage, so it was free,’ he said.

‘It was attached by a chain, but people were allowed behind the fence to take photographs.’

Video: Check out the Russian zoo where the attack occurred

http://www.metro.co.uk/news/886499-tiger-attack-in-zoo-leaves-three-year-old-boy-critical

India’s first forest ranger unit charged specifically with preventing tiger poaching has gone into action.

The 54-member force will patrol tiger reserves in national parks straddling the borders of Karnataka, Tamil Nado and Kerala states in the south.

The Special Tiger Protection Force has received training in jungle survival and weapons use.

Tiger numbers have shrunk alarmingly in recent decades. A census last year counted about 1,700 tigers in the wild.

A century ago there were estimated to be 100,000 tigers in India.

Numbers up

“The force is operational,” Karnataka conservation official BK Singh told the BBC. “They will deal with poachers and hunters.”

The Special Tiger Protection Force was formed by the forest and environment ministry on the recommendation of the National Tiger Conservation Authority and Karnataka authorities.

With their special training course completed, the unit has moved into Bandipur and Nagarahole national parks, south of Bangalore.

The forested region has the highest number of tigers in India, according to a census released in March 2011 by the forest and environment ministry.

India’s tiger numbers have shrunk from 100,000 to 1,700 in a little over 100 years Karnataka state, which has six tiger reserves, has about 300 tigers, followed by Madhya Pradesh in the north with 257.

The census indicated that tiger numbers had increased to 1,706 from 1,411 at the last count in 2007.

Officials say conservation efforts by the government and wildlife organisations have helped tiger and elephant populations increase.

But poaching remains a threat, with some 25 tigers killed in Karnataka alone since 2006.

A second tiger force will be set up in the eastern state of Orissa.

Senior National Tiger Conservation Authority official Rajesh Gopal said 13 tiger reserves in seven states across the country had been identified for special measures to protect the big cats.

Tiger expert Ullas Karanth said the new force would go a long way toward saving tigers from poachers.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-16410137

BY JOE GYAN JR.
Advocate staff writer
January 04, 2012