Saturday 10 December 2016

ARTICLE: Deaths due to attack by tigers showing decreasing trend, New Delhi

Over 30 people have died due to attack by tigers in the country in 2015-16, the government said on Monday and asserted that such deaths have shown a “decreasing” trend. “As per the latest information received from the states, the number of people died due to tiger attack is showing a decreasing trend,” Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.

Read more...

ARTICLE: Why Delhi and its only known leopard both deserve a chance

Even before the news that a leopard had settled in the Yamuna Biodiversity Park could sink in, Delhi rushed to decide its fate. The cat has troubled nobody but a trap cage is already in place. Once captured, it will be packed off to some forest in Haryana or Uttarakhand.


To many, the news of a resident leopard in the national capital was nothing short of a miracle. Imagine an apex predator sharing the world’s foulest air with us, lounging next to one of the city’s busiest arterial roads, by a river long reduced to a toxic drain. If the environmental disaster that is Delhi needed a signal of hope, this was probably it.

Read more...

PHOTOS: Cannibal Leopard and Prey

Territorial leopards will occasionally kill and eat their younger competition, but it's rare to glimpse the act firsthand.

In shocking photos, a leopard can be seen pulling another leopard’s carcass out of a tree, presumably to eat it.

There are many examples of leopard cannibalism in the wild, and experts speculate on the likely causes. In the most common scenario, older male leopards will kill younger ones to ward off competition and stake their territory.

Read more...

SIGHTINGS, UK: Big cats prowling Welwyn Hatfield

Herts Police confirmed that between 2011 and 2016 there were 26 reports of big cats prowling in the wild.


The majority (11) were of a panther, with one informant, in 2011, saying that after seeing a sheep being eaten by a panther, they “ran all the way home and our dog was going crazy, barking and yelping”.


Of the 26 reported sightings, nine were classified as unknown species, but shared similar characteristics with callers telling the police the big cats were “very large” or the same size as a Labrador, brown or gingery in colour – and in one incident, just 20ft from the informant.

Read more...

NEWSLINK, USA: How does a cougar end up on Vashon Island?

At first glance, it looks like just another sad missing pet sign, tacked beside the front-porch entrance to the Coffee Roasterie on Vashon Island. It’s not. It says, “found cat,” and when you look closer, you see a photograph of the feline in question: tawny coat, long tail, upright ears. It’s a cougar.

Read more...

NEWSLINK, India: Leopard and Tiger killed after both attack and injure several people

As Thursday came to a close, it left in its wake two terrible headlines. First came from Gurugram where a leopard was clubbed to death after it mauled nine people in Mandawar village. Second reached us from Assam where a Royal Bengal tiger was killed after it gravely injured three people.

Read more...

Thursday 24 November 2016

SIGHTING, UK: Woman believes 'huge black shape' is panther

Pulling back the curtains one morning, a Fovant resident caught sight of something rather unusual in the field behind her home.

Sylvia Blaydon says she spotted a “huge black shape” last Monday morning at about 7am, which she believes could have been a type of big cat.

“After looking through the binoculars the only thing that is very, very like it is a panther.” she said.

“I am 100 per cent sure it was a big cat. I’ve seen enough wild animals where I lived in Canada.”

Read more...

SIGHTING 'MAP', UK: Where have wild cats been spotted and what are the theories?

More than one big cat sighting is reported to police in Britain every week leading to fears the beasts are now breeding in our countryside.


There have been 455 sightings logged by police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland between 2010 and 2015.

Read more...

Monday 31 October 2016

ARTICLE: Why International Snow Leopard Day Matters

It would be one of the 10 largest countries in the world. It also would be the 6th least dense country in terms of human population. It is the birthplace of many of the world’s greatest rivers – the Yangtse, Yellow, Ganges, Indus, Amu Darya, and others – that provide life-sustaining water to hundreds of millions of people. All of the mountains on earth that soar above 7,000 meters (23,000 feet) – well over 100 of them – are found here.


This huge, remote, and incredible region is the home to the snow leopard.

Read more...

PHOTOS: Meo the snow leopard visits the vet at Melbourne Zoo

Meo the snow leopard is getting old. At age 14, she's at risk of arthritis, diabetes and kidney disease.
So, on her way from Big Cat Row to a new temporary residence behind the scenes at Melbourne Zoo on Monday, Meo swung by the vet surgery for a routine check-up.


"She looks great for her age," says veterinarian Dr Sarah Frith, after giving Meo a general check-up: eyes, ears, teeth and blood samples. "Her teeth are fantastic, eyes excellent and her coat is in good condition."


Read more...





REPORT: Poaching driving snow leopards to extinction

With possibly as few as 4,000 snow leopards surviving in the wild, a shock report from TRAFFIC has found that hundreds of the endangered big cats are being killed by poachers each year across their range in Asia's high mountains.
According to the report there could be as few as 4,000 of the cats left in the wild as they are being illegally shot and trapped in alarming numbers.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Is Kansas becoming overrun with mountain lions?

Last month a bowhunter got a surprise when he checked a motion-activated trail camera in Rawlins County, in northwest Kansas. Amid the pictures of deer were two unmistakable images of the same mountain lion.


“I was really, really excited to catch one in photos that clear,” said Justin, who prefers only his first name be used. “I knew it was a pretty big deal.”


It was an even bigger deal when the photos hit social media. Suddenly, it seemed Kansas was over-run with the tawny-colored predators.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Big cat census in VTR from November

The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)-mandated third annual tiger census in Bihar's Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) is likely to commence from the first week of November even though the census results of last year are still not out.


At least 250 pairs of 'camera traps' will be installed over an area of 899 sqkm in the reserve for collecting census data over a period of 90 days. The number of tigers at the state's lone tiger reserve officially stands at 28, according to 2014 census.

Read more..

SIGHTING, QUEBEC: Could a cougar be roaming the Off-Island?

It was the dogs that tipped Neil Munroe off that something out of the ordinary was skulking around his parents’ four-acre small farm in St-Lazare’s Chanterel neighbourhood.


Munroe had come home around 4 a.m. after a long night at work, and said his dogs and his neighbours’ animals were going “berserk” when he pulled up in the driveway. It wasn’t the usual barking at squirrels or passersby walking with pets, Munroe said.


“It was something that they really, really didn’t agree with, you know.”

Read more...

Thursday 13 October 2016

SIGHTING, PHOTOS, UK: Dog suffered horror wounds after being savaged by a 'puma' on country walk, owner claims

A dog nearly died from horrific injuries inflicted in a savage attack by ‘the Beast of Bucks’.

Rescue pooch Daisy was being taken for a walk by owner Carlos Romero, from High Wycombe, in woodland near local beauty spot Tom Burt’s hill when she was attacked by a ‘black panther’.

Terrified Carlos believes his beloved pet was pounced upon by a jungle lion as the area is a hotspot for sightings of big cats. In 2001, experts confirmed prints found on Wycombe Heights Golf Centre were those of a puma. Since then, locals have reported several sightings of a black big cat in the area, leading it to be nicknamed the “Beast of Bucks”.

Read more...

SIGHTING, UK: Panther on the prowl? Harpenden man spots a big cat near Luton Airport

Iain MacDonald told the Herts Advertiser: “I had a rather interesting experience whilst out jogging on Sunday (9/10/16), to the north of Harpenden, when a big cat – I am pretty sure it was a panther – crossed the road directly in front of me.”
It is the latest in a string of recent alleged sightings of a panther as this paper has learned that three weeks ago, one is believed to have been spotted in nearby Hitchin, only 15 miles away.
Iain explained that on Sunday, “I was jogging, out towards Luton Airport, in Chiltern Green.
“I was running along a quiet country road, with hardly any cars, where there was woodland on each side and this animal loped across the road, about 50 metres in front of me.

Read more...

SIGHTING, AUSTRALIA: Illawarra 'panther' spotted at Seacliff Bridge escarpment selfie spot

The sun had fallen behind the escarpment on Sunday as Alex Vourliotis headed higher up the sea-facing slope at Coalcliff, his spirits buoyed by fine weather and the postcard-worthy sight of Seacliff Bridge snaking away below.


The Albion Park personal trainer and his partner Tanaya Webb had made a leisurely visit to the scenic spot, so the two could get a photo together.

But they beat a hasty retreat home; Mr Vourliotis with a racing heart and a firm belief that he had seen for himself the Illawarra ‘panther’ – the big, black cat said to roam the region’s green border.

Read more...

Wednesday 12 October 2016

ARTICLE: No justice for Cecil: Lions STILL being killed and sold after famous cat's death

There had been hopes that the lions would be “uplisted” to Appendix I of CITES, particularly after the killing of Cecil by an American dentist last year had highlighted their vulnerability.

Instead, the summit kept the lions on Appendix II.

Although there was a proviso added that trade in their bones, claws, teeth and skull will be prohibited, this only covers wild lions and means body parts from animals killed in South Africa’s infamous “canned hunts” can still be sold on the open market.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Black magic horror as lions are poisoned and mutilated in spate of killings

It is believed witch doctors could be using the body parts for a traditional Zulu healings or that they are being sent to the lucrative Chinese medicine market.


Lions are being poisoned and mutilated in a spate of black magic killings in South Africa, it emerged today.


The revelation came as an international summit in the country refused to ban the global trade in the big cats’ body parts.


Read more...

Thursday 6 October 2016

ARTICLE: Lawrie McFarlane: Excuses for shooting cougars are inexcusable

Of the world’s five surviving big-cat species, four are either endangered, or likely to face a future confined to zoos and game parks.


There are only 3,200 tigers left in the wild, and they have the misfortune to live in some of the most densely populated countries on Earth.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: CITES ‘fails to protect lions’, says Born Free

Born Free Foundation believes CITES has failed to adequately address one of the main threats to African lions in its decision to reach a compromise agreement on controlling the trade in lion parts and products, but failing to deal with trade from captive bred lions.

Read more...

Wednesday 5 October 2016

ARTICLE: Wildlife officials ignore return of mountain lions to the Blue Ridge Mountains

There are mountain lions in the Blue Ridge Mountains of the eastern United States, but wildlife officials still call them extinct and haven’t done much to support their populations. Numerous sightings, videos, and DNA tests on captured animals point to the existence of a small population of the cats in Tennessee, where they were previously declared extinct. Despite evidence of their existence, mountain lion habitat is not officially protected, leading environmentalists to accuse wildlife officials of negligence that could further endanger the animals.

Read more...

VIDEO: Prowling big cat? Looks like a house cat, wildlife biologist says

Lady's Island resident Ben Tanner, a hunter, set up cameras to capture whatever it was he and his neighbor were hearing around their home at night since August 2016. They captured this image around 2:30 a.m. Sept. 8,, shown here first in real time, then in slow motion.

Read more...

Wednesday 28 September 2016

NEWSLINK: Big Cat Habitat adopts rare cross between lion and tiger

Big Cat Habitat of Sarasota added a a rare, new member to its family on Wednesday.

Say hello to Rhaja, a tigon.

The 7-year-old male tigon is a cross between a female lion and a male tiger, one of about 100 known worldwide. He now has a permanent home at the sanctuary, according to Big Cat Habitat's Kay Rosaire in a press release.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Tango the tiger who starred in 1990s Esso ads has passed away

A tiger who starred in Esso’s much-loved fuel adverts has died of old age at a Lincolnshire wildlife park.


Tango, one of several big cats to appear in the famous ‘Tiger in Your Tank’ ads in the 1990s, passed away at the weekend.

Read more...

Tuesday 27 September 2016

NEWSLINK: Conservationists Warn Leopards Have ‘Slipped Off The Radar’ But Can Still Be Saved

A camera trap in South Africa captured something remarkable last month: In six brief images, a leopard, one of the planet’s most elusive cats, can be seen attacking, killing and moving off screen with a meal ― in this case, an unlucky impala.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Leopard gives birth in earthquake damaged house

A leopard has given birth to three cubs at a private house belonging to Lalit Jung Thapa in Sirutar-8, Aanantalingeshwor Municipality. Thapa had abandoned the house after it was damaged by the earthquakes last year.


According to Thapa, the leopard gave birth to those cubs five days ago. “Although the mother does not stay there the whole day, it keeps returning to feed the cubs,” said Thapa, 62.

Read more...

Thursday 8 September 2016

NEWSLINK: Utah wildlife board approves increased cougar hunt

The Utah Board of Wildlife voted on big cat changes Thursday, allowing for more hunting this coming season.


The number of hunting permits for cougars will increase by 30 statewide, although the changes are on a per-unit basis. The Ogden unit, for example, will issue one less permit while units in central Utah with recent livestock conflicts will issue more permits.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Kheri villagers sight another tiger, official says no big cat in area

There seems to be no respite from tigers for the terror striken people of Chedipur and nearby villages adjacent to Mailani range of forests in Kheri district. Four days after a tiger that had killed five humans since July 8 was finally tranquilised by the wildlife experts, another tiger was sighted by the people of Chedipur. More sightings were reported from Nihalpur village, near Khuthar range of forest, in adjoining Shahjahanpur district.

Read more...

Wednesday 7 September 2016

NEWSLINK: Tigers coming out of forests around Bhopal due to lack of ‘caring capacity’

Forests in and around Madhya Pradesh capital lack caring capacity and necessary prey base, forcing the tigers to move out of their natural habitat and come close to human habitations in cities, according to a letter written by a top forest official to his senior.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Southeast Asia's Indochinese Leopards Nearing Brink of Extinction

A new study revealed that Indochinese leopards in Southeast Asia are dwindling in number, with less than 1,000 individuals, adding another big cat in the brink of extinction.
In a study published in Biological Conservation, the report showed that the genetically distinct subspecies now only live in 6.2 percent of its historical range, with two major strongholds in peninsular Malaysia and the Northern Tenasserim Forest Complex in the border of Thailand and Cambodia.

Read more...

Monday 5 September 2016

US SIGHTINGS: Attacks. ‘She will have stories to tell’: Idaho preschooler saved from jaws of mountain lion in rare attack

By Ben Guarino August 15 

The first time the mountain lion pawed its way through the Idaho campsite Friday, the cat went unnoticed by everyone except for one woman. Kera Butt was camping with her family in Green Canyon Hot Springs, near Yellowstone National Park, when she caught a glimpse of the animal.

“As we were eating dinner, I turned my head and saw the back part of the cat,” Butt told East Idaho News. “I saw it move and I told everyone, ‘I just saw a cat.’”

Her family was skeptical. It must have been a different species of animal — perhaps she had mistaken a wolf for the larger predator, they said. Although mountain lions are native to the Yellowstone area, the cats are almost mythical in their ability to go unseen. They are stealthy hunters and usually shy around humans. No more than a few dozen live in the 3,000-square-mile park at a time.

Butt’s eyes did not deceive her. She had indeed spotted a mountain lion, an event the Idaho Department of Fish and Game called “highly unusual.” Stranger still, the big cat would return later that night — in a brief moment that, to the Butt family, unfolded in horror.

Wednesday 31 August 2016

PHOTOS: Leopard Charges At Zookeeper But Gets Pawed Down By Their Resident Tiger

Zookeepers are renowned for their patience and connections to the wild animals they work with but we never think that animals would stand up for a human against another animal. A caretaker at The Black Jaguar – White Tiger Foundation, Eduardo Serio must be particularly good at what he does because he is obviously considered one of their own, by the most of the animals anyway.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Meet 'Collar Wali', The Latest Craze At Pench Tiger Sanctuary

An 11-year-old Royal Bengal tigress has set a record of sorts by begetting 22 cubs since 2008 in Madhya Pradesh's Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), thus becoming the cynosure of all eyes as tourists flock in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the majestic beast.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Five days on, tiger in Kheri yet to be found

Just days after a tiger mauled two to death in Chedipur village in Kheri district, forest officials and authorities have still not been able to locate the big cat. Authorities added that the tiger killed a dog in the same district.

Read more...

UK SIGHTING: Big cat captured on video? Panther like beast spotted in countryside

Royal Mail worker Phil Chapman couldn’t believe his eyes when he spotted this cat like creature roaming around the countryside near Wakefield.


Mr Chapman, 48, was staying at the Redbeck Motel in Crofton when he captured the animal, believed to be a big cat, on camera, as it was prowling through nearby fields.

Read more...

Monday 29 August 2016

NEWSLINK: Speculations emerge over Murbad leopard origin

Man-animal conflicts, especially with leopards, in the state have progressively become a sensitive issue. In one such episode, a leopard was shot dead in Murbad near Thane on Thursday after it attacked two people in three days. Locals and environmentalists speculate that the big cats may have been relocated from their habitats, which might be the reason for the rise in attacks.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Tiger from 'worst zoo' gets new home

A Bengal tiger rescued from what activists have called "the worst zoo in the world" arrived in South Africa for a new home on Thursday, after living in a small cage in Gaza alongside another tiger's stuffed corpse.


The 9-year-old male, known as Laziz, arrived by plane. His handlers said he was in good condition and calm after traveling in a wooden crate.

Read more...

Tuesday 2 August 2016

VIDEO: Woman dies in tiger attack at drive-through safari park in China

A horrific tiger attack has been captured on surveillance video at a safari park in northern China. The fatal attack occurred on Saturday at Badaling Wildlife World outside of Beijing when a woman exited her car and was dragged away by one of the park’s Siberian tigers. While the woman survived, her mother died while trying to rescue her.


Read more...

VIDEO: Bobcat sightings spike in Ahwatukee neighborhood

Living in the desert, we're used to seeing wildlife. Big cats sometimes do make a rare appearance, but at least one is not being very shy.


Bobcat sightings in an Ahwatukee neighborhood have spiked recently, with multiple neighbors reporting seeing bobcats.

Read more...

Sunday 31 July 2016

NEWSLINK: Tippi Hedren and the big cats at her sanctuary were spared by the ‘demonic’ Sand fire

The big exotic cats that live at the Shambala Preserve in Acton were able to stay in place during the worst of the Sand fire and did not have to evacuate, said actress and activist Tippi Hedren, who founded the sanctuary.


Hedren said on Facebook Tuesday that Shambala’s staff and fire personnel were prepared to keep the sanctuary and the big cats safe.


“The knowledge of these amazing men and women is to be commended,” she wrote on the Roar Foundation’s Facebook page.


Read more...

UK SIGHTING: Couple stunned after spotting 'terrifying beast' on motorway

Peter Lennon and his wife stopped in the middle of the M50 in Gloucestershire when the spotted the mysterious large cat cross the carriageway on Sunday night.

The pair were driving home to Redditch from Cardiff when an animal "the size of a mountain lion" appeared from the bushes at the side of the road.

Peter said the "dark brown or black" beast stood next to the couple's van for a moment, before disappearing into the night.

Read more...

Tuesday 26 July 2016

SIGHTING: Is a big cat on the loose in Estepona?

A video published on social media on Tuesday, July 26, appears to show a large, cat-like beast prowling around in scrubland close to Estepona.

Commenters speculated as to the identity of the mystery animal, which is said to weigh approximately 30-35 kilos and was only on display for a few seconds before disappearing into a thicket of trees.


Many keyboard warriors believe the animal to be a cougar, also known as puma or mountain lion, the world’s fourth largest cat which tends to weigh between 45 and 55 kilos when adult, although exceptional individuals can attain 90 kilos.

Read more...

Monday 25 July 2016

PHOTOS: How Does A Tiger Keep Cool In This Heat? One Word: Bloodsicles

It was hot at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., this weekend. Really hot. The iPhone weather app displayed a sweltering 100 degrees.


"It feels like a million degrees," says Tammy Long, who was visiting from Pennsylvania with her husband and 2-year-old daughter. "It's sweltering out here."


Parents and kids crowd under what look like giant shower heads throughout the park. Cool mist covers them from head to toe.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: All Natural Cat Treats Support Big Cat Rescue

H3 Essentials, a family-owned manufacturer of pet supplements and products in Evanston, Ill., launched a line of freeze-dried cat treats and has partnered with Chris Poole, creator and videographer of Cole & Marmalade,IHeartCats.com and PureFormulas, to kick off the Little Cats Helping Big Cats campaign. 

Every purchase of the new treats supports and brings awareness to Big Cat Rescue, an accredited sanctuary for exotic cats in Tampa, Fla., that houses more than 80 lions, tigers, bobcats, cougars and other abandoned, neglected or abused cats.

Read more...

ARTICLE: Pride in Our Prides – Saving Lions with Livestock Kraals

Lions and people live a tenuous coexistence. Where their activities overlap problems are inevitable. 
The consequence often is fatal; sometimes for the people involved, more frequently so for the lions. In retaliation of attacks on humans or livestock, people resort to drastic measures including poisoning. Along the northern edge of Botswana’s Okavango Delta poisoning killed up to 60% of the known lion population in 2013. In response, we started Pride in Our Prides to alleviate the tensions between rural communities and the lions that leave the safety of the Delta.

Read more...

Thursday 21 July 2016

NEWSLINK: Government to tap Tillari as tiger habitat

The state government is planning to declare a patch of evergreen forests at Tillari in the Konkan as a wildlife sanctuary to develop it as a tiger habitat.


The area in Sindhudurg, which is nestled in the Western Ghats on the cusp of Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka, can be used to develop the source tiger population for the Sahyadri tiger reserve, which has just around seven tigers.

Read more...

Wednesday 20 July 2016

ARTICLE: Why Malawi is poised to be the next big safari destination

Life and death in the wild can be sudden and dramatic. A golden dawn was rising to a chorus of birdsong in Malawi’s Liwonde National Park as antelopes grazed and butterflies flitted among lush grass, while a warthog lapped quietly at a reedy brook. It was a bucolic African scene of peace and harmony. Then all hell broke loose.

Read more...

Tuesday 19 July 2016

NEWSLINK: Dying Tiger Spent His Life Being Paraded Around At Football Games

Mike the tiger's Facebook page is inundated with messages like "You are so loved" and "We're pulling for you."

Born and bred as a live mascot, the now 11-year-old tiger has spent his life being wheeled out in front of cheering fans at Louisiana State University.

And now, he'll finally retire from the life that was forced upon him — but only because he's been diagnosed with an inoperable and rare cancer.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Big cats HAVE lived in wild near Plymouth, says Dartmoor Zoo owner

Wild big cats DID live on the edge of Plymouth until as recently as 2010, according to the owner of Dartmoor Zoo.


There have been dozens of sightings of big cats over the years leading to the rise of the legend of the Beast of Dartmoor, as well as instances such as a 20-stone lion allegedly spotted on a South Hams country lane, not to mention reports of sheep being slaughtered by a beast in Buckfastleigh in 2014 - only to be later dismissed by police or animal experts.

Read more...

Sunday 17 July 2016

VIDEO: This Kruger lion is the absolute King of Roar

Few things are spine-chilling as the roar of a lion. It packs a punch that can frighten the toughest of us, but can also make you feel all warm and fuzzy for being proudly South African.


For locals and visitors coming into SA, hearing the African Lion roar is certainly one of the bucketlist African experiences.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Tiger safari project in Corbett red flagged

The National Tiger Conservation Authority has red flagged a proposed tiger safari project in Uttarakhand’s Corbett National Park and asked the State government to first comply with wildlife norms.


The NTCA and Central Zoo Authority (CZA), under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, feel that the proposed safari project may expose tigers to poaching.

Read more...

Monday 11 July 2016

VIDEO: Rescued lion and tiger become friends

Cameron the lion and Zabu the tiger were rescued from a rundown roadside zoo. Keepers tried to breed them in the hope of selling 'liger 'cubs.

Read more...

Sunday 10 July 2016

ARTICLE: Cecil the Lion: Summit to address plight of Africa’s magnificent animal

Leading conservation groups are coming together in memory of the big cat killed by an American dentist a year ago today to draw up a master plan to save the creatures.

Yet protecting Africa’s remaining lions will cost around £1 billion a year to stop them becoming extinct within a few generations.

Read more...

Thursday 7 July 2016

NEWSLINK: Wild Amur leopard tasked with becoming hero father to help save the species

Siberian leopards are one of the world's most endangered species with only 80 alive in the wild and another 200 in captivity. Leo80M's role is to boost the numbers.

The leopard is becoming the first in 60 years to be moved from the wild to a zoo. He is not going on show to the public but at Moscow Zoo he will entertain females from around the world, also part of a breeding programme that could be the difference between survival and extinction for these rare animals.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Parks chief vows to up seized tiger care

The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation says it will improve facilities for taking care of 146 tigers confiscated from the famous Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi's Sai Yok district. The improvements aim to meet with standard animal welfare practices, said Adisorn Noochdamrong, the department's deputy chief, who on Friday accompanied the media on visits to two wildlife breeding centres.

Read more...

Wednesday 22 June 2016

NEWSLINK: Mother fights off mountain lion that attacked her five-year-old son

A mother in Colorado managed to fight off a mountain lion (cougar) that attacked her five-year-old son while he was playing with his older brother.

The sheriff's office says the attack occurred outside the family home just northwest of Aspen in western Colorado on Friday.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Territorial war: Madhya Pradesh loses third tiger in 4 days

In a major setback to conservation efforts of Madhya Pradesh forest department, the state has lost yet another tiger to the war over territorial supremacy on Friday. With this, tiger death toll in reserves and parks of MP has gone up to 20 since January 1 this year.

Read more...

Tuesday 21 June 2016

NEWSLINK: Rare wild cat, found in Oman, shifted to breeding centre

The rare wild cat found in Oman was shifted to the wild animals breeding centre of the Royal Diwan Court, according to the Ministry of Environment and Climate Affairs (MECA).


Few weeks ago, MECA, in cooperation with a citizen had captured the animal in the Musandam governorate.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Man mauled to death by tiger in Kanha Reserve

A 70-year-old tribal man was mauled to death by a tiger in the buffer zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve, officials said on Saturday.

“A tiger on Friday mauled to death Raja Ram at the buffer zone close to Khatia forest range of the park,” Kanha Tiger Reserve Field Director J. S. Chauhan said.

Read more...

Monday 20 June 2016

NEWSLINK: Probe ordered into Ravindra Jadeja's 'selfie' with lions

The Gujarat forest department has ordered an inquiry into the alleged incident of cricketer Ravindra Jadeja taking a 'selfie', which is not permitted, with lions at the Gir wildlife sanctuary at Sasan in Junagadh.


The alleged incident occurred just days after the forest department advised tourists and locals against taking 'selfies' with lions.


Read more...





NEWSLINK: 'Petite' leopard slipped through steel mesh, say zoo officials

Zoo officials said Wednesday that a rare Amur leopard found napping in a trellis just outside her enclosure Tuesday escaped by slipping through the steel mesh surrounding the habitat.


The 4-year-old leopard, Zeya, climbed the mesh that surrounds the enclosure on all sides in order to reach larger holes at the top of the habitat, zoo community relations coordinator Erica Hansen said.

Read more...

Thursday 16 June 2016

PHOTOS: Local cougar sighting adds to growing Lower Peninsula list

A single student sat immersed in his mobile device at the back of the school bus when a large, furry creature bounded across the road several bus lengths ahead.


Karen VanDusen, a Traverse City Area Public Schools bus driver of seven years, was nearing the end of her route May 26 between 3:15 p.m. and 3:25 p.m., returning to Traverse City along Rennie Lake Road nearing Supply Road when the large animal dashed across the road.

Read more...

Tuesday 14 June 2016

VIDEO: Mother cougar frolics with cubs

It seems that when mountain lion videos appear on YouTube, they usually involve pulse-pounding rescues or encounters. Not so with a recent video from California-based photographer Robert Martinez.

Read more...

NEWSLINK (UK): Health and safety breaches admitted after tiger mauls keeper to death

A zoo has admitted health and safety breaches after a keeper was mauled to death by a tiger in May 2013.


Sarah McClay, 24, died at South Lakes Wild Animal Park (now known as South Lakes Safari Zoo), in Dalton-in-Furness, South Cumbria when a Sumatran tiger got through an unlocked gate and left deep puncture wounds in her neck and body.


Miss McClay, originally from Glasgow, suffered “unsurvivable” multiple injuries in the attack and was airlifted to hospital where she was formally pronounced dead.

Read more...

Monday 13 June 2016

NEWSLINK: Tiger Temple abbot blames subordinates and officials

The abbot of the Tiger Temple had nothing to do with the alleged abuse and illegal trading of tigers and tiger parts, according to his representatives who have put the blame squarely on temple staff and officials.

Read more...

VIDEO: Abandoned big cats given new life at Indiana rescue

A tiger paces a worn footpath.


Its white fur contrasts brilliantly with the surrounding green foliage.


A growl rumbles in the animal’s throat as four colossal paws kick up puffs of dirt in the dry summer heat.


This is a 500-pound apex predator named Charlie Brown, adapted to stalk the rainforests of Southeast Asia. This is an animal so rare it’s feared they will disappear completely in the next decade.


This tiger doesn’t belong here.


Charlie Brown is in a cage in Indiana.

Read more...

Tuesday 7 June 2016

ARTICLE: To save the big cats, we need Big Data Analytics

According to the latest tiger census, the number of big cats in India has increased by more than 30 per cent in the past four years. The study put the number at 2,226, up from 1,706 in 2010 when the last such tiger-counting exercise was undertaken. For decades, tiger numbers had been declining due to several factors including poaching, man-nature conflict, environmental degradation, and dwindling habitat.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: Leopard on the loose, panic grips residents in Kuleshwor

A residential house in Kuleshwor height on Wednesday morning was struggling to attend to an uninvited guest—a leopard.

The wild cat, believed to have strayed away from jungle around the Capital, unleashed terror among locals the entire morning.

Read more...

Monday 6 June 2016

NEWSLINK: Tiger skins and talismans seized at Tiger Temple

Wildlife authorities on Thursday confiscated two tiger skins and hundreds of tiger-skin talismans found on a pickup truck trying to sneak out of the Tiger Temple. The vehicle with two temple workers and...

Read more...

ARTICLE: There could be more than 10,000 tigers living in secret across America

According to the latest estimates, there are approximately 3,890 tigers left in the wild, but experts say that there are more than that in captivity in the US alone.


In fact, Carson Barylak, who heads the "Big Cats in Captivity" campaign for the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), tells Tech Insider that they estimate there are more than 10,000 tigers in backyards, basements, pseudo-sanctuaries, and roadside zoos around the country.

Read more...

Monday 30 May 2016

ARTICLE: Colorado’s Wild Animal Sanctuary Offers Home To Animals With Nowhere Else To Go

Turning the corner off the little dirt road, the sight a 1,500 pound grizzly bear taking a snooze in the tall grasses on the Eastern Plains is enough to get your heart racing.


Another glance out the passenger side window of my car, a tiger strolled alongside, eyeing us. 

Instantly I identified with those little deer you see running away from the jaws of these magnificent cats on TV documentaries.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: After two tigers escape in Friesland, how many big cats are living in the Netherlands?

The news that two tigers had escaped from an animal shelter in Friesland at the weekend has given rise to questions about how many big cats are actually in the country. 

Residents living close to the centre outside the village of Nijeberkoop were warned to stay indoors for several hours on Saturday as police tracked the animals, named as Radjah and Dehli, using a helicopter.

Read more...

Friday 27 May 2016

NEWSLINK: Elusive Snow Leopard Collared in Kyrgyzstan

Scientists have collared an elusive snow leopard in the remote, rugged mountains of Kyrgyzstan.


The female cat was collared in the Sarychat-Ertash Strict Nature Reserve of Eastern Kyrgyzstan by biologists with the wild cat conservation organization Panthera, the State Agency on Environment Protection and Forestry and the National Academy of Sciences. The mama cat showed signs of having lactated in the past, suggesting she had given birth to at least one cub.

Read more...

VIDEO: Lionesses surround tent to drink from windows

Campers were left stunned when they awoke to find lionesses meekly licking rainwater from the wall of their transparent tent.

Luckily the three seemingly ‘licking ladies’ were more interested in quenching their thirsts than entering the flimsy tent and attacking the unarmed tourists.

Read more...

Thursday 26 May 2016

VIDEO: Drunk man jumps into lion enclosure

Onlookers scream as the 35-year-old man wades across a protective moat in order to reach the deadly beasts on the other side.


A lioness is waiting on the other side of the water.


But rather than realise his terrible life-threatening mistake, the bloke approaches the huge animal – with his hand outstretched.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: PETA vs Justin Bieber

“Love Yourself” singer Justin Bieber has a thing for big cats but not everyone is happy about it. The Canadian pop star is once again under fire from PETA after an Instagram post showed him cuddling with a lion cub before his homecoming concert in Toronto on May 18.

Read more...

Tuesday 24 May 2016

NEWSLINK: Big cats face fresh danger with poachers back on the prowl

Intel reports that tribal gypsy groups from India are entering the Nepali territory in Bardiya and Kailali have put park authorities and security officials on high alert.

The Indian tribal gypsy groups, known as Banjaras, are infamous for poaching endangered animals, including tiger.

Read more...

Monday 23 May 2016

NEWSLINK: Number of tigers estimated at 40 in Odisha

The number of tigers in Odisha has been estimated at 40, said a report on Wednesday.

According to the tiger estimation report of Odisha government, the state has 40 tigers against the report of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), which said there were 28 big cats in Odisha.

Read more...

NEWSLINK: End of exploitative tiger encounters a positive step

The news that Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo is ending its tiger encounters signals an exciting shift with positive implications that extend far beyond the gates of one zoo.

Read more...

Tuesday 17 May 2016

RADIO LINK: Leopard ranges smaller than believed



The conventional assumption was that leopards were thriving the wild in ranges across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. It turns out their populations are threatened by spreading farmlands, declining prey, trophy hunting, and illegal trade in their skins and teeth.

Listen...

NEWSLINK: Leopard Deaths Or Forest Department's Apathy: Which Is A Bigger Mystery?

In a shocking development, the carcass of a dead male leopard was discovered nearly four weeks after its death near a forest guard checkpost at Badshapur in Gurgaon.

Local residents who found the body were intrigued by the stench of the leopard's body yet, the officials who man the checkpost did not spot the scent!


An official went on to claim that it was "confusing" as it "could have been any dead animal."

Read more...

PHOTO: Pride of lions form world’s cutest roadblock

You know how it is when you’re in a hurry and there's a cat blocking the road – it’s just a matter of 
getting out and shooing it to the side.


But this was a trickier proposition for travellers in the Kruger National Park in South Africa, who were confronted by a family of rather bigger felines.

Read more...

Monday 16 May 2016

VIDEO: What happens when you turn your back on big cats

In an effort to discourage ownership of wild animals, a brave volunteer at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida safely demonstrated the danger of turning one’s back on a big cat.

His daring experiment included a lion, a tiger and leopard, all of whom snuck up behind him quietly in attack mode, as dictated by instinct.

NEWSLINK: Russia built a critical wildlife corridor to help save endangered big cats

Endangered Amur tigers and leopards around the border between Siberia and China are losing critical habitat to humans. 

Their migratory trails cut through the Narvinskii Pass, but in the last 15 years, a four lane highway there engulfed what used to be a little-trafficked gravel road. 

Now Russia has taken a step to protect these gorgeous at-risk animals.

Read more...

Sunday 15 May 2016

VIDEO: Lions feed on rhino

With their leathery skin and tough horns, rhinos are rarely the prey of choice for big cats, but a hungry group of lions in South Africa's Kruger National Park decided to take its chances recently, and managed to take down a juvenile male.

Read more...

UK SIGHTING: Is a big cat prowling the East Devon countryside?

Jane Overthrow posted a status on the Ottery Matters Facebook page, saying she had seen a ‘black panther-type’ creature strolling across a field at the end of Lower Broad Oak Road, near Higher Metcombe, on Saturday morning.


She said the dark chocolate brown creature was heading towards a cattle field.


“I honestly cannot tell you what it was, except it seemed too long and big to be a normal dog,” said Jane.


“We stopped to have a better look, but it was about 200 yards away.”


Dozens of residents responded to the post to share their big cat encounters.

Read more...

Tuesday 3 May 2016

NEWSLINK: Conroe tiger sent to animal sanctuary shortly after theft attempt

This is a town passionate about its Tigers, the ones who compete under Moorhead Stadium's lights on Friday nights every fall.


But even Conroe High School's football team hasn't generated as much interest as the tale of the tiger cub recently found wandering the city's streets following last week's floods.

Nahla was moved Wednesday to a sanctuary near Fort Worth but not before a custody hearing and an apparent attempt to steal the Bengal tiger from the city's animal shelter.

Read more...