“I don’t know how the owner of this deceased dog can be so calm about it! Has anyone ever seen a Golden Retriever act aggressively? I certainly haven’t, in England this breed are like big puppies, whatever their age…Jesus….don’t the police have lights within the sight of their gun targets?? Had it been an aggressive pit-bull charging at them, looking like it was attempting to really harm them; the police may have had concerns about their own well-being & been forced to protect themselves. Having said that, a dog can’t kill with one bite; (unless it’s rabid or bit an artery) the police would have had enough time to act, had it been a vicious dog, whatever the breed! But this poor dog would more likely have just walked up to lick the policeman’s hand, had it been given the chance! It seems to me that the police in America are slightly trigger happy; when it come to confrontation with dogs…but that’s my personal view!!”
A tragic case of mistaken identity has left the dog who belongs to the owner of a former Veterans building in Vallejo, Calif., dead, reported Wednesday’sMercury News.
A senior golden retriever was shot and killed/NOT TigerT. Preston
The dog, a senior golden retriever, belonged to 83-year-old Ed Boydston, who just bought the building which is located on Alabama Street.
Boydston, a Korean War veteran, was at the newly purchased building in the early evening last Friday; while there, someone phoned the police to report suspicious activity.
Responding police entered the building and called out to announce their presence; Boydston did not hear them, but his dog, “Tiger,” did, and when he approached, he was shot one time.
Boydston told Mercury News what he said to the officer:
I said, ‘Don’t shoot my dog, and I heard very clearly, ‘I just did,’
I kind of feel like the dog tripped a shot for me. It could have been me that was shot. I was 10-12 feet away.”
The officer’s shot to Tiger proved to be fatal; Tiger, described as “sweet,” had been Boydston’s companion for the last eight years.
Following the death of his companion, Boydston said:
I guess they were justified in doing it,
I don’t know about the law, but I guess they had justified rights. Someone reported a burglary.”
A 72-year-old man was killed by three tigers in a closed-down zoo in northern Italy after he entered the animals’ cage to feed them, according to media reports.
Tigers relax in their enclosure at the private park in Pinerolo near Turin Photo: EPA/ALESSANDRO DI MARCO
The zoo, in the mountainous area of Pinerolo near Turin, was closed due to financial difficulties in 2009 and its owners had not managed to relocate nine tigers and one leopard kept there, the Corriere della Sera daily reported.
The tigers attacked the zoo’s caretaker suddenly as he was feeding them, and his wife raised the alarm, state broadcasterRAI said. Emergency services confirmed his death at the scene
Locals had previously expressed concerns about the tigers, which were not sterilised and recently had cubs.
For many, the day signifies hope – a new season, a fresh start, a promise of a good year. Millions of fans from all over the nation flock to stadiums to cheer on their favorite baseball heroes. Many of these fans are children who look up to the athletes as role models and emulate their behaviors.
Undoubtedly, the Tigers, like so many other animal enthusiasts in the U.S., did not realize that cub photo ops represent the very opposite of “hope”.
Not only do the photos send the wrong message that handling a wild big cat and treating it like a “pet” is an acceptable thing to do, and frighteningly, despite the fact that 17 adults and 5 children in the U.S. have been killed and nearly 300 other people have been injured by captive big cats within recent years, many people added comments to the Facebook posting that express enthusiasm for owning a tiger, but these photo op’s also represent less than a hopeful situation for the poor cub.
After all, he was brought to the ballpark by Dade City‘s Wild Things Zoo, a private zoo that shamefully allows the public to swim, bottle feed and cuddle with tiger cubs and has repeatedly been cited by theUSDA due to poor veterinary care, improper cub handling, and unacceptable fencing, among other disturbing issues.
Dozens of U.S. traveling zoos and roadside exhibitors profit from charging the public a fee to pet and pose with tiger cubs and other large big cats.
People don’t realize when they patronize these facilities that they are contributing to a huge public safety and animal welfare problem that exists in the U.S. today.
After the cubs grow too big and dangerous for handling, all too often they could be kept in someone’s backyard; sent to aroadside zoo; bred incessantly to further fuel the cub handling trade, or could even be killed.
In one notorious incident of severe cruelty, investigators found more than 90 dead tigers, including 58 cubs stuffed into freezers, on the property a self-professed animal “rescuer” who charged admission for people to visit the tigers.
This is why passing theBig CatsandPublic SafetyProtection Act – a nationwide ban on private big cat ownership and breeding that will soon been reintroduced in Congress-is so important.
The Detroit tigers now have a key opportunity to use their national voice to turn this around and pledge that they will, in the future, choose not to pose with tiger cubs because they would never knowingly want to support an industry that thrives off the exploitation of big cats.
This would be a most appropriate way to kick off a season of hope. -TC
“This is ridiculous, these big cats only turn man eaters when their other meat has been had for tea by the villagers or gone off elsewhere due to the habit forever decreasing!! The people that live around there don’t wait for officials as it is…so God help the poor animals that the villagers catch up with now!! It hardly seems fair, I mean the tigers were in the forest before people started popping up all over!”
“The big cats habitat is being destroyed at an alarming rate, so what are they supposed to do for food? Obviously they are going to take a villagers goat or cow for supper; they wouldn’t attack & eat humans if they had plenty meat running around the forest! If the villagers don’t want their livestock eaten, they should build bigger fencing; or better still, don’t live in the tigers domain! Don’t kill the tigers because they got too close to humans; it’s the other way around, the villagers got too close to the animals. Perhaps more birth control wouldn’t go a miss, for all the women of these small villages; that appear to be sprouting up all over the tigers domain!!”
“Going on past history, the villagers have not waited for the forest department to come & capture a tiger or leopard that has attacked & or killed a human or cattle! I can understand their hate toward the big cat; but killing it won’t bring a person back. Capture & release into another part of the forest is the best for all concerned. If only the powers that be, could arrive much quicker, perhaps the villagers would not take matters into their own hands; therefore the whole scenario could be defused without harming the animal!”
“Now with the added go ahead as laid-out below in the news post, it’s almost giving the villagers more of a green light to kill the animals themselves; which is the worst thing that could happen! The villagers go into a mob mode & I have seen the violence they inflict on the animals they capture; they go absolutely crazy! It’s almost like a celebration, they have caught the cat & so, inflict their own means of punishment towards it! Even if officials are there, they can’t control the mob mentality of the crowds, who seem to come from nowhere? Pushing & shoving, camera phones held high; all waiting to get a glimpse of the killer about to be killed.”
“There are some horrific videos, of villagers who have caught, what they assume is the animal that killed their cattle; whilst in a frenzied mode, they repeatedly club the cornered cat to death! These villagers don’t need even more of a loop hole to kill the big cats. What needs to be done ASAP is have more armed rangers in & around all the villagers, with phones to request backup & trucks that hold cages & more importantly sedatives; ready at a moments notice to rescue a big cat that the villagers have cornered, timing is of paramount importance ! I’m not sure what the forest rangers have by way of authority over the villagers…but that also need to be changed.. as it is very clear the villagers are not afraid of the forest rangers, as is evident in so many videos, where the rangers appear to be doing nothing at all! Perhaps it could be down to numbers, if it’s only 3 rangers to 300 villagers; they are probably more scared of the swelling mob & their safety, than they are of retrieving the cat!!
“I have posted a video, which happens to be one of the worst things I have ever witnessed, it will forever haunt me in my dreams. Just the thought of it brings tears to my eyes. I’m showing it so that people can see, just how heinous the attacks on the big cats that are caught, really are; it is the cats that need the protecting, for sure! I find it hard to believe, in this era, that so many humans could want to inflict such formidable & macabre acts! Please note I have put the video at the very end, so those who don’t want to see it, will have to stop scrolling down at a certain point.
NEW DELHI: Tigers and leopards, accorded highest protection under the Wildlife Act, may now be killed with due permission from authorities if they pose a threat to human life or are disabled or diseased beyond recovery.
“Hence, such species can be killed if they become dangerous to human life or are so disabled/diseased beyond recovery,” the guidelines for declaration of big cats as ‘man-eaters‘ state.
As both tigers and leopards are known to turn into man-eaters, “such confirmed ‘man-eaters’ should be eliminated as per the statutory provisions provided in Section 11 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.”
The guidelines state that the chief wildlife warden of a state alone has the authority to permit hunting of animals which have become dangerous to human life or disabled or diseased beyond recovery.
As per the statutory requirement, a chief wildlife warden has to give in writing the reasons for permitting elimination before hunting, they say.
According to the NTCA, there are several reasons for a big cat to get habituated as a ‘man-eater’ including disability due to old age, incapacitation due to serious injury or loss of its canines, among others.
“However, there may be several exceptions, and hence specific reasons have to be ascertained on a case-to-case basis,” the NTCA said.
The tiger bearing forests and areas nearby prone to livestock depredation, besides having human settlements along with their rights and concessions in such areas, are generally prone to ‘man-eaters’, the guidelines state.
Loss of habitat connectivity in close proximity to a tiger source area owing to various land uses also foster straying of tiger near human settlements, eventually ending up as a ‘man-eater’.
“This is very gruesome & hard to believe human beings could be capable of such a despicable violent act; to an animal already caged. I have sent this video to a friend of mine in India who is an animal advocate & Media Adviser of OIPA in India / PFA Haryana; he will forward this to the right people if not already done so; I read it was filmed in 2008, so it could have already been dealt with. Please note the quality of this video including the sound is very bad quality, it settles after a minute or two!
“WARNING – View Discretion Is Strongly Advised”
Leopard being burned alive in Uttarkhand, India, PLEASE DO SOMETHING!
PLEASE READ THIS DESCRIPTION IN FULL! A leopard that was killing cattle and local villagers was caught, caged and burned alive in the summer of 2008. It remained alive for several hours after, writhing in agony while the police and forest officials watched. I have the list of people who did this. Forest officials, police, and people of the village. You can download it here: http://www.beyondclix.com/files/Uttar… We got the information but are at a loss for what to do. Please help!!!! Please share! Please spread the word! More people should know about what happened. People who can do something about it should do try to do something!
PLEASE!Additional Note: I should have mentioned. Sorry. I did not shoot this video. Someone posted this in FB and we picked it up from there. We shared it with our friends and one of our friends then contacted Indian government under Right to Information Act asking for info on those forest officials. After waiting 6 months they sent the details. The link to download is in description. Then I tried to contact and even tried to meet many politicians and celebs but no one interested yet.
Still trying.Additional additional note: PLEASE don’t make this some country-bashing or religion-bashing thread. You’re taking away from what I’m trying to do. This has nothing to do with poverty or rich, rural or urban or any country in specific. This is about animal rights, empathy and sensitivity of all humans the world over. And I need you to spread the word. That’s all.
Please speak with people about it, online AND offline. Share it with top people. Share it with activists. With celebrities you may know. Your parents. Your friends. Your teachers. At parties. At meetings. Most of all share it with leaders and politicians. I need some help from powerful or important or even famous people. The Indian legal system isn’t much for animal rights in general yet, unless someone important is involved. Thus I will only achieve justice for that animal if you help!
“Oh poor Tony, when will this end? I’m posting this to show the most recent video of Tony, taken at the truck stop in January 2013; by my dearest friend & animal warrior, Cloversweed from You Tube; aka Mary! Mary has brought the public many videos of Tony, showing the raw truth, uncut videos of Tony, as she finds him on each visit. Many people are under the illusion Tony has been released, due to all the petitions & court cases etc. But sadly, that’s not true…yet! He is still in his cage down in Grosse Tete, Louisiana; Tony’s fate lies in the hands of yet more court proceedings between Mr Sandlin & the ALDF (Animal Legal Defence Fund)”.
“I have been advocating for Tony’s release, along with thousands of other people, for years & have posted many stories of Tony along with Mary’s videos on Care2.com! But I must stress that I am in no way insinuating, nor suggesting, that Tony is or has ever been physically abused! I’m sure Mr Sandlin loves Tony as much as he say’s he does. My issues regarding this subject, are that I do not think a tiger, much less any animal, should live at a truck stop, when the enclosure isn’t far from the diesel pumps! Not only does Tony have to cope with the smell, which must be very strong to a tigers nose, he also has to listen to the constant noise from truckers & cars 24/7! As if that’s not bad enough, the busy free-way runs right behind Tony’s enclosure; which must play havoc with a tigers sensitive hearing!”
Tony in his enclosure
“I think it’s high time Mr sandlin let Tony go to a more suitable sanctuary now. Especially as Tony approaches his older years; somewhere that is better equipped to give Tony a more peaceful home, that resembles the habitat he would have lived in; had he been born into the wild!”
“Tony has lived alone, in that cage since the tiger he shared it with, Selena, died aged 4 of Cancer. Selena is now stuffed & on display within the truck stop restaurant….not what I would want for one of my beloved pets, but each to their own I guess! As already mentioned,Tigers have magnificent hearing & a great sense of smell…so with the diesel pumps & noise, how can Tony ever get any piece? And who knows if any toxic air particles have caused any damage to Tony’s lungs?”
Selena in Tony’s cage; before she died of cancer age 4 & was stuffed & mounted above the salad bar in the truck stop restaraunt.
“In the most recent video (below 2013) taken by Mary; someone shout’s out to her, that the tiger has Cancer! WHAT…could this be true, or was he talking about Selina?? Mr Sandlin has replied to Mary’s question (which is in the About section of the video below) he was quoted as saying “Have your veterinarian call me. I would be happy to let him visually inspect Tony, at your expense of course” Please note, he says VISUALLY INSPECT…how can a vet tell the health of an animal just by looking at it!! That’s not the kind of reply one would expect from someone, who is supposed to love their animal as much as Mr Sandlin say’s he does; is it??”
“Visitors, especially young kids, bang on the wire mesh enclosure, shouting & trying to get Tony’s attention, even throwing objects in to rouse him, Mary has caught this type of stupid activity on her video. However, Mr Sandlin prefers to state in news articles, that it is “Animal Activists” who throw rubbish in at Tony…oh please, how silly!! Just like the post cards Mr Sandlin had made about the Truck stop & Tony, along with the slogan “Animal Activists Taste Like chicken”…Well, not to be deterred, Mary actually rang the restaurant, posing as a member of the public, who wanted to know the meaning of the quote! It is so stupid…it can’t be taken seriously!! See the video below & listen to the conversation between Mary (cloversweed) & some lady at the truck stop restaurant…it’s hilarious!!”
“Since this whole story began, I have never seen any kind of veterinary reports that have been made available to the public, regards Tony health status. But what I have seen, is many USDA violations. Mr Sandlin advocates in newspapers & interviews that Tony’s enclosure is so big, that it’s bigger than some zoo’s enclosures etc. that may be true in some small zoo’s!”.
“But Irrespective of size, that’s not the issue, poor Tony’s enclosure is nothing like a tigers natural habitat. It’s just one long patch of grass with dens at each end… it was bare, until Tony’s plight was thrust into the public eye, a couple of years ago. It’s still bare, apart from a rubber tyre that was hung recently, due to people’s constant negative comments about his enclosure. But there is no video that I know of, nor any of my friends can find, of Tony ever playing with the tyre! Not surprised, he probably has arthritis, muscle atrophy or something similar from never really exercising;all he does is pace & pace, jump on top of his den, jump down, pace…you get the picture??!”
“Mr Sandlin also tells porky pies, saying Tony has a swimming pool to swim in…sorry, but that is so far from the truth, it’s a joke; you will see for yourself in the latest video, below & the picture on the right! Does that look like a swimming pool to you?I’ve seen kids paddling pools that are bigger! Tigers out of all the big cats, love to swim, play or just lay in water, but Tony only has a little horse trough filled with water (which has been filmed empty on many occasions during the hottest day’s of the year) I challenge anyone to find proof of Tony, as an adult, getting in that horse trough & swimming! Perhaps to entice Tony to go in, some wooden steps were made (not in the picture)obviously to make his entrance & exit easier…but they wasted the wood & their time…Tony hates it, & hates going anywhere near it!”
Tony looks very thin
“Aside from painting the exterior of the cage (which does sod all for Tony’s boredom) nothing else has changed. It wouldn’t have cost much to place some tree logs or foliage, when it was built, would it? His shelter den is supposed to have air conditioning; yet Mary has videos showing a very large fan pointing towards Tony’s shelter, which has been on during very hot days: why need a fan if Tony’s den has air conditioning?; it either doesn’t exist or is broken?”
“Mary has been taking regular video of Tony for some time now; in all, Tony’s health does seem to be declining. At feeding times, Tony doesn’t seem to get meat on the bone, he gets prepared food that looks like a long piece of sausage or a lump of mince. I can’t actually say I have ever seen him eating anything with gusto!! But what Mary’s videos do show, is that over all the years behind those bars, what a mundane, repetitive & boring life Tony has. Pacing back & forth on the path, worn out over the 12 years he has been in his enclosure; with absolutely nothing to do or stimulate his mind!”
“After noticing a change in Tony’s walk etc. I sent a video of him to a very high-profile animal behaviour expert, who has written many books on animal studies, with the likes of Virginia McKennaOBE.; but whose name I prefer to keep out of this public façade. He was in agreement that Tony showed stereotypical behaviour; atypical of any animal at a zoo that goes stir crazy, pacing back & forth, through sheer boredom”.
“Tony has brought plenty money into the truck stop over the 12 years he has been there. There is even a sign outside his enclosure asking for donations! Isn’t it about time he was set free, to spend his final years at a proper sanctuary, where he can swim in a lake, hide in bushes, sharpen his claws on trees…all the things wild tigers get to do, that those tigers held captive…can only dream about.”
“There are sanctuaries where he could go across America…I’m not talking about G.W Exotics or Big Cat Rescue as I have heard bad reports about both! Besides they are always in conflict with one another! In fact, I’ve just seen in the news, that Joe Exotic has had to pay a very large sum of money to Big Cat Rescue; something to do with copyright of one thing or another! Mr Sandlin has said on many occasions that if he was forced to move Tony, he would let him go to G.W Exotic…oh please, I hope not. He has been asking for donations to build Tony an enclosure! That was the reason for another petition, asking that Tony be sent to a reputable sanctuary. Joe Exotic (just one of his many alias names) hauls tiger cubs around shopping malls, for photo opportunities with the public; there also seems to be an issue with several cubs that died in his care, which J.E said was down to the milk formula. Well if they were not taken from their mothers so early; they wouldn’t need substitute milk would they? A proper accredited sanctuary does not breed it’s inhabitants, to make money!
I’m talking about sanctuaries like Tiger Haven, The Wild Cat Sanctuary, The Oregon Tiger Sanctuary or even PAWS…where Tony will have fresh air, be able to run, play, swim & act like a tiger should…it’s not a lot to ask for 12 years of service as a slave is it??”
“Below is part 1 of Mary’s most recent video. To see part 2, & many more videos, just click on Mary’s YouTube link below!”
DATE OF VISIT: Jan 22, 2013 Tues http://youtu.be/_oW85GzKEWg (Video One) 1. Tony’s appearance begins around the 01:55 minute mark into the video. What the truck driver says prior to this mark has NOT BEEN CONFIRMED TO BE TRUE.
2. Regarding Tony’s health, 2 REPLIES to Facebook from “Sandlin and his team”:
a) This statement received from Mr. Sandlin via hisPublic Relations person on Jan 24, 2013 Thurs:
“Tony has never been diagnosed with cancer. Tony is doing fine. I have had one tiger that died of Pancreatic Cancer. Salena was just short of 4 years old when she died. She was a white female. Of course, white tigers tend to be more suspect to disease than their counterparts. This is the tiger that the waitress was referring to and Salena is now on display in the restaurant. Also, Tony is not forced to stay on the concrete. He has access to the grassy play area 99% of the time. Thank you for your concern.”
b) THIS IS THE RESPONSE THAT I GET PERSONALLY FROM MR SANDLIN HIMSELF ON Jan 26, Sat: “Cloversweed, Have your veterinarian call me. I would be happy to let him visually inspect Tony, at your expense of course, and I would also allow him/her to convey any concerns to our Veterinarian, Dr. Shannon Gonsoulin.”
3. This video has been submitted to our ALDF contact and we hope the ALDF can use this video as evidence and argument to the case Feb 19 when the courts hear ALDF’s oral arguments in the appeal to free Tony. http://aldf.org/article.php?id=2233#.UQGWxwrbzt0
It is very clear to see Tony needs medical attention. It is no rumour or miscommunication that this video speaks for itself. Anybody else, besides me, notice a significant decline in Tony’s health and well-being? Please comment.
4. COMMENTS POSTED dated Jan 20, 2013 by MistaCruez, referring to my visit Dec 13, 2012, when Tony stayed in his bed all day long. I was at TTS until dark that day. Tony never came out. I must have missed Tony eating breakfast on that day.
“Hi My name is Travis I live live in Grosse tete my whole life and tony’s been around my whole life and i see tony every day. I love him to death but maybe there’s a time when you have to say bye. What im trying to say is please get him out of here! He looks sicker everyday now he wont even get out his bed. Please Help tony!”
Please refer to the links below for the most current information regarding Tony’s legal battle to gain freedom to sanctuary:
http://freetonythetiger.wordpress.com/ http://aldf.org —————————————————————————- I did have some difficulty keeping Tony in view because the sun was out and it was so bright, just very hard to see. Video was 1080HD but in process of cropping (to remove the black margin), the quality dropped to 720HD. Makes no difference
“Now look at a video taken last year by Mary. You see Tony eating (he doesn’t look that impressed with it) you also get a good look at his enclosure & so-called pool; which is empty…right before someone asks Cloversweed if she is an animal activist…why no, of course she isn’t 🙂
“Above is Cloversweed AKA Mary’s You Tube Channel, where you can see all the videos she has taken of Tony; including one video where a kitten is actually inside Tony’s enclosure, tasting bits that Tony must have left in his feeding area! You can hear the alarm in Mary’s voice, thinking that Tony might pounce on the kitten at any moment! But Tony must have been feeling off that day, or just doesn’t have the will to act! He didn’t even attempt to come out of his den to chase the cat; watch the video below!”
Video of kitten in Tony’s enclosure:-
“That just doesn’t sound normal to me, even another tabby cat would have chased another out of its territory; let alone a tiger? To see more of Tony, his behaviour & his enclosure etc. just visit the above link.”
“Now read the updates…the constant battles between the ALDF & Mr Sandlin. This has been going on for years…Tony is actually at the truck stop illegally & without a permit!! Seriously at this rate, I have my doubts that Tony will ever get out of that cage alive!”
Update: On Tuesday, February 19, 2013 the courts will hear ALDF’s oral arguments in the appeal to free Tony.
From the stench of fuel to the drone of diesel engines and the isolation of his roadside prison, Tony, a 12 year-old Siberian–Bengal tiger, has endured more than a decade of misery at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana. That is why the Animal Legal Defense Fund has taken to the Louisiana courtsto freeTony the Tiger from this truck stop nightmare. We won our lawsuit to prevent Tony’s “owner” Michael Sandlin from renewing his permit, but Sandlin appealed, and we are waiting for the Louisiana Court of Appeal to hear the case. Sandlin subsequently filed his own lawsuit to overturn the state’s ban on big cat ownership. ALDF sought to have the case dismissed and is waiting for the trial court to decide if the suit will move forward.
Sandlin has exploited tigers for over 20 years: buying, breeding, selling, and exhibiting tigers in poor conditions for his own profit. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has cited Sandlin’s truck stop in the past for unsanitary feeding practices; mishandling tigers; and failure to provide veterinary care, shelter from inclement weather, clean drinking water, and knowledgeable employees to care for the tigers. In 2003, Sandlin’s animal welfare violations sparked public outcry, and three tigers were removed to a Tennessee sanctuary. The USDA allowed Sandlin to keep one tiger: Tony. He has been alone ever since.
Life at the truck stop is harmful to an animal with such sensitive hearing and acute sense of smell, says veterinarian Jennifer Conrad, who has cared for captive large cats for nearly two decades. After visiting Tony, she declared he is “in poor condition and needs intervention on his behalf.” In addition to exposure to noise and diesel fumes, Tony is taunted by truck stop visitors. His enclosure lacks adequate enrichment. He has no pool of water to cool off in the blazing heat of the summer. As a result of this stressful confinement, Tony constantly paces in his enclosure, putting him at risk for dangerous and painful veterinary conditions.
His suffering demonstrates the problem of privately owned tigers, whose numbers exceed that of wild tigers. There are less than 500 Siberian and only 2,500 Bengal tigers left in the wild. In their natural habitat, tigers live alone, travel many miles to hunt, and avoid humans.
Next Step: We wait while Tony paces
The world waits with bated breath for the results of ALDF’s suit and of Sandlin’s appeal. Meanwhile Tony remains trapped at the truck stop. ALDF’s legal battle for Tony has drawn support from high-profile advocates likeLeonardo DiCaprio and True Blood’sKristin Bauer van Straten and has galvanized activists around the world. The law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell, & Berkowitz, P.C. is providing pro bono assistance.
We are currently waiting for the Louisiana Court of Appeal to hear our case. We are also waiting for the trial court to decide if Sandlin’s suit will move forward. Tony’s fate is tied up in the courts, but ALDF is keeping the pressure on.
The following will give you a better understanding on what has been going on.
We will post updates on Tony’s case as they become available.
“Take a look at the following video, this is where I would like Tony to live out the rest of his days, in harmony with nature; as was intended!”
Uploaded on 3 May 2011
Tigers Raja, Tara and Kali playing together in the water and open space of our natural Tiger Island enclosed area at the Oregon Tiger Sanctuary, Eagle Point OR.
PLEASE SIGN & SHARE WIDELY THESE PETITIONS – Petitions below
POPULATION OF THE TIGERS IN INDIA DECLINES ENORMOUSLY FAST !
1900 – 100,000 exist
1950 – 40,000
2007 – less than 5,000 survive; 2,500 in India, IUCN status ‘Endangered’
2010 (Year of the Tiger) – only 3,500 remain in the wild globally (1,400 in India)
Tigers are a conservation dependent species, requiring large contiguous forests with access to water and undisturbed core areas in which to breed. Tiger range throughout India, Indochina, and Southeast Asia is now 40 percent smaller than it was in 1951, and today tigers occupy a mere 7 percent of their historical territory in increasingly fragmented and degraded landscapes.
Amidst this, the threats are mounting. The main threats to wild tigers include:
Habitat loss and fragmentation due to mining
Logging, farming
human settlement
Depletion of their prey base
Conflict with humans – villagers wander the forest for grass to feed their animals
Poaching for their skins, and other parts for Traditional Asian Medicines, such as bone.
–Latest figures show there may only be 400Sumatran tigers left in the world. Unless we take action now we could lose these magnificent animals forever.
Tiger skins are still in demand as luxury items in some countries, and tiger parts coveted for their ‘medicinal’ properties.
The tigers’ forest habitat is vanishing too. Destruction of forests for timber, agriculture and road building has forced tigers into ever-smaller areas, where they’re even more vulnerable to poachers.
Poachers also hunt the tiger’s prey species, and tigers are forced to target domestic animals, bringing them into fatal conflict with local people.
Watch this insightful video to see what the problems are: Please note, some scenes contain graphic images.
101 East: India Last Of The Tigers
Uploaded on 18 Nov 2011
Conservationists are in a desperate and uphill battle to save India’s tigers from extinction. Video Link: ! http://youtu.be/VlcGI_J7Jho
LATEST UPDATE :Tiger smuggling ring busted inNepal ….
Nepalese police have arrested 7 people involved with tiger smuggling in the country and recovered 7 tiger skins, hundreds of tiger parts and bones. Two operations were undertaken by the Nepalese authorities following specialist intelligence training by Interpol in December.
The first operation was on 11 January.
Officers of Manaslu Conservation Areaseized four tiger skins, 53 kg of tiger bones and arrested four people who were allegedly trying to smuggle the tiger parts into Tibet, China. The following day, police conducting road checks near the Chinese border seized 5 tiger skins and 114 kg of tiger bones that were concealed in bags of rice in a van also heading to China.
Many rare wild animals in the central province of Nghe An’s mountainous areas are being hunted.
The reporter broke into a ring which specialised in rare animal meat in the province.
Pu Mat National Park located in three districts of Anh Son, Con Cuong and Tuong Duong is home to more than 1,000 wild animals. The park is targeted by many local hunters.
Lang, who leads a hunter group in Mon Son Commune, Anh Son District, said, “Earlier, we only hunted animals for food at home, but over recent years; many traders have come to the village to buy meat. A kilo of wild boar is sold at VND200,000 (USD9.52) and a kilo of silky-haired leopard is VND500,000 (USD23.8) and a kilo of white-cheeked gibbon costs VND300,000 (USD14.2). Everyday, dozens of hunters come to the national park.”
He added that, hundreds of wild animals are hunted for sale to lowlanders.
Mr. Hung, an animal trader in Con Cuong District, said the work offers him profits of nearly VND10 million (USD476) per sale. With dead animals, he used ice to freeze them, while, those which are still alive are put in cages to be transported to customers.
“We were arrested many times for wild animal trading, but now we know how to deal with concerned agencies,” Hung said.
Under Hung’s instruction, the reporter went to a restaurant in Quy Hop District to ask for a silky-haired leopard as a gift for his boss. However, the owner said the animal was very rare so he had to book for getting the product tomorrow.
When the reporter asked to buy 10 kilos of different kinds of wild animal meat, the owner also disclosed that fox, porcupine and wild boar and tortoise meat was available and she would freeze the product for him with ice so that he could take it to Vinh City.
Staff also took the reporter to the restaurant abattoir. After being slaughtered, the animals were put into fridges to serve customers gradually. This is the largest restaurant which sells wild animal meat in Quy Hop District.
The mountainous districts of Nghe An also house dozens of such restaurants.
He said that, “Earlier, I bought tortoises, snakes, varans and geckoes to sell them to agents in Vinh City. Gradually, through relationships, I moved to the trading of rare animals.”
Now, he has set up a network of traders who specialise in buying animals for him from the mountainous areas of Nghe An, Ha Tinh and Quang Binh provinces. After that, Ha will specify different kinds of animals for sale. Monkeys will be sold at glue agents and fox, chamois and some others will be brought to restaurants in big cities.
Rare animals such as of silky-haired leopard, fox and white-cheeked gibbon will be sold to agents in Lang Son for sales to China.
Hung added that he has a three-ha farm in the nearby forest for gathering wild animals.
According to Hung, many people in Nghe An trade animal meat like him. Each local district has 7-8 people who have wide networks of collectors.
Tigers and rhinos have almost exhausted in Vietnamese forests, but if the reporter needs, he can get them quickly, Hung noted.
Hung also said that tigers, rhinos, elephant tusk and tail are mostly illegally transported from Laos and Africa to Vietnam. Nghe An, Hanoi and Ha Tinh have traders specialising in these products. They are trans-continental traders who sell the products to VIP customers so that they can use them for bone paste.
MYSORE/ MADIKERI: The male tiger captured near Thithimati in Kodagu is severely injured and weak, said vets at Mysore Zoo, after it was shifted there.
They began treatment on Saturday morning to try and stabilize its worsening condition. The injuries are believed to have been sustained during a territorial fight with another tiger, zoo director BP Ravi said.
The tiger is believed to be 14 years old, and is said to have killed five cattlehead in the recent past. It is suspected to have killed a cow on Saturday, hours before it was captured in Anechowkur range in Nagarahole tiger reserve. The animal was under mild sedation when it reached the zoo at 5am.
Preliminary medical examination also revealed that the tiger has a big wound in the middle of its face, with a worn-out upper lip. The wound is full of maggots, and the tiger is in a critical condition, he stated.
The tiger, which had created fear in Thithimati town, was trapped at 11.30pm Friday night. Unoj, a teenager who stepped out of her house to answer nature’s call, sighted the tiger sleeping in a bush. She tiptoed back to her house and informed the family.
Later, the forest department trapped the animal and carried it away in a cage. The operation was guided by Hunsur wildlife ACF K D Belliappa, Mathigodu forest range officer Devaraju and his team. The tiger may require a minimum of two months to recover, Dr Umashankar from Hunsur said.
Two months ago, a male tiger was captured at Hebballa near HD Kote and shifted to the zoo, and is now recovering. It has responded to treatment and is gaining weight. It appears that both tigers were driven out of their territories due to old age and pushed to the fringe areas to sustain themselves, Ravi said, adding the zoo has proposed a rescue and rehabilitation centre at Koorghalli to take care of rescued animals.
Tiger experts are trying to locate the 14-year-old tiger’s history in their database. “We may find more details in a couple of days,” a wildlife activist told STOI.
“Please sign the petition below to stop this atrocity and abuse of wildlife.”
If swimming with dolphins is not exciting enough for you, how about a tiger cub?
A private zoo in Dade City, Fla., is now giving patrons the chance to swim with aSiberian tiger cub.
While it might sound dangerous, it’s a roaring success with customers from as far away as Iceland lining up and paying $200 for just 30 minutes to cuddle, bottle feed and swim withTony the tiger – a 6-week old cub.
“It’s kind of a limited time that we can do it in Florida. You can only interact with the tiger until they’re 40 pounds,” said Randy Stearns, head animal trainer and president of Wild Things.
When full grown, Tony could tip the scales at more than 1,000 pounds. But for now, Tony can be yours to play with at Wild Things.
“I never thought I’d get to touch one, much less swim with one,” said Bertha Cruz, who described her time with Tony as exciting.
Swimming with potentially wild and dangerous animals seems to be trendy at the moment. At Arizona’s Out of Africa Park, fully grown tigers play in the water alongside their trainers much to the delight of fans looking on behind gated fences.
Barrett runs The Alligator Attraction of Madeira Beach, Fla., where visitors can pay to hold and feed rescued baby gators. He says the inspiration for his party idea came when business was sluggish.
“It just took off like wildfire,” Barrett told ABC News in September. “Everybody loves having the gator pool parties.”
The state’s Fish and Wildlife Commission deemed it illegal and shut down the operation last week. Many animal rights activists say it was the right thing to do.
“You should never have close human contact with animals, especially actual petting of wild animals. They belong in the wild and people should not get in the habit of being in close contact with them,” said Adam Roberts, executive vice president of Born Free USA.
“LUCKNOW: Pilibhit is reeling under tiger scare again. A stray tiger has killed a man and a woman within a span of two days. The body of the woman was found partially eaten also. Though the feline is yet to be located, the forest department has sounded an alert and orders for tranquilising and trapping it have been issued. However, the department has denied that the tiger is a man-eater.
Reports say a straybig cat, whose sex is yet to be determined, has created panic among the villagers in Pilibhit. On September 5, a man was killed inKhamaria village in Puranpur range of the Social Forestry Division of Pilibhit. The body had deep injuries on head and shoulders. Its upper portion also bore bruises and scratches, apparently from the claws of the wild animal.
The post-mortem report said shock and haemorrhage caused the death. The body, however, was intact with none of the organs missing.
“Whatever be the reason, we have stepped up vigil, said A P Sinha, DFO, Shahjahanpur, who is part of the team. Puranpur range is hardly 5-6 kms from Haripur range where two tigers were found dead in May this year. The social forestry area has a lot of villagers around. Most of the villagers are from economically weaker groups, who are dependent on forest for their daily needs.
As a result of which the division witnesses lot of human movement all the time, the DFO added. On September 6, a woman was found dead in Ruria Salempur village in the same range of social forestry. The body had been partially eaten and one of the legs was found missing. The body was found 11 kms from the forest area, making it clear that the big cat ventured out of the forest to kill and then prey upon the deceased.
The forest department has put in place a team to tranquilise and trap the feline. The tranquilising experts, Utkarsh Shukla of the forest department and Saurabh Singhvi of the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), have reached the spot. Two elephants have also been brought for combing.
The forest department, however, has yet notdeclared the big cat as a man-eater.
Though the forest department has no clue yet about the gender of the big cat, it appears to be a case of chance encounter. “However, rectangular pugmarks indicate it is a tigress. Some locals also have spotted a tigress with cubs in the area. Considering that it is sugarcane season, a tigress could be hiding in cane fields with her cubs.In that case, attacks could have come in defence by the feline that is nurturing her cubs. The deceased might have unknowingly gone very close to the big cat,” said a senior forest department official in Lucknow.
This is the reason why Pilibhit gets to see a lot of man-animal conflict. Census figures show that Pilibhit district is home to 30-35 tigers. The forest areas in the district also have a high human density. People are living in between forests in hamlets which has created lot of biotic pressure on the forest area.
“In all possibility, it could be a tiger searching for a safer habitat,” said the official. Pilibhit forests also has a lot of prey base for the tigers, which is the reason why big cats keep venturing out of the forest area into sugarcane fields,” he added.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
You can find out more about me & this blog by reading "ABOUT THIS BLOG" on the menu (when i finish it) lol
PLEASE NOTE.....
Not all of my posts will be current news, or even about animal abuse! I do like to share other animal news, uplifting stories or videos; some that are funny or just touch the heart!
If I have anything to say on any post, you will see it in bold blue writing. I try to remain a lady, but it's hard to contain my anger & emotions at the some of the stories I post; I don’t have a heart of stone, tears stain many articles I write!
Lastly, my apologies for any errors; I am learning whilst posting, so if you find anything that doesn't work or a broken link, sorry, I'm only human!!!!
ABOUT THESE POSTS
I would just like to make readers aware, that I search for stories on the internet; regards animal abuse etc. I copy stories etc. from the internet; assuming these stories are correct at time of publishing. Having said that, sometimes the press get it wrong! So I just want to add that at the time of me posting a news story, I presume all the facts seem present & correct.
Please note....all people mentioned in this blog, are presumed innocent, until proven otherwise, in a court of law.
For anyone wishing to connect to me via my Facebook page...PLEASE NOTE, ONLY PEOPLE I ADD AS ANIMAL ADVOCATES CAN SEE MY WHOLE PAGE...I do this out of respect for those friends I have who do not wish to see graphic images, videos or links of animal abuse!
As 99% of my page is animal related; anyone not in the above group of friends; will only see a limited amount of posts!!
DUE TO ANIMAL HATERS...I WILL ONLY ADD PEOPLE WHO CAN PROVE WHO THEY ARE via Facebook, Wordpress, Twitter etc. & WHO HAVE A GENUINE INTEREST IN ANIMAL WELFARE... i.e. if your Facebook page has absolutely nothing to do with animals, I see no point in joining my page. My Facebook is solely for animal welfare, I am not interested in playing games etc. I don't mean to sound rude but I am not interested in the amount of friends I have, its the quality of those friends that count.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND REQUESTS FOR YOUR FRIENDS TO JOIN. I do not want anyone to be upset by graphic images etc.
My aim is to educate & raise awareness to the horrors animals face, at the hands of humans, every day, around the world!!
We can not hope to achieve better laws, to protect animals, unless we unite as one, to speak up for those who are voiceless!!
.
DUE TO THE NATURE OF THIS BLOG - SOME PICTURES & VIDEOS CAN & WILL BE VERY GRAPHIC - SO PLEASE, VIEW THIS BLOG AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.
STOP ANIMAL ABUSE 
You must be logged in to post a comment.