Archives for 2008

Lion Attack & Next Week


I don’t always blog about the many animal attacks that cross my desk but this particular one illustrates my urging people NOT to take photos with wild cats and to use care when in close proximity. This teacher from England was attacked by a juvenile lion who was probably playing–as lions and other big cats do.

So, my question is why are these guys allowing interactions with humans if the cats are supposed to be released into the wild?

There is a guy that does some rehab and minimizes all contact. You don’t want habituated animals in the wild because that creates additional problems.

Anyway, there was also a wild tiger attack in the Sundarbans about a week ago. Tigers had been active in the area and a tiger trap was even placed in attempts to catch it.

The area is known for tiger problems and I remember reading Jim Corbett’s accounts from the early 1900s–he specialized in hunting down maneaters.

In the meantime, a group contacted me regarding the San Francisco Zoo’s tiger saga. It seems they had arranged a meeting with the city and other officials. People mean well but if you are not familiar with captive wildlife it is always best to have an expert on your staff because it is more complex than meets the eye.

Okay, enough about that…I see the end of my project nearing–which means I will be posting more frequently again. The new site should be launched next week if all goes as planned. Hopefully we won’t encounter too many glitches!

Which Pet in the White House?

I recently ran across a poll asking what pets you’d like to see in the White House.

So, what do you think about that? Is that a good strategy for seeking a President?

I found it interesting that some of the candidates had the names of the pets listed while others didn’t. It also must be an older poll…

Barack Obama: No pets
Hillary Rodham Clinton: Seamus (Labrador)
Mike Huckabee: Jet (Labrador) & Sonic (Shih Tzu)
John Edwards: Golden Retriever & Labrador
John McCain: Sam (English Springer spaniel), Coco (All American Mutt), Cuff & Link (turtles), Oreo (cat), a ferret, three parakeets, and saltwater fish.
Rudy Giuliani: No Pets.
Mitt Romney: No Pets (weimaraner recently died).