So LSU has officially introduced the Tiger Nation to Mike VII, a “rescue tiger” donated to the school by Wild at Heart Wildlife Center, described as a sanctuary and located in Okeechobee, Florida. Sounds wonderful, doesn’t it? A tiger in need will now live a life of luxury in a habitat described by NPR reporter Ashley […]
Today the polar bear was gone. I knew eventually the museum would change the main installation, but still, to not see him there was shocking. But he has other eyes to open, so on he goes to his next stop on his journey while I continue mine. Yesterday I enjoyed a free lunchtime guided meditation at […]
For my upcoming birthday I decided to give myself a tour of Big Cat Rescue. I’ve always wanted to see the sanctuary for myself, and so I did. I have to say, it was not what I expected. Oh, not the rescue itself. The 60 acres are well-maintained and give the resident cats places both […]
For those of us who want to help improve the plight of animals, we know that sometimes our language is used against us. For example, when we write letters or sign petitions, we are poo-poo’ed off as “nutjobs” and violating the rights of others who are simply exercising their legal right to….. well, to abuse […]
Unless you have your head buried in the sand, you know that right now it’s legal to own a lion, tiger, or other big cat as a pet with little or no regulation or oversight. Hell, there are more laws regarding dog and cat ownership than there are big cats! But hopefully that’s about to […]
Americans got a crash course in exotic animal ownership in 2011 when Zanesville resident Terry Thompson released 18 Tigers, 17 Lions, 8 Bears, 3 Cougars, 2 Wolves, 1 Baboon, and 1 Macaque he owned before killing himself. People around the world watched in disbelief and horror as those animals were hunted down and killed by law enforcement, but really […]
Ohio has an exotic animal problem. Yep, they still have problems, even after Zanesville and the so-called revamping of laws addressing exotic animal ownership. So what happened this time? Tiger Ridge Exotics owner Kenny Hetrick failed to file for a permit in a timely manner. State agriculture department inspectors also found safety problems, including inadequate fencing […]
It’s Tuesday, and that means it’s time for another edition of Hisses and Purrs. Each week we run down the good, and not-so-good, in animal welfare. First up is Hissy Fit Jones, and boy, does he have some vicious hisses to dole out this week! Hisses to Taiwan, for allowing an outbreak of rabies […]
After reading about the plight of tiger cubs and adult tigers in captivity, you may be asking what you can do to help these magnificent creatures enjoy a better quality of life. I’m glad you asked! The single most important thing folks in the US and other parts of the world can do is DON’T PAY […]
Jen recently had the opportunity to speak with Susan Bass, Director of Public Relations for Big Cat Rescue. Today’s blog post is based on some of what she learned. -Rumpy . Imagine you are one day old. Your eyes are not yet opened. You have been yanked from your mother and forced to live in […]
Dogpaddling Through Life 