Carolina Tiger Rescue - Blog - Conservation News

Students hunt for mountain lion information

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 19:28:00 +0000

Students at Front Range Community College work with the Rocky Mountain Conservancy to study mountain lions.

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Some mountain lions descending to the Plains

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:16:00 +0000

A photograph of a mountain lion recently helped verify that the animals may be returning to Kansas.

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'Ghostly' Saharan cheetah filmed in Niger, Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 20:49:00 +0000

Conservationists are excited about a photo of a Saharan cheetah, as perhaps less than 10 survive in the deserts of Termit, Niger. Very little is known about the Saharan cheetah, but it can endure extremely high temperatures almost entirely without a permanent source of water. They have a paler spot pattern than is common in other subspecies of cheetah.

The photo was taken as part of the Saharan Carnivore Project, by the Saharan Conservation Fund (SCF) Saharan cheetahs are considered native to Algeria, Togo, Niger, Mali, Benin, and Burkina Faso.

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Tigers and Polar Bears, Leopards and Lions Vulnerable to Environmental Change

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:27:00 +0000

A new study by Durham University and the Zoological Society of London has determined that the impact of environmental change on large predators such as Canadian lynx, leopards, lions, and tigers is 5 to 6 times greater than that on smaller species because they have to work so hard to find their next meal.

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Mountain lions straying into more urban areas

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 21:20:00 +0000

Michael Macor / The Chronicle

A mountain lion equipped with a transmitter on her collar is among the subjects being studied by animal behavior researchers in Santa Cruz.

A cougar sighting in Berkley, CA has given rise to concern about the large predators moving into urban areas, but wildlife biologist Rich Hopkins suggests there are ways for humans to safely coexist with its wild neighbor.

Hopkins explains that humans are a far greater danger to cougars than they are to humans. The chance of getting attacked by a cougar is 1000 times less than the chance of getting struck by lightning. Due to California's dense population, relocating cougars is not practical, but without more funding, the Department of Fish and Game cannot manage chasing the cougars back to their local habitat, leaving the response to cougar sightings to police. Zara McDonald of the Felidae Conservation Fund points out that police have to react quickly, without training. This may mean that police may be more likely to shoot the animal.

Conservationists are concerned that human sprawl could cut off the corridors that cougar use for travel, isolating populations of cougars and encouraging inbreeding, possibly causing the cougar to go the way of the bear and wolf, which are already gone to the Bay Area. This leaves the cougar as the last large predator to maintain the balance of the area's ecosystem.

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We need a plan for living with lions

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:40:00 +0000

Wildlife biologist Jim Hale explains why California needs a plan to respond to cougar sightings to ensure the animal continues to live in California.

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European cheetahs spearhead drive back into wild

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 20:32:00 +0000

This article on CNN discusses a plan to take two captive cheetahs from Kent, England back to Kenya with the hopes that their offspring can be reintroduced to the wild. Most attempts to reintroduce cheetahs back to the wild have been unsuccessful.

The cheetahs were hand reared as cubs by Keeper Jonathan Ames of Eagle Heights Wildlife Park. Ames has begun training the male to have skills he may need in the wild.

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Mine Sought Near Superior bad idea

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:02:00 +0000

A letter to The Arizona Republicexpresses concern over a proposed mine site that could endanger the habitat where ocelots have recently been sighted.

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'Tiger Queen', wildlife flick shot in HD, vies for green crown

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 15:11:00 +0000

A new film explores the balance of power among wild tigers as it follows a tigress named Machli as she raises what is likely her last litter of cubs in the wild. The film was made at Ranthambore National Park and the Sariska Reserve in India.

The film is set to show in the US on Animal Planet.

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Uganda Ends Sport Hunting as Wildlife Numbers Decline

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:18:00 +0000

The Uganda Wildlife Authority announces that they will impose a ban on trophy hunting, acknowledging that using funds raised from controlled hunting to support conservation efforts is not working as well as the theory supposed.

The article includes a discussion with Derek Joubert, one of the founders of National Geographic's Big Cat Initiative, who discusses the impact of trophy hunting on lions.

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The Next Ailing Wild Cat in Apple’s Software Pipeline

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 21:06:00 +0000

University of Minnesota biologist Craig Packer comments on the precarious status of lions as Apple plans to release a new operating system called "Lion".

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Refuge biologists hoping to find some 'new' felines

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:59:00 +0000

Biologist Jodie Mays has started a trapping process to census ocelots at the Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge at the southern tip of Texas. She has reason to be optimistic; motion capture cameras have indicated the presence of three females that have not been previously documented.

The number of ocelots remaining in the US has dwindled to a population of less than 50. Scientists hope that a protected and stable prey base will start changing this situation.

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Statement by Dr. Luke Hunter on the International Forum for Tiger Conservation

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 01:23:00 +0000

A comment on the primary cause in the decline of the tiger and on what efforts should be made at the upcoming International Forum for Tiger Conservation in St. Petersburg, Russia.

20 Years of Cheetah Conservation

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 20:13:00 +0000

Come to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, PA on October 21st to hear a talk from world renown conservationist and cheetah expert, Dr. Laurie Marker.

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Jaguar Listing and Habitat Designation Based on Junk Science

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 20:20:00 +0000

Biologist/Attorney Dennis Parker claims that through collection of information under te Freedom of Information Act, that the recent decision by US Fish and Wildlife (USFWS) to designate areas in Arizona as "Critical Habitat" for the jaguar is not based on fact.

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Setback to cheetah revival plan in state

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:35:00 +0000

Government departments in India are objecting to plans to reintroduce the cheetah to the proposed site of Shahgarh Bulge in Jaisalmer, India, as the protected area may interfere with areas being explored for oil and natural gas and may affect jobs in the area.

V S Singh, secretary of the Forest Department in India, insists that Shahgarh Bulge is one of te best sites for the reintroduction plan.

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Debating mountain lion reports in the area

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 14:15:00 +0000

What do you do if you see a cougar?

This article discusses the controversy in Morris, Illinois, about whether or not cougars have returned to being native to the area- a controversy that exists in many areas east of the Mississippi River that for many years have not been considered native habitat for cougars. The author reports 3 separate cougar sitings in Illinois that he feels are valid.

His advice if you think you see a cougar?

Try to compare the cat to something nearby for perspective- how big is the animal? It's easy to over-estimate the size of an animal glimpsed only briefly.
Look for tracks.
Carolina Tiger note: cougars are wild and dangerous, so please keep this is mind
Call your local Conservation Officer.
Carolina Tiger note: Generally this information is available from the Department of Wildlife for your state.

Tiger Day celebrations held in Vladivostok

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 20:16:00 +0000

"Tiger Day" was held today in Vladivostok, Russia to express citizens concern for the tiger's future. The event represents the biggest eco-celebration in the Russian Far East and is organized by the Phoenix Fund with government support and the support of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Russia, the WWF, the IFAW, and the Far East Development Fund.

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Top dog in saving big cats

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 18:39:00 +0000

Alan Rabinowitz of Mahopac in the Panthera offices in Manhattan. Rabinowitz leads the organization, which works to protect the world's big cats. (Carucha L. Meuse/The Journal News Carucha L. Meuse)

An exposé on leading big cat conservationist and founder of Panthera, Alan Rabinowitz.

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Hybrid Panthers Helping Rare Cat Rebound in Florida

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 18:28:00 +0000

Photograph courtesy Science/AAAS

The introduction of the Texan cougar genetics to the declining Florida panther population has been tremendously successful. Florida panthers are also a subspecies of cougar, but had started to become inbred as their population dwindled.

Eight cougars from Texas were released into the Florida swamplands in 1995, and the increased genetic diversity has vastly improved the health of the existing population.

The research was conducted by Stephen O'Brien, a geneticist at the National Cancer Institute in Frederick, Maryland.

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Early reproduction retains fertility in cheetah females

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:04:00 +0000

Scientists from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) in Berlin have determined that reproduction in Namibian cheetahs is far better than previously thought, with approximately 80% of cheetah cubs reaching adulthood.

Cheetahs manage far better in Namibia than in other areas because they do not have to compete with lions or hyenas, which frequently kill cheetah young.

The scientists compared the fertility of captive cheetahs in large enclosures to that of free range cheetahs and concluded that normal reproductive behavior in young adults can affect long-term fertility.

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Run for the cheetahs in Hogle Zoo's Wild Stampede Oct. 2

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 15:44:00 +0000

Utah's Hogle Zoo and the Utah Chapter of the Association of American Zoo Keepers will host the Wild Stampede, a run and walk to raise money for Action for Cheetahs in Kenya (ACK) on Saturday, Oct. 2.

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TIGERS do not segregate on regional lines

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:12:00 +0000

Shomita Mukherjee, a wildcat expert and member of the IUCN Cat Specialist Group and the Species Survival Commission, discusses when it is important to protect the integrity of tiger subspecies versus when isolating a breeding population encourages inbreeding.

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Coexisting with mountain lions...say what?!?

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:06:00 +0000

The Marin Humane Society is offering a free lecture on Tuesday evening to teach the public how to coexist peacefully with mountain lions.

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Lost tiger population discovered in Bhutan mountains

noreply@blogger.com (Carolina Tiger Rescue) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 17:31:00 +0000

Motion-capture cameras have caught images of tigers living at higher elevations than ever suspected before in Bhutan, including images of a female with cubs! Alan Rabinowitz of Panthera suspected that the tigers might be living in the area and enlisted the help of cameraman Gordon Buchanan, who set up the cameras over a period of 3 months to discover the truth.

It is the only known place on earth to have tigers, leopards, and snow leopards sharing the same habitat. If Bhutan could be adequately protected for the tiger, it could become a source location for tigers to breed and spread to repopulate areas that have lost their tiger population.

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Article: BBC cameras capture rare glimpse of mountain tigers