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Sunday, June 27, 2010

The North American Black Panther – Myth or Reality?

From the article: 

While many plausible explanations exist for the existence of an American black panther, there is also the slimmest, slightest chance that it’s a true cryptid – a brand new species or subspecies that we know nothing about. Just such an animal is appearing in other countries. Hundreds of black panther sightings are reported in Britain every year and also in Australia.




http://waypastnormal.blogspot.com/2010/06/north-american-black-panther-myth-or.html

Monday, June 21, 2010

Sometimes wolves really can be "big and bad"

I love wolves, and I am truly grateful that I have been able to interact one-on-one with socialized wolves.

I have great misgivings about the approach described in the article at the following link: Howling next door? Don't worry, it's just a San Fernando Valley wolf pack.

It's not clear how much "wolf content" these animals have, but the owners are presenting them as wolves. They say they are whistle-trained and come when called. Young children are encouraged to interact with them.

I find this troubling. First of all, the owners are promising that their whistle-training will override the wolves' natural, instinctive (i.e., predatory) responses. I don't think that's a safe bet at all.

Second, what exactly is this approach "teaching" children about wolves? That they make good pets? That wolves are friendly toward humans? That a wolf poses no threat to a child? Based on my research and conversations with wolf experts, I can't agree with any of that.

No matter how much whistle-training you do, a high-content or pure wolf is NOT the same as a domestic dog. The likelihood of a wolf responding to instinctive, predatory behavior is far higher than the chances of a dog doing the same. Dogs have been conditioned over centuries to relate to humans the way they do. It seems absurd to me that someone would think they have accomplished the same thing with a wolf in just a few years.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Biologist Studies Wolves' Possible Return to Colorado



From the article: "Depending on who you talk to, wolves have been seen in northwest Colorado for several years. But few claims have been verified, until last year when a collared wolf from Yellowstone was found dead near the town of Meeker. Like every corner of the West, wolves are an ultra-sensitive issue here"


http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/kunc/news.newsmain/article/1/0/1664048/Regional/Biologist.Studies.Wolves

Camera Trap Captures Image of Rare Spotted Leopard in Malaysia



From the article: "The news marks a high point in an otherwise bleak outlook for the world’s tigers, lions, jaguars and snow leopards."

Amazing Photography by Yair Leibovich



Get ready to see some AMAZING photography
of wolves, cats, and more.
Just click on the link below:


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Canadian Lynx - Species Spotlight



Beautiful video of a "Rastafarian" lynx (LOL) and interesting info about differentiating between lynx and bobcats.

The comments at the end about game farms make me think twice about purchasing calendars with images of wild animals on them.


MN big cat sanctuary will be home to Texas tiger



MINNEAPOLIS -- The Wildcat Sanctuary in Sandstone, Minn. will provide a home for a tiger that was rescued from a home in Texas. According to a news release from the Wildlife Sanctuary, the tiger's owner recently died, leaving behind three pet tigers.

The Wildcat Sanctuary wants to remind the public big cats do not make good pets and are a serious threat to public safety.


Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Wild Cats Go Crazy for Calvin Klein’s Obsession



. . . animal specialists ranging from zookeepers at the Bronx zoo to a jaguar researcher in Guatemala have deployed Obsession to attract and distract big cats.



Saturday, June 5, 2010

Bobcat kitten update



The cute bobcat kittens are really growing fast! This video introduces the viewer to the purrsonalities of the individual kittens!



Mexican wolf is still struggling



From the LA Times blog:

Agency must decide on proposed endangered species listing for Mexican gray wolf by end of July, judge rules

The Mexican wolf, a subspecies of the gray wolf, was exterminated in the wild by the 1930s. The federal government began reintroducing wolves in 1998 along the Arizona-New Mexico border.

The reintroduction program in the Blue Range began with 13 wolves. Biologists had predicted a self-sustaining wild population of 100 wolves by now.

But the latest count at the end of 2009 found 42 Mexican wolves: 27 in Arizona and 15 in New Mexico. The number was a significant drop from the 52 reported a year earlier.


How not to treat a tiger…



If you are told you can have your picture taken with a tiger (or other big cat), please think carefully before you do it. Most opportunities like that require mistreatment of the animal. Is that really what you want to support?

http://zoonewsdigest.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-not-to-treat-tiger.html

Meet a unique leopard



Meet a unique leopard

Meet Edgar, a handsome cat who has come all the way from Estonia to do nothing less than help save his species.

Radio collars to study tiger behaviour in Sunderbans



PTI NEWS

Kolkata, Feb 28 (PTI) For an authentic scientific study of their behaviour, tigers in the Sunderbans, the world’s only mangrove eco-system which has big cats, will be fitted with radio collars, forest officials said.

“Last week a tigress which had strayed into Gosaba area in South 24 Parganas district was fitted with a radio collar.

We have to radio collar a few more tigers which will provide information about their behaviour in Sunderbans,” Sunderban Biosphere Reserve (SBR) director Pradeep Vyas told PTI.

There was no scientific study on the behaviour of the big cats in the Sunderbans and all information was based solely on observation, he said.

“So, an authentic scientific study is needed and radio collars will provide us exact information about the behaviour of tigers,” Vyas said.

New photos show jaguars alive and well near border



Such amazing animals!

New photos show jaguars alive and well near border

Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?



Who’s afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?

Jess Edberg of the International Wolf Center in Ely, Minn., said it’s time. The endangered species listing did what it was supposed to do. “Biologically speaking, the wolves in the Great Lakes area have achieved recovery,” she said. “The Endangered Species act funding is one pool of money. If the wolf no longer requires federal protection, there are hundreds of other species that really are at risk of going extinct and could really use that money.”

Follow the travels of Brutus, the “North Pole wolf”!



“They want to learn how arctic wolves fare in winter”

Thanks to a satellite collar, two innovative scientists, and a blog, people can follow the travels of Brutus, the “North Pole wolf” as he leads his pack through the long arctic winter.

http://www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=2351

Released: 12/1/2009 7:04:29 AM

Contact Information:
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey
Office of Communication
119 National Center
Reston, VA 20192

Revisiting the Differences among Wolves, Dogs, and Wolf-Dog Hybrids



An article from the International Wolf Center:

Revisiting the Differences among Wolves, Dogs, and Wolf-Dog Hybrids

Wolves: majestic symbol or bloodthirsty predator?



Debate divides Oregonians

This article makes it clear why this isn’t a “simple” issue that can be resolved easily to everyone’s satisfaction.

SHARING THE STORY OF THE SAWTOOTH PACK



Living with Wolves is bringing down the walls of misperception.
For six years, Jim and Jamie Dutcher lived among a pack of wolves in the wilderness of Idaho, filming them, listening to them and earning their trust. . .

Shy Wolf Sanctuary



Naples event helps people overcome their shyness toward wolf-dogs

Shy Wolf Sanctuary is where I first interacted with a wolf/wolf-dog. If you’re ever down in the Naples, Florida area, make an appointment to go visit them!

The Shy Wolf Sanctuary is a local nonprofit organization that provides a home for displaced animals, creates awareness of harmful animal breeding practices and encourages people to be empathetic and understanding toward all forms of life.




Babies, Dogs, and Wolves

Fascinating article from NPR about babies, dogs, and wolves: 

Babies And Dogs Make The Same Classic Mistake