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I am interested in the experiences and views of those keeping big cats, lions, tigers, leopards, cougars, jaguars, etc. What might be your views on the preservation of these species, breeding, commerce in these animals, and who should be allowed to keep them?
haveing worked irectly wiht big cats NO i would NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER bring one onto my property as a "pet" i do not belive they are the kind of animal the average human should own, i do not belive they belong in the average suburbal (or even rural) back yard ect.
they arenot PETS and should neve rbe considered such.
however in properly licesned inspected zoological facilities (public or private) with the proper care and knowleged they are amazing animals and i belive we need to o what we can as a whole to educate and preserve these species.
i do howveer have an issue with captive breeding programs within most facilities, and that is theres NO preservation efforts...none of these animals will EVER be released to the wild so while there doing a great job of being a display and hopefully encouraging the public to want to help their wild cousins...i think claiming that breeding to "preserve" a species, its a VERY rare captive breeding progra that actually directly helps the wild population.
now the eduction nd funds that come form keeping these animals on public display and through donation ect CAN be usefull in perserving wild habitat ect...and thats a great thing...
but as something someone keeps in their back yard because they think its cool (or bamire or whatever) and have the money to buy one...no i dont think that should be allowed, zoos in this country have to follow STRICT fencing procedures perimeter and internal) have to have detailed captuer plans for escape ect...and must be inspected regularly...and i think if a priavte owner wants to keep one of these animals they too should have to have the same strict rigorous screening and required procedures.
but i also feel the same about any of the larger exotics (larger monkeys and ANY primates, wild canid species like wolves and hyena, big cats, bears ect...)
Thank you for that response Foxy, and I quite agree with you. As it now stands there are more captive bred tigers in the US than there are in the wild, many of them living in quite deplorable conditions with very low quality of life, and the breeding that goes on produces cubs that will be most often subjected to the same miserable lives.
Then too there are those who think it would be so cool to own a tiger or lion, and buy a cub only to realize too late the reality of keeping a large predator weighing hundreds of pounds. People get into these situations for a variety of reasons, most of them very unwise reasons, and some end up being mauled or killed by their "pets."
I am hoping to hear from those who have kept big cats successfully and cared well for them, giving them good quality of life in the situation they have found themselves in. There are a number of rescue organizations around the country, and I imagine certain individuals who having the funding, location, training and experience have been able to do this the right way. I hope there are such instances anyway.
They are not pets!
There is no such thing as a tame lion or tiger. They may become acclimated to their human keepers, and even very affectionate toward them, but they are still wild animals with all the instincts that go with that.
All that said, I would at some point in life have the experience of meeting and interacting with a tiger acclimated to humans. I don't want to own one, just enjoy one for a bit.
There was a small traveling circus type group that came to Des Moines, IA once...they had all kinds of animals, including a young white tiger. None of their animals looked well kept, healthy or happy.
I've been to Wolf Haven up in Washington state, they are a rescue that does tours through the enclosed areas. Those wolves are VERY WILD. The lady warned us about kids separating from the group, to watch our kids carefully. It was a scorching hot day when we toured. My older son (about 11 or so at the time) walked 3 feet from the group to a shaded spot and sat on the ground. The entire attention of the wolves in all nearby enclosures was instantly fixed on him and they started pacing and getting agitated. They wanted to kill the small weak one who strayed from the "herd." It was amazing...and even a little scary.
There is a guy who was at the Rennaissance Festival here in Colorado last summer, who does a big cat show. He has full grown tigers that he walks on leashes with no barrier between the animal and a crowd full of children. He has been brought up on charges for poor handling and containment issues in the past, but since these charges are issued by the state, he has gone to other states and been allowed to continue his operations. I don't think he should be permitted to continue doing what he is doing.
I'd also like to add large exotic reptiles to your list. Many people get alligators, caiman, and snakes that grow from a manageable small size to HUGE predatory animals. Reptiles can not be tamed, their intelligence is not complex enough for true domestication. They vary in size and general temperament as breeds...no one should keep huge or venemous reptiles as pets.
agree sonic.
i worked t a private zoo as a keeper and thats where my experience comes from, the zoo was very nice, properly cared for and offerd lots of enrichment...
and oe day if i ever came into a major lottery win id LOVE to open an exotics sanctuary where ill be-gotten "pets" could live their lives in comfort an safety...but i feel the only way someone can TRULY care for these animals corrently is 1: insane amounts of money, between safe enclosures, enrichment, vet care and diet, its not something anyone could realy do on a "budget"
2: RESPECT, too many people even those with experience and the best intentions become "comfortable" round their anials and you cannot become lax when handling these kind of animals
3: knowledge...i dont belive the average person can comprehend the TRUE needs of many of these animals...apes are a prime example of this...these animals are so much more than feed water and tada...like any animal they need so much more.
A friend of mine bought a baby cougar, Bozzy was adorable. She and her husband had a safe enclosure built. It had to be inspected so that they could get a state permit.
When he got big he became too difficult for her to handle. Her husband traveled for work, and she was having trouble taking care of Bozzy by herself. I went over to help her one day and he knocked her flat on the ground and jumped on her, just playing but got too rough. Scared me to death because she lived out in the country with no neighbors around, and I had to go in and coax him off of her.
He got to be so rough that they could no longer enter his enclosure, they had to just slip his food and water in. Then he got sad and lonely because he had no human contact.
They thought they had it all planned out, built the right enclosure, and they still couldn't make it work.
Big cats are not good pets. It isn't fair to them.
Watch some episodes of "Fatal Attraction" on tv and that should convince anyone considering keeping a big cat to think twice. These cats will never be tame, no matter how you raise them or how much contact you have with them.
Just this weekend, my sister and I visited the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary - and we were pretty impressed. The animals are rescues of one sort or another, there now, usually in much better circumstances from where they came.
It's a very nice facility and the animals are clearly well cared for. Each animal's name plaque tells the story of how they came to be at the facility, as well as educational information. We really enjoyed it, seeing the animals, and reading their different stories and information.
It's a relaxed, educational, environment - no big 'entertainment' going on, aside from the animals themselves. It's small but it was just nice to see the animals and read their 'story'.
I admire the community and those who got it started, and those who volunteer and work there now, for their service and support of these animals and the very nice, educational, facility.
Folsom Website - Felines Folsom Website - Zoo Sanctuary
Since 1963, this small unique California zoo has been providing sanctuary to some very special animals. All are non-releasable. Many were raised, and rejected, as wild pets. Others were injured or orphaned in the wild.
I've been meaning to go check it out. Someone in my office clued me in that there would be an episode of some Larry the Cable Guy show where he visited this place...so I watched it. He helped neuter a tiger. Honestly think I could have gone my whole life without seeing that...
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