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International trade in live animals and skins is permitted from Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. Illegal trade in other (1111 signatures on petition)
Archives
All posts for the month March, 2012
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Ask your representative to support unprecedented improvements for animals used in circuses and other traveling acts……
Today at 4:00pm at Online
~PLEASE JOIN THIS ONLINE EVENT AND SIGN THE PETITION TO HELP STOP THE KILLING OF THESE MAGNIFICENT LEOPARDS BEFORE THEY ARE GONE FOR GOOD~
INDIA HAS TO BE STOPPED.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/287/794/771/does-india-deserve-big-cats-like-the-leopard-stop-killing-them/
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Does India deserve big cats like the leopard? 2011 – 356 leopards were killed in 365 days in India. 2012…
Lions of the Masai Mara – closer than ever before
About the photographer
Will Burrard-Lucas is a professional wildlife photographer from the UK. He is known for his creative and innovative approach to wildlife photography.
In 2009 he created BeetleCam, a remote control buggy with a camera mounted on top.
He travelled to Tanzania and used it to take close-up, ground-level photographs of African wildlife including elephants, buffalo and lions. Unfortunately, one of his cameras was destroyed in an encounter with a lion.
Will recently returned to Africa with two new BeetleCams, one of which had a lion-proof carapace. Using the new BeetleCams he was able to take these photographs showing the lions of the Masai Mara.
Will is now building BeetleCams for photographers around the world. To find out more about the BeetleCam Project, please visit Burrard-Lucas Wildlife Photography. You can also follow Will’s work on Twitter and Facebook.
Read a thorough review of Panthera’s award winning film, My Pantanal, posted on the U.S. based Izilwane blog –
http://bit.ly/HaXRog
. This film, written & directed by Panthera’s V.P. Andrea Heydlauff, tells the story of a boy who lives on a conservation ranch in the Brazilian Pantanal & who shares how ranchers & jaguars are co-existing with the help of Panthera’s jaguar scientists. Watch the film
http://bit.ly/iPF8zm
During his keynote speech at the Seattle Woodland Park Zoo’s Thrive fundraiser last week, Panthera’s CEO & tiger expert, Alan Rabinowitz, shared inspiring stories from a lifetime of work saving wild cats & discussed the plight of the endangered tiger. Read a blog post about Dr. Rabinowitz’s moving speech, which many said ‘blew them away’ & for which Dr. Rabinowitz received a standing ovation @
http://bit.ly/GRDWxA
http://bit.ly/GRDWxA
20 YEARS TO SAVE KING OF JUNGLE
The king of the jungle could be extinct in 20 years unless he gets better pro tection from hunters
Sunday March 18,2012
By Stuart Winter
The king of the animals is heading towards extinction in the next 20 years unless it receives international protection from the ravages of trophy hunting, leading conservationists warn today (Sunday).
As few as 3,000 powerful male lions with their glorious flowing manes and bellowing roars are left on their wild African domains and their numbers look destined to continue crashing because of the popularity of big game hunting.
Conflict with livestock farmers and disease has already taken a heavy toll of the big cat, sending its numbers plummeting by 90 per cent since the early Sixties.
Today the most iconic creature on earth – which features in the Royal Coat of Arms as well as both the England and Scotland football crests – has reached the “brink of oblivion”.
Lions have become the most coveted of all big game trophies, with hunters prepared to pay anything up to £100,000 to go on totally legal shoots, but, in what may sound the animal’s death knell, its bones are now in demand from the traditional Asian medicine trade.
 Lions are disappearing across much of Africa and if we don’t act soon these magnificent creatures could face extinction
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Environment Minister Richard Benyon |
With tigers already teetering on the edge of extinction and heavily protected under international laws, legally obtained lion bones are becoming an alternative to be crushed into all manner of lotions and potions.
Such are the fears for the fate of the majestic big cat that the British Government has this week provided vital funding for a “Lion Summit” in Africa.
Environment Minister Richard Benyon has received cross-party support for giving £70,000 so that “decision makers” from 11 African nations can get round the table next week (March 29-30) and discuss ways of preventing the lion from going the same way as the dodo, woolly mammoth and sabre-tooth tiger.
Last night Mr Benyon told the Sunday Express: “Lions are disappearing across much of Africa and if we don’t act soon these magnificent creatures could face extinction.
“This funding is about getting together those countries that have lions in the wild, to find a way to ensure these extraordinary animals are given the level of protection they need.”
The money for the summit comes from Defra’s International Biodiversity Fund and has been awarded to LionAid, the British based charity campaigning to get a ban on the importation of lion trophies and products as well as getting it listed as “endangered” and afforded “World Heritage Species” status with UNESCO as are gorillas, chimpanzees and orangutans.
Trophy hunting for lions remains a multi-million pound business despite their plummeting numbers, attracting sportsmen from both sides of the Atlantic who are allowed to ship back skulls and skins to show off their shooting prowess.
Figures show that between 2000 and 2009 Spain imported 779 lion trophies, France 529, Germany 211 and Great Britain 69.
Hunting companies advertise on the internet a wide range of trophy packages where marksmen are offered the chance to bag a handful of different antelope along with a single lion for five-figure fees.
Those nations that allow trophy hunting argue that it brings both valuable tourist income and also ensures that wildernesses continue to be protected, so increasing conservation efforts.
Tragically for such a social animal, targeting alpha male lions seriously disrupts the dynamics of a pride, reducing breeding success and continues the cycle of declining populations.
LionAid Trustee Chris Macsween says staging the conference in Johannesburg will allow those states with remaining critical populations of the feline such as Cameroon, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Tanzania to discuss many vital issues.
High on the agenda will be discussing the “uplist” of lions from Appendix 2 of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species to Appendix 1, the same level of protection given to the great apes, tigers and whales.
Ms Macsween said: “This conference will enable forward-thinking range states to evaluate considered conservation programmes for African lions to better ensure their future survival. The continued decline in lions must be halted, and a forthright discussion of how to implement new ways forward is urgent and necessary.
“Uplisting will not prevent lion trophy hunting, but could lead to better conservation measures for a species that, despite substantial declines in population numbers and geographic range, is still subject to significant trade in some regions.
“In addition, the conference will establish latest estimated population numbers in the represented range states, progress of National Lion Conservation Plans, and measures taken by range states that allow lion trophy hunting to ensure such trade is not affecting conservation status.”
“Lions are such iconic creatures. I saw my first one on a photographic safari in Botswana in 2001 and I was overwhelmed by their power, beauty and majesty. They give you goosebumps and send a shiver down the spine.
“Today, they are on the very brink. Unless we reverse their appalling decline in numbers, I fear they will be extinct in the next 20 years.”
LionAid says that lions have declined greatly in numbers since the 1960s. Then, it was established that 200,000 could be found on the continent. Today there are perhaps 25,000 lions, a decline close to 90 per cent in 50 years, and means there are about 3,000 adult trophy males.
The charity estimates that 40 per cent of such males occur in protected areas, leaving a “huntable” total of about 1,800 males, and yet the “trophy harvest” has averaged 665 exports per year.
Fellow LionAid trustee Dr Pieter Kat, an evolutionary geneticist who has spent a lifetime studying the big cat, said while lions have been stricken by diseases such as the feline equivalent of AIDs, distemper and bovine tuberculosis, hunting has become a huge concern.
He added: “Lion trophy hunting is now a significant, if not the major, source of mortality for those lion populations remaining. Mortality goes well beyond the individual trophy – some have estimated that one shot male translates into more than a dozen other lions, mainly cubs, dying in the pride.
“The lion is among the best studied predators in the world. There are lion projects in virtually all African lion range states. More science will not save the lion, though. Going forward, we need political solutions.
“These need to be twofold: the range states must develop national conservation plans and the international community must lend their support to these measures and also support a global ban on trophy imports.
In the UK, LionAid’s fight to save the lion has garnered cross-party support. Fiona O’Donnell, Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said:
“I would like to congratulate LionAid for their work in highlighting the devastating impact of trophy hunting on lion populations and for gaining the funding to host a conference to put in place much greater protections.
“This is a real opportunity for African Lion Range States to work together to ensure the long-term survival of lions and clamp-down on the abhorrent trade in lion trophies.”
For more details about LionAid and to make a donation see: http://www.lionaid.org
Please share, if you care. We cannot let the leopard get extinct in the wild in India.
There are 36 species of wild cats known to us, herewith please find photos and info about these cats, taken by WCW founder Babette de Jonge.
By: Wild Cats World
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I have no words to express my sadness.
R.I.P MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND. ❤❤❤••••►Eastern cougar declared extinct by US government:
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http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Wildlife/2011/0303/Eastern-cougar-declared-extinct-by-US-government
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/science/earth/03cougar.html
I have no words to express my sadness.
R.I.P MY BEAUTIFUL FRIEND. ❤❤❤••••►Eastern cougar declared extinct by US government:
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http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Wildlife/2011/0303/Eastern-cougar-declared-extinct-by-US-government
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http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/03/science/earth/03cougar.html
”Each species on our planet plays a role in the healthy functioning of natural ecosystems, on which humans depend” William H. Schlesinger We share this planet with many species. It is our responsibility to protect them, both for their sakes and our own. – Pamela A. Matson Once species become extinct, no corrective legislation can bring them back—they are gone forever. – Allen M. Solomon
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A beautiful photo of a tiger by Michael Vickers. Do NOT let this incredible animal become extinct. PLEASE sign and share www.bantigertrade.com
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We need this legislation not only to protect humans, but also to preserve the lives of these precious creatures. Sign your name in support of H.R. 4122 and stand up for big cats.
▀█▀.█▄█.█▀█.█▄.█.█▄▀─█▄█.█▀█.█─█…
─█─.█▀█.█▀█.█.▀█.█▀▄──█─.█▄█.█▄█kisssssssss ♥
Support a bill that would prohibit the personal ownership of big cats like lions, tigers, and cheetahs.
Hi All, Well, last year it was the ‘Freedom Walk for the Tigers” in Corbett National Park, this year it is “The Cat Walk” for the last of the wild Tigers, Lions and Leopards! This is just a heads up for those who want to start saving there dollars to come over to India and participate in this event. More information to follow. I really hope that alot of you can make it to these spectacular areas for these extraordinary creatures xoxoxo sybelle 
Woo Hoo!! Here we go again !!
Woo Hoo!! Here we go again !!
Saturday, October 6 at 9:00am
Uploaded by 4PFOTEN on Jun 1, 2010
This clip shows the brutal hunt on bred lions. Many baby lions are used as a tourist attraction in the beginning, and once they reach an age and size to become “nice” trophies, they are being shot mostly by foreign “hunters”.
Sign the petition now:
http://bit.ly/cYHyEB
More Information on the Canned Hunting Campaign:
http://www.vier-pfoten.org/website/output.php?id=1269&language=1
Uploaded by blazecronik2011 on Feb 6, 2012
Lion documentary , by the great David Attenborough.I don’t own any rights to the video just a cool documentary about lions and Mother Nature 
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The lions released into Karoo National Park in November 2010 have adapted well to their new home and are in excellent condition. Both Park rangers and visitors have reported sightings of the lions at various areas in the Park over the past year and the lions have definitely brought a new aspect to wildlife viewing in the Great Karoo.
South African National Parks (SANParks) took the decision to introduce lions to the Karoo National Park in a bid to restore the natural functioning of the predator-prey balance in the ecosystem as well as to ensure that all historically-occurring species are once again conserved in the Park.8 lions translocated from Addo
Eight lions were originally translocated to the Karoo National Park from Addo Elephant National Park. Three of these lions were part of the original group of lions brought into Addo in 2003 from the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. Kgalagadi lions were chosen for their genetic similarity to the Cape lions which would historically have occurred in the area and for their disease-free status. Lions can suffer from diseases such as tuberculosis and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) which can be transmitted to other species.Two of the lions have satellite collars which enable rangers and researchers to track their whereabouts for monitoring purposes. Visitors can also enquire about the latest location of lions at reception to enhance chances of spotting lions.
Gemsbok are favourite meal
According to rangers and researchers, although the lions originally preyed on a few different species of animals in the Park, they have now begun to concentrate mainly on gemsbok.Lions seem to frequent the area around the Park’s 4×4 trails: Afsaal, Nuweveld and the area around Embizweni cottage. The lionesses and subadult lions also move to the area around the Doornhoek picnic site at times while the male lions sometimes appear around the Lammertjiesleegte and Restcamp areas.
Preceding the introduction of lions, the restcamp area, including the fossil trail, swimming pool and accommodation units as well as the camping ground were fenced with low-level electrified fencing to allow visitors the freedom to walk around this area. Doornhoek picnic site, the Ou Schuur Interpretive Centre and Bulkraal day visitors’ site are also fenced. To cater for those who always enjoyed exploring the Karoo on foot, the Park now offers free guided walks (subject to availability) with an armed ranger to day and overnight visitors.
One lion killed by puff adder
Although the lions have adapted well to their home in Karoo National Park, one of the subadult lions, a male, was killed in December last year when he was bitten by a puff adder.
Press Trust of India : Bahraich, Mon Mar 26 2012, 02:40 hrs
Two adult leopards were found dead in a cane field at Katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary on Sunday. Authorities suspected it to be a case of poaching. The carcasses were found in Daulatpur village of the district here, divisional forest officer R K Singh said.
“The post-mortem report of the animals has revealed that they had died about four days back. The reason behind their death could not be ascertained,” the officer said.
The poaching dog squad of SSB was also called. Owner of the cane field has been detained for interrogation.
Weak, traumatised and dehydrated, but still recovering well — that is the condition of the leopard that was stuck for almost a fortnight underneath the Indian Air Force base. The leopard is under observation at the Chhatbir Zoo. A final decision is yet to be taken on whether it would be kept at the zoo or returned to the forest.Forest officials say the rescue operation carried out on Thursday night was unique as the animal survived the aftermath of tranquilisation. “We have put the leopard under observation for 72 hours. Next three days are going to be very crucial and our focus is primarily on its quicker recovery, only then can we decide what is to be done about its habitat,” said Chhatbir Zoo director Basant Raj.
A team of veterinary experts, which was assigned to diagnose the injured carnivore, said stomach of the leopard had shrunk because of prolonged starvation.
“We have put the male leopard on timely medication for five days in form of injections and antibiotics. Once-a-day meal like buffalo meat and chicken will be fed after 12 hours of sedation. But chances of infection are very high. That’s precisely the reason for its having been put in the restricted area of Chhatbir Zoo,” said the vet officer.
“The leopard is out of danger. Generally in such cases, the animals are sent to the nearest national forest area, but unfortunately, the place from where it came is still unknown. Hence, it is too early to decide on anything,” said chief wildlife warden Santosh Kumar.
Previously leopards have strayed into urban areas, with the recent case of a leopard getting trapped in a house in Sector 10, Panchkula. Though leopards have wandered into human habitation as a result of shrinking of its own habitat, the desperate need for prey like goats and dogs has drawn them to urban areas.
The contrast of priorities in Tiger Temple. The caged animals, against the selfish opulent spending of the Temple.
To View the Rest of the Album go here: Behind the Cloak of Buddha – Cee4life
by Behind the Cloak of Buddha – Cee4life on Monday, March 19, 2012 at 10:56pm ·
The news of Sangtewans death was/is devastating. I feel a pain so deep, it is hard to write.
Sang was born in 1999 and she was one of the founding tigers of the Temple. The Temple said that she was a ‘rescued orphan’, and that her parents were killed by poachers.
The reality – Sangtewan’s parents lived in a tiger farm in Laos, the Temple bought her through the wildlife trade, and made her into a breeding machine, never to live in anything more than in a rusted cement cell with her sole purpose to breed and breed and breed.
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Sang was easily recognised by the missing triangular piece of skin on her nose, a human inflicted torturous injury. First I was told it was a gun shot wound (lies) Ive seen a few gun shot wounds and this didint come close. The precision cut of the injury was human made. Then I was told she tore her nose on barbed wire, no not true. And then I got told the most believable story, the one that matched the injury. Sang was a fiesty young tiger and in order to control her, they cut this triangular piece out of her nose (septum). His was the most sensitive area and after the gruesome hacking, when she was fiesty all they had to do was hit her nose and she would reel in pain.
Pain was going to become something that Sang would live with for her entire life.
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In the early days of the temple, and before the heinous greed of the Temple took over, Sang was able to walk around outside. There was only 8 tigers there then and more time and patience was given to them, a bit more. The Temple had no knowledge of how to raise captive animals and while they were young and cute, they were taken out and about.
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But violence was never far from their lives and the “discipline” was harsh. Chains, punches, kicks, heavy wooden rods and of course the mutalations was the way these creatures were trained.
“Westerners dont understand the Eastern Way” – I had that said to me repeatedly. I understood clearly, and I also grew to understand that they had shunned the Buddhist faith and revered laws of treating animals with humanity. I understood that they were not like other humane ‘eastern’ Buddhists, I understood they were liars.
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When Sang became of breeding age, that was the beginning of the pattern of her life. Sangtewan was locked inside a rusting cement cell, never to be let out again, and who’s only use was to breed.
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The only times she was content inside the cell was when she had given birth to her cubs on the stinking filthy cement. The expression on her face and her demeanour was love and contentment. You should have seen how she cared so gentley for her cubs, this beautiful girl. Her peace with her cubs was a sight to see.
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But this peace never lasted long. In 2007, Sang was allowed to have a litter of her cubs for the longest period of time. Everyone thought the temple had changed their ways, that they wouldnt trade. We were all wrong. I watched her 4 month old cubs be taken from her in the middle of the night and lost to the wildlife trade. They were taken to a tiger farm in Laos, to breed, for the heinous false Chinese Traditional Medicines. They would be grown and killed for their body parts.
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I shudder knowing what became of them, and so should the Temple, but they didnt and dont.
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For most of Sangtewans other litters, she was given 7 – 12 days with them, then they were taken and thrown into harsh cement cells to fend for themselves, fed whenever staff got around to it.
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One of the worst things was that Sang could hear them screaming and she mourned and grieved and then she got angry. She wanted to get to them. The staff hated when Sangtewan was like this, and to shut her up, Sang was abused physically and punished by getting no food.
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But over the years, the volunteers that came to the temple would see all this, and we sneaked food to Sang. Lots and lots and lots of food, and it was MEAT… The Temple never knew that, they do now….
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Due to her normally horrendous diet, the lack of exercise, enrichment, sunlight everything, Sangs eyes began to fade in 2006. By 2010 she was basically blind and she would smell her way around her cage, and care for her litters blinded. But always the peace was with her for those 7 days.
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As she grew older and frailer, she would gentley come up as we gave her some (sneaked in) food and take it from our hands. Sometimes she accidently nipped your fingers and she knew immediately and released and visually looked as if she was saying ‘sorry for the nip, I cant see’.
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I have tears streaming down my face knowing and remembering her life.
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Towards the end, Sangtewan suffered from untreated kidney infections (same as Phayru) and other horrid things. She suffered.
This dear girl, at the end of her life had delivered 46 litters of cubs from the age of 3 years old – 11 years old. Each litter was between 2 – 4 cubs, at minimum Sang gave birth to 138 cubs (averaging 3 cubs per litter).
You can imagine her ravaged body.
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But what I found out about the actions of the Temple, left me without doubt that they have lost all humanity and do not carry out the words and teachings of Buddha.
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While Sangtewan could still be saved with veterinary care, the Temple chose to instead begin to build a “Memorial Monolith” for her. She was alive, and they were building a massive muli million dollar infrastructure to honor her in death. While she was alive and could be saved…….
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Millions of dollars were poured into a large structure resembeling Sangtewan (missing nose piece included) while the living Sang suffered in agony in her cage.
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Fury is a very tame word to describe how I feel knowing this.
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Sang dragged her body around her cement cage for 11 years.
One night she lay down, and inside her body all of her systems shut down.
She closed her eyes, moaned, and was gone.
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I believe in God, and I believe that she is in heaven. I have to believe that, its the only peace she has ever had.
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Carved into my soul beautiful girl, so grateful that I know you
Rest in peace dear Sang, no more pain
xoxoxo
Sybelle 2012
Lovely lady xoxo my friend I miss you xoxo
When she lost her sight, she smelt and touched her way along everything
Here she is jumping up on the only form of enrichment she had.
Hello Girl
Having a talk xoxo
Sangtewan is the tiger on the cover of the book “Behind the Cloak of Buddha”
Sang and one of her last litters RIP in peace beauty xoxo
by FREEDOM~For Tony the Tiger on Monday, March 19, 2012 at 10:44pm ·
~SO MUCH TIME HAS PASSED, AND STILL, HERE WE ARE TRYING TO HELP………………..AND SADLY, THESE TIGERS STILL WAIT, STILL HOLD ON WITH ALL THEIR MIGHT…
“AS HUMANS WE WOULD BE SO LUCKY IF WE HAD HALF THE STRENGTH, COURAGE AND THE WILL TO LIVE, LIKE THESE TIGERS HAVE…”
THIS FREEDOM PAGE FOR TONY HAS BEEN OPENED NOW FOR APPROX. A YEAR AND A HALF. LOOKING AT THE AMOUNT OF MEMBERS THAT HAVE JOINED, BECAUSE YOU EITHER WANTED TO HELP BRING THIS TIGER TO A BETTER HOME THAT RESEMBLED A HABITAT THAT A TIGER IN THE “WILD” SHOULD HAVE ~0R~ YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT TONY SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY AND WANTED TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS TIGER’S STORY WAS. WHICH EVER YOUR REASON, I AM GLAD YOU ARE HERE FOR TONY. IF YOU HELPED IN SOME WAY “SPREAD AWARENESS OF TONY’S STORY”, THEN YOU ARE THANKED MORE THEN WORDS CAN SAY.
I THINK IT IS SAFE TO SAY, IF YOU HAVE JOINED THIS PAGE BECAUSE YOU WANTED TO HELP THIS TIGER, “THEN YOU WANT TO HELP ANY TIGER THAT IS IN NEED” ~BECAUSE AS WE ALL KNOW ” FOR ANY ANIMAL OR ANY TIGER THAT NEEDS HELP …. US HUMANS ARE ALL THEY HAVE”
I PERSONALLY JOINED THIS CAMPAIGN FOR TONY BECAUSE I WANTED TO, IN ANY WAY THAT I COULD, HELP THIS TIGER HAVE THE BEST LIFE HE DESERVED….I CREATED THIS PAGE FOR THE SAME REASON.
….WHILE DOING THIS THO ” I BECAME AWARE OF MANY MORE TIGERS THAT NEED HELP, AS ONCE THE DOOR IS OPENED FOR ONE TIGER OR ONE ANIMAL….THEN MANY MORE DOORS ARE OPENED AND OUR EYES ARE OPENED WIDER AND WIDER AS TO WHAT GOES ON IN THE WORLD OF “EXOTIC CATS ( ANIMALS)”.
This page was Created for Tony the Truck Stop Tiger, as you all are aware. Most of you are also aware, that from time to time there have been other requests, other posts ASKING FOR YOUR HELP, to help spread awareness for Another Tiger(s).
My way of thinking is this ~ You are an ARMY of help for Tony. There are over 1000 of you here now, and when I think of who I can ask to help another Tiger or Tigers in need ~WHO ELSE THEN ALL OF YOU?!
In Short , I am here to ask you all to PLEASE CONTINUE TO ROAR FOR TONY while things are Quiet and the Silence Is Almost Deafening ~as we Wait for the Next Step in his Court Battle to Continue…
I am here to ask you all to PLEASE HELP ROAR FOR HARNFA AND THE REST OF THE TIGERS WHO ARE BEING HELD AT THAILAND’S TIGER TEMPLE, WHICH IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ~HELL ON EARTH FOR ANY CREATURE THAT IS PRISONER THERE….
*Attached for you all will be the Contact info and petition(s) for TONY and for HARNFA.
TO ALL 1,034 MEMBERS , I THANK YOU, I AM GRATEFUL FOR YOU, AND I HOPE WE CAN COME TOGETHER TO HELP STOP WHAT HAS BEEN WRONGED BY THESE TIGERS. I HOPE, AND I PRAY THAT WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE……
“Imagine the Power we have, when we come Together as ONE. Imagine how much Stronger we could be ~over those Who Believe it is OK TO DO WHAT THEY WISH to These Creatures “Who were Born to Walk this Planet Free”…………………Free………….
FOR TONY:
THREE PETITIONS TO SIGN AND CIRCULATE
FIRST PETITION :
http://www.change.org/petitions/ldwf-ensure-tony-the-tiger-is-released-to-a-reputable-sanctuary
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THIRD PETITION :
http://apps.facebook.com/petitions/takeaction/129/272/008/
ONLINE CONTACT INFO. FOR THE LDWF, TO VOICE YOUR CONCERNS FOR TONY’S FUTURE. IF HE IS TO BE MOVED FROM TIGER TRUCK STOP, THEN LET IT BE TO A PLACE THAT WILL GIVE HIM NOTHING LESS THEN HE DESERVES…
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/contact
FOR HARNFA:
HIS PETITION:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/The-Wildlife-Trade-Tiger-Temple-Behind-the-Cloak-of-Buddha/
HIS PAGE: Behind the Cloak of Buddha – Cee4life
(For those of you who wish to learn the TRUTH about Tiger Temple.)
THE BOOK THAT EXPOSES THE TRUTH ON TIGER TEMPLE: www.amazon.com/Behind-Cloak-Buddha-animal-endurance/dp/1442102020/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332026480&sr=1-1
A SIMPLE THANK YOU DOES NOT SEEM ENOUGH, WHEN IT COMES TO POSSIBLY SAVING A LIFE….
GOD BLESS.
FREEDOM~For Tony the Tiger
Tony Copyright Mary Haik
Harnfa Copyright Cee4life
Protecting the King – 2 Months in the Life of the Lions and Rangers of the Mukoma-Karen
March 18, 2012 at 2:03 pm (World)
For the last 2 months, I have corresponded with a Sth African man who will remain anonymous. There is a clamp down on information coming out of Sth Africa and Africa in general for unknown reasons but there are stories which for educational and informative values must be told to the public. These true situations give greater insight and understanding to the situations faced by both the animals and the people of the area. The Kenyan Wildlife Service has taken alot of flak. As you know, there is good and bad in virtually every organisation in the world. A great deal of the time the bad is shown because that is what media and the public feed off. The bad always causes great reaction. But what about the good stories? There needs to be a balance and these stories must also be told to ensure the public knows what is happening and to provide help and support where we can, and to provide a balanced understanding of situations.
The faceless Rangers that quite frequently we only here about when they are shot by poachers, carry out a daily battle to protect and save life.
For the Sth African Man (SAM) who has provided me this information – Thankyou for trusting me Sam, thankyou with all of my heart xo May the Lions continue to run free and reamain protected by the “Angels” (rangers) of Mukome-Karen.
Protecting the King – The Lions and Rangers of Mukoma –Karen
January 2012.
A pride of Lions watch cautiously as a group of thieves cut through the fencing of their protected area. The thieves are from the nearby slum areas and have come to steal the fencing so they can sell it for scrap. There is no form of income earning in this area and everything is up for the taking if no one is watching.
But they are being watched. The thieves have caught the attention of the Lion pride and the pride stares as the fencing is taken away, seeing the hole and equating what they will do next. The human presence is gone. The Lions assess the gaping hole in the fence line.
The Lions of the Mukoma-Karen area of Sth Africa live in a vast expanse, however fencing has been erected to keep the Lions away (safe) from people, and to keep the people away from the Lions. But it seems that people just refuse to stay away from these creatures.
For months the Lions have watched the happenings from the other side of the fence, maybe they’ve seen prey wander by and they supressed the urge to hunt stifled because of the fence. But now they have the chance to discover new territories, it looks safe, so they make their move. They run through into the unknown and the countdown to the possible end of their lives begins.
The Apex predators have only one known threat – human beings.
The next morning
The Rangers of the Mukoma-Karen area begin to do their daily inspections of the area. They come across the gaping hole in the fence and see the evidence of the Lions escape. They immediately know that they must find the Lions and get them back into the fenced off area before the Lions run into any humans. The freedom of the mighty Kings means certain death if a human/animal clash was to occur.
The Rangers are worried.
Three weeks prior to the escape of the Mukom-Karen Lions, three Lions were deliberately killed by the Maasai community for revenge after the Lions strayed out of their zone and killed some of their cattle. To kill an animal for revenge, under any circumstance, is not acceptable, and in no way brings justice, but it happens and is done out of human anger. Revenge is a hollow comfort. This is not to say the Maasai community are cruel and vengeful, it may simply mean that they do not know the bigger story of the declining Lions, or any other way to deal with the Apex predators. Education is a key.
The need for human education, respect, discipline and selflessness.
The great cats and predators in general are losing their prey everywhere across the world with one of the major causes being humans encroaching on their habitat and killing their prey. There are natural factors which drive prey species numbers down such as drought, however when compared against over population and human growth, the demand of resources, the ever expanding encroachment into their habitat, and the poisonous poaching and wildlife trade, the Apex predators are suffering immensely. It will be a miracle if they continue to survive, or should I say, it will be a miracle if human beings allow them to continue to survive…… Without the over population of the human race and the threats our human ways place on these creatures, this earth would be flourishing.
Human beings need to be educated and share that education in order to understand the seriousness of the decline of species due to our actions and demands. We need to learn to respect biodiversity and the needs of the ecosystems required for the survival of all life on earth. We need to respect the living creature and not try to conquer the mighty animals for trophies, or eat gluttonously of every species, or kill for money. We need to be self-disciplined enough to limit ourselves to only the things we need and not act constantly on material, ego stroking, desires. And we need to become selfless in order to do all these things and before we can truely say that the continued survival of all species, plant, animal and ourselves will occur. At this point, by our own destructive human hands, we are killing all life on earth.
There are literally millions of human beings that are guilty of the modern day “Seven Deadly Sins” – Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Greed, Wrath, Envy, Pride – but there are 2 other “ sins” to add to this list:
* Vainglory – unjustified boasting. (eg: People who go to canned hunting venues suffer severly from “Vainglory”)
* Acedia (meaning - to neglect to take care of something that one should do) There are alot of people who display Acedia, they do nothing and turn the other way while atrocities occur on the creatures or wait for someone else to do the work.
The Lions ran across the plains unknowing of the deadly human sins/threats that they had opened themselves up to. Their new found terrain, the freedom that is rightly theirs, in the Kingdom that they rule, would kill them.
But on this occassion, this rare occassion, there were also ’good’ humans that have selflessly dedicated their lives to saving these creatures, and this time the Lions would be tracked for their safety, this time they would have some protectors, the Rangers.
But it wasnt going to be easy.
Over the next weeks and unbeknown to the Lions, the Rangers watched over them, trying to drive them back to the safety of their fenced zone, and shaddowing their every move. The Lions were fast and clever and they never stayed around long enough for the Rangers to get a good view to dart them.
Weeks went by, before the Rangers succeeded in relocating a couple of the Lions back into their protected area. These men worked sleeplessly night and day to ensure they didnt miss the opportunity to dart them and bring them back to safety.
February 2012
As the weeks went by, my gut churned hoping to never hear of the death of one of the Lions. There was no newspaper link or article to read on this, no updates, just information straight from the field.
By the end of February the Rangers and Veterinary Doctors had worked round the clock to ensure that these Lions didnt end up in any human/animal conflict. It is gruelling work that only the dedicated do.
Think about this - you to live in the field, sleep in a vehicle, eat very little, go without all of your comforts, no reprieve from being on guard, sleep deprieved, for weeks – months, purely to guard, watch and wait to bring safety to the wild Lions. Then balance that with trying to protect the Lions from disgruntled people who want revenge for lost cattle, from people who class the Lion as a nuisance and not as the endangered majestic creature that it is. And then add into that these Lions are wild and there is great danger that you, as a ranger, may be attacked by the Lions while trying to save them. Could you do that?
These brave and dedicated rangers drag their weary bodies on. This is the life of the Rangers of Mukome-Karen.
March 2012
By early March, 20 Rangers had been in the field for 2 months, trying to drive the Lions back into the protected area. They had tried everything and had even laid baited traps out, but the Lions were clever and managed to avoid capture.
It seemed that this job was never going to end.
Behind the scenes, the Wildlife Service Headquarters personal provided support and supplies to keep the Rangers going. The Lions had hunted and fed reasonably well on their journey and the rangers constant vigile and defensive tactics had successfully kept them away from the human population. 2 months is a very long time to be in the field under these conditions.
Finally by the second week of March good fortune smiled upon the weary rangers and they finally caught the last three Lions and returned them back inside their protected area.
People will do anything to survive. When there is no income in an area, humans will do absolutely anything to get money. There is a great need for support to the villagers and people around the world who are poor and living in close proximity to the iconic species of earth. But there is also a great need to recognise that there are very good people in positions of authority who are trying their best to do the right thing.
Serious changes are needed to help better the lives of isolated communites, and in doing so, we protect the last of the majestic creatures of earth.
One week later….
Late at night, the Lions watch as a group of thieves cut through the fencing of their protected area…………. it starts again.
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TNN | Mar 13, 2012, 06.32AM IST
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
CHANDRAPUR: The leopard, trapped in the water tank in Lohara forest research centre, escaped successfully on Sunday night. Surveillance of site revealed that the leopard was a sub-adult cub and stepped out of the tank when its mother came for its rescue. The beast, prompted by the presence of its mother leopardess, scaled the wooden ladder put into the tank and ran away into the jungle.
Forest authorities were on their toes on Sunday, after the leopard fell into the empty water tank. Their efforts to prompt it to climb out of the 12 feet deep tank with the help of wooden beam and aluminium ladder proved futile. The leopard, which appeared grown up, remained inside making no effort to climb out.
Foresters later put a makeshift wooden ladder into the tank in the evening and cleared the area. Camera traps were installed around the tank to keep a watch on the area. Pictures captured in camera trap reveal that the mother leopardess approached the tank at 7.54pm. It stayed around the tank and kept calling for its cub. The mother was captured in the camera trap again at 9.25pm, when it went close to the tank. At 9.33pm, the leopard cub climbed out of the tank through the ladder. Both the mother and cub later went into the jungle.
“Camera trap pictures revealed that it was a sub-adult cub still accompanying its mother. It might have fallen into the tank while attempting to kill a deer on its own. Detached from its mother, it was not responding to our efforts to rescue him. After the mother came looking for it, it climbed out,” said Chandrapur RFO Abhay Badkelwar.
He said that after the cub went away the staffers of forest research centre on Monday fenced the tank with bamboo to avoid such incidents in future.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wild-Cats-World/122586544451718
A lot of people consider this mysterious medium-sized cat as the most beautiful one of the family of felines. The Clouded Leopard is found in Southeast Asia and it seems to be a cross between a big cat and a small cat.
If you live in the UK: Dr. Laurie Marker, founder and Executive Director of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, will be in Oxford, England attending the Skoll World Forum (27-30 March). She’ll also be at the Wildlife Heritage Foundation in Ashford, Kent on 26 March and Paradise Wildlife Park in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire on 31 March. Please stay tuned for details! She is hoping to meet new and old friends and supporters!
Dr. Laurie Marker is the world’s foremost expert on cheetahs and founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in Namibia
By: Save the Cheetah
Let’s introduce II: Drago is one of the 7 tigers we ( in Stichting Leeuw) gave a great home in the brandnew sanctuary in Anna Paulowna, Holland. Drago is 6 years old. He is one of the two male tigers who were not suitable to be trained for circus. Drago is feeling much at home already in his new home. He is very lifely but also wants to destroy everything he can. Like the waterthruff inside to start with. All tigers are surplus-tigers out of circus Universal Renz. We will offer them a well deserved home with lots more space and natural enrichment.
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There are 36 species of wild cats known to us, herewith please find photos and info about these cats, taken by WCWfounder Babette de Jonge.
By: Wild Cats World
Sybelle ~Goodbye Sangtewan – Tiger Temple Tiger 11 years old RIP girl. Sangtewan, breeding machine, caged, 46 litters of cubs in her life, all for tourism, Dead 11 years old. Will tell her story soon…. just catching my breath..
by cee4life on Friday, March 16, 2012 at 8:09am ·
Surabaya Zoo, Indonesia
You all may have heard of the recently exposed horrendous conditions of over 4000 animals in Surabaya Zoo. Here is the link for those of you who missed it.
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I wrote to a friend of mine, Mr Tony Sumampau, who is the Secretary General in Indonesian Zoo’s and Aquaria Association. What is needed is for registered NGO’s and conservation orgs to write professional letters to urge the relocation to other zoo’s.
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Surabaya zoo is an old zoo established by Dutch in 1916. Most of facility was build between 1920 – 1970 and there has been no improvement since then. There are 4,023 animal flock in a 14 ha of land. Many surplus animal in Surabaya zoo and most of them are inbreed. 50% of the animal are not healthy and numerous are “stuffed” into small cages. 20% of the animal are old and the have no Species collection plan. There is terrible managment since 1980, but it got worse during 2008-2010. By the middle of 2010 the Minister of Forestry, Governor of East Jawa and the Mayor of Surabaya city took over the management of the zoo. My friend Tony, The Secretary General in Indonesia of Zoo’s and Aquaria Association with the expertise in managing one of the best zoo in Indonesia(the Taman Safari) was asked to help the manage Surabaya Zoo. They did so, all as volunteers.
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However, Since the change of the Surabaya Mayor last year, they have found it increasingly difficult to help the zoo. The reason for the difficulty is a member of the old zoo management and friend of the new Mayor of Surabaya, has used the Mayor against the Secretary General of Indonesian Zoo’s and Aquaria, to derail all positive efforts that were being made. In effect, the Zoo’s and Aquaria of Indonesia are being blocked from helping because of disgruntled allies of the old managment. Due to the the old managements connections to the current City Mayor, the Mayor is saying the the old management of zoo and the staff are capable to run the zoo and this has caused GREAT conflict between the Governor and Central government. Zoo’s and Aquaria Indonesia against the Mayor of Surabaya city.
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My NGO friends, we must unite together and help. We are being asked for help. Lets Help. All you need to do is write. Here is Tony’s words.
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“The main problem for Surabaya zoo is to rebuild the old zoo facility to totally new environment exhibit for the animal. taken out the surplus animal to other zoos or others which has a good facility to keep them, release some of the endemic species of birds that are surplus in the zoo to their nature habitat……. . But my suggestion was against by all this people who do not understand about the conservation including the new Mayor of Surabaya city.
So, what we need as a volunteer that help the zoo is supporting letter from all the NGO that surplus animal is not a good management for zoo, The staff have to be professional and dedicated to work with the animal, the old small cages and the exhibit that can not meet the animal welfare have to be removed and rebuild.
I don’t think we need any funding for the time being and what we need is to push the City mayor to have a same vision for conservation and the good zoo has to be manage by a team of professional not civil servants or bureaucrat.”
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So I am asking all of the NGO’s CEO’s to write.
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Please use your letterhead of your organisation, address it to the Mayor of Surabaya, and forward it to me and I will pass this onto Tony. I do not want to give out his email address at this point, until he ok’s that. For all others that wish to write, please send me your written letters via email (POLITE and PROFESSIONAL) and I will forward them also.
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We MUST work together on this, we CAN make a difference for these creatures.
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Sybelle Foxcroft
CEO Cee4life
sybelle@cee4life.org
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NEXT MONTH WILL BE A YEAR THAT THE ANIMAL LEGAL DEFENSE FUND FILED A LAW SUIT FOR TONYS ANIMAL RIGHTS…SADLY ENOUGH, THE LAW MOVES TOO SLOW AND WE STILL WAIT WHILE TONY IS AN ATTRACTION. On April 11, 2011, ALDF filed a lawsuit against the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) and its secretary Robert Barham, arguing that he violated state law in granting a permit allowing Sandlin to exhibit Tony at the Tiger Truck Stop. ONCE WE HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THE FINAL TRIAL WHICH SHOULD BE SOON WE WILL POST IT. JUST LETTING YOU ALL KNOW WE ARE STILL HERE…WATCHING EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE.
ENLARGE
BUYCheetah cubs Mchumba, left, and Khayam cuddle inside the veterinary clinic at Wildlife Safari in Winston. Their mother, 7-year-old Marlindi, acted oddly after giving birth, so Safari staff members decided to rear the cubs to ensure their safety.
JOHN SOWELL / The News-Review
Big cats thought to have vanished from region in early 1900s
By Tom Spears, Postmedia News March 16, 2012
Ontario has a welcome environment for cougars with no shortage of deer, which is the cat’s favourite prey.
Photograph by: Glenn Baglo, Vancouver Sun Files, Postmedia News
A four-year Ontario study confirms what many rural residents felt sure about: cougars are again living wild in Ontario.
Officially, the big cats were considered to have been wiped out by the early 1900s all across Eastern Canada. But a major research effort has documented tracks, fur, photos, DNA, drop-pings and hundreds of sightings, some of them by trained biologists.
“The evidence from this study provides proof that cougars live in Ontario; however, it does not indicate the origin of these animals,” the study concludes.
It doesn’t address Quebec directly, but notes that the cats are in Eastern Ontario and like to roam. The study period was from 2006 to 2010.
Some cougars may have moved east from Manitoba, or north from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan. A cougar can travel 50 kilometres in a night, and over 1,000 kilometres over a longer period.
Some were likely raised as pets and released when they grew too big to handle, or they may have escaped.
Study author Rick Rosatte estimates there are “several hundred” cougars in captivity in Ontario.
And other cougars may have stayed in Ontario all along. Rosatte suspects today’s cougars are a genetic mix of cats from all three of these sources. But their origin doesn’t really matter, he adds.
“What is important is that there are free-ranging, North American-type cougars in Ontario.”
Rosatte is a biologist with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Trent University in Peterborough, Ont. His findings are published in the Canadian Field-Naturalist.
Rosatte set up a group of 89 biologists and wildlife technicians to settle the long debate over whether cougars still live in Ontario and other eastern provinces.
In the late 1980s, one study had documented 189 reports of cougar sightings in the past 50 years. But hard evidence was scanty. Besides, there was a chance that a very few cats had escaped but never established a breeding population.
Rosatte travelled to cougar workshops in Western U.S. states to gain experience. He arranged forensics help from Trent University. He spoke to hunters and trappers groups to spread awareness.
And in the years that followed he reports getting 497 pieces of evidence – mostly sightings. These included:
. Twenty-one pieces of physical evidence, including 13 con-firmed cougar tracks as well as scat and tufts of hair. The tracks were in many parts of the province, the hair was near Sudbury, and the scat was near Kenora;
. Thirteen sightings by trained biologists or wildlife technicians. Nine of those were in the southeastern part of the province, running from Cornwall and Pembroke to Oshawa and Parry Sound;
. A further 463 sightings by other people in Ontario.
The study cautions that not all reported sightings are accurate. Sometimes people mistake other animals such as lynx or fishers for cougars. And the number of reported sightings can jump sharply after news reports of possible cougars in an area.
The team’s attempts to photograph cougars produced very little evidence. It set up cam-eras on likely sites and waited, but from 2008 to 2010 they got no clear cougar photos while shooting more than 154,000 frames of other animals. Just one infrared image was judged to be similar in shape to a cougar.
This suggests cougars “exist at low density in Ontario,” the study says.
Ontario is excellent cougar habitat, the study says. The cat’s main prey is deer, and there’s no deer shortage in the province.
Some of the cats reported to the biologists were definitely escapees of foreign species, including an all-black jaguar, native to Central and South America and Mexico but photo-graphed near Guelph, Ont., in 2010. Real cougars, the study says, are never black.
Many official sources have resisted supporting claims that the cougar has returned to Eastern Canada.
Hinterland Who’s Who, an educational series produced by Environment Canada and the Canadian Wildlife Federation, advises: “There is little physical evidence, such as road kills or scats, that cougars have been present in Eastern Canada since the nineteenth century.”
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
PUBLISHED: 22:54 GMT, 12 March 2012 | UPDATED: 14:06 GMT, 13 March 2012
Grisly photos have surfaced of Donald Trump’s millionaire sons smiling broadly next to the dead carcasses of wild animals that they shot while on a big game hunt in Africa.
Though the two men- Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump- deny any wrong doing and proudly argue that they are hunters, many animal rights advocates are taking jabs at the pair.
In one of the photos, 34-year-old Don holds the sawed off tail of an elephant and another the knife that likely cut it.
Showing their spots: Don (left) and Eric (right), seen here with a leopard that they killed on their trip to Zimbabwe
Uploaded by NationalGeographic on Mar 5, 2012
Photographer Mattias Klum experiences a face-to-face encounter with a lioness… a little too close for comfort.
Three cubs born to a lioness at Rampara Vidi near here a week ago are healthy and so is their mother. This is a good news from conservation point of view with regard to Asiatic lions. Rampara Vidi centre, not accessible to people, was set up by the state forest department for preservation of gene pool (complete set of unique alleles in a species) of Asiatic lions.
“The cubs and the mother are being monitored through CCTV cameras and they are doing well. The weight of each cub is about 1.5 kg. They are under constant care of veterinary doctors,” said a senior forest official.
Earlier, in August, 2011, a lioness had given birth to three cubs- two females and a male. Now, another lioness has give birth to three cubs. This will add to the success of lion conservation project in the state. Some lions were shifted from Gir forest to Rampara Vidi in 2010 for gene pool conservation.
There are now 14 Asiatic lions, including six cubs, at Rampara Vidi. Gir forest, the last abode of Asiatic lions, has an estimated population of 411 lions.
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Yesterday a well-respected Honduran newspaper, La Tribuna, featured a lengthy story on the National Jaguar Conservation Plan launched last week by Panthera & the Honduran government. Read the article @
http://bit.ly/xEUpHd
to learn about the history of Honduras’ jaguars & what this plan means for their future. Also check out Panthera’s press release for more details @
http://bit.ly/A5HTth
Many of you may know that fewer than 30,000 wild African lions exist today, but what do you know about the state of lions in W Africa? Field surveys carried out in 2009 by Panthera & our partners showed that Nigeria was home to fewer than 50 lions, representing 2 of 4 lion populations left in W Africa. Read the 2011 Nigerian lion survey report to learn about the state of Nigeria’s lions today
http://bit.ly/ybrxpL
‘India’s Last Lions’ by Panthera’s President, Dr. Luke Hunter, Published in BBC Wildlife Magazine
The March 2012 issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine features an article by Panthera’s President and lion expert, Dr. Luke Hunter, on ‘India’s Last Lions’ – the world’s only remaining population of 300-400 wild Asiatic lions secluded to India’s Gir Forest (see map below).
Pick up your copy of BBC Wildlife Magazine today to learn about the rise and fall of the Asiatic lion over the centuries, the current human-lion conflicts that threaten the survival of the species today, and read Dr. Hunter’s reflections on what may represent the only hope for the future of the Asiatic lion. The March issue of BBC Wildlife Magazine is now on sale.
Learn about Panthera’s work to save the fewer than 30,000 African lions that remain through Project Leonardo.
Current Range of the Asiatic Lion – India’s Gir Conservation Area
Click to Enlarge
About the Asiatic Lion
Scientific Name: Panthera leo persica
Current Range: Gir Conservation Area, India
IUCN Status: Endangered
Threats: Forest degradation, retaliatory killings by local herders and drowning in wells.
Physical Features: Slightly smaller than the African lion. On average adult males measure 2.75ms (9 ft) in length and weigh 160–190kg (350-420 pounds) while adult females measure approximately 2.6m (8 ft) and weigh 110–120kg (240-265 pounds).
Diet: Chital, sambar, nilgai and wild boar; also domestic livestock.
Life Cycle: Breeds all year. Births peak Feb–early April. Litters of 1–5 cubs are born after a gestation of 110–116 days.
Photos generously provided by wildlife photographer, Uri Golman.
See more of Uri’s photos at www.urigolman.com.
Where Have Nigeria’s Lions Gone?
Last April, Panthera reported on field surveys carried out in 2009 by Panthera, WCS Nigeria and the Nigerian National Park Service, which revealed that Nigeria was then home to fewer than just 50 individual lions. Approximately 15-20 lions were estimated to live within Nigeria’s Yankari Game Reserve, while the remaining 30-35 lions were found to reside in Kainji Lake National Park in western Nigeria. These fragile populations represented two of only four known lion populations that remained in West Africa.
In order to closely monitor Nigeria’s endangered lion populations and measure the impact of ongoing conservation initiatives, Panthera’s Lion Program Survey Coordinator, Dr. Philipp Henschel, and scientists from WCS Nigeria, the Nigerian National Park Service, and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Bauchi State conducted follow-up surveys from January to February and May to June of 2011.
Panthera, in collaboration with our partners in Nigeria, has just released a report summarizing the results of the 2011 Nigerian lion population surveys. This report reveals that in just two years time, Nigeria’s lion populations have drastically declined from an estimated 44 individual lions in 2009 to just 34 adult lions in 2011. Astonishingly, scientists estimate that fewer than 5 lions remain in the Yankari Game Reserve, which as noted above, was estimated to hold a population of 15-20 lions in 2009.
A Comparison of Nigeria’s Lion Populations in 2009 and 2011
Click to Enlarge
The primary reason for the decline of Nigeria and West Africa’s lions is human-lion conflict. When overhunting occurs of the lions prey base by local people, lions often turn to an easy and available food source – people’s livestock. These scenarios rarely end well for lions, who are frequently hunted or poisoned by villagers in retribution. The growth of human populations and the expansion of agricultural developments into the lion’s habitat only serve to exacerbate this problem.
Without concerted action, it is likely that Nigeria’s lions will disappear. In response, through Project Leonardo, Panthera’s scientists are working closely with local partners in Nigeria to strengthen anti-poaching patrols in the remaining populations and to continue to track and monitor the last 34 lions estimated to remain in Nigeria.
Click to Enlarge
In the near future, Panthera’s lead field scientist in West Africa, Dr. Philipp Henschel, will conduct a large survey in West Africa which will, for the first time, establish the distribution and status of lions in the WAP Complex – a protected area in Benin, Burkina Faso and Niger that is estimated to harbor the largest remaining lion population in West Africa – see map.
Be sure to check back with us for updates on Dr. Henschel’s surveys and the status of Nigeria’s lions.
To help Panthera save Africa’s lions, consider giving to our ‘Let Lions Live’ campaign.
Read Panthera’s April 2011 Newsletter article – Panthera Scientist has Rare Encounter with Regionally Endangered Nigerian Lion.
CCF’S Mission
To be the internationally recognized centre of excellence in the conservation of cheetahs and their ecosystems. CCF will work with all stakeholders to develop best practices in research, education, and land use to benefit all species, including people.
What Will it Take to Save the Cheetah?
The world’s fastest land animal, the cheetah, can reach speeds of 70 mph. The most specialized member of the cat family, the cheetah also is the most endangered cat in Africa. Join Dr. Laurie Marker on a video journey through the history of the Cheetah Conservation Fund and the plight of the cheetah. Witness a fabulous cheetah release, learn about the Livestock Guarding Programme or about tracking cheetahs in the wild, and hear Laurie as she shares her thoughts and hopes about the cheetah’s future.
Watch the Video:
Meet CCF’s Founder
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Other ways to Help
- Gift Cards and Gift Certificates Charity Choice.
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- Artists Helping Cheetahs – Buy cheetah-themed items like clothing, apparel, and beautiful art.
What’s New
CCF receives the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator for sound fiscal management and commitment to accountability and transparency.
- “Love your Predators: A Valentine’s Date with Big Cats”: Cheetah Conservation Fund Hosts World-famous Photographers and Authors in Windhoek (Press Release)
- Dr. Marker’s Notes from the Field – December 2011.
- The Cheetah Conservation Fund Declares 4 December as International Cheetah Day (Press Release)
- Reducing Predator Conflict During Calving Season (Press Release)
- Namibia’s Rewilding Efforts Give Hope to Orphaned Cheetahs, Millie Kerr, The Atlantic, 7 Oct. 2011.
- CCF Statement on Reintroduction of Cheetahs in India (Statement)
- Dr. Laurie Marker comments on illegal cheetah pet trade (Statement)
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