Felines on the Loose
America’s big cat crisis
By
Katie Marsico
Lions, tigers, leopards, and other big
cats elicit a mingled reaction of admiration, awe, and terror. Recently,
however, these animals have found themselves at the center of nationwide panic
and controversy. On June 22, a 10-year-old
Minnesota boy was attacked by a lion and
tiger that were privately owned by a man who also kept several other large
animals on his property. Both cats were destroyed, and the child was critically
injured. A devastating and yet avoidable occurrence, the mauling was unfortunately
not the first of its kind to make headlines.
Scott
Lope is the General Manager of Big Cat Rescue in
Tampa,
Florida, and insists that public awareness is
the key to halting what is rapidly becoming
America’s “big cat crisis.” “These
stories about maulings and attacks make the front page for a few days, but the
issue needs to be addressed on a more consistent basis,” says Lope. He also
emphasizes that the animals in question are too easy to obtain and that private
ownership is where the real problem lies. “Whether it’s a wellmeaning individual
who thinks he’s helping to save a species or someone who’s looking for bragging
rights, people are often ill-equipped and unaware of what’s involved in caring
for these cats. They seem cute as cubs, but they ultimately get bigger and
increasingly aggressive.”
Misinformation
Results in Mistreatment
Looking at
Nikita today, you might never guess that she wasn’t always this sleek and
majestic. The four-year-old African lioness has been a resident of Big Cat
Rescue for more than three years. The sanctuary’s mission is to provide
permanent care for a collection of rare and exotic cats that have been abused
and abandoned, or who are retired from circuses and other exhibitions. Authorities
confiscated Nikita from a drug house in
Tennessee,
where she had been kept chained to a wall. By the time she arrived at Big Cat
Rescue, Nikita was malnourished, poorly socialized, and suffering from swelling
on her elbows due to confinement on a concrete floor. Lope can attest that
Nikita’s situation is sadly not unique. “People don’t realize the complex
nutritional needs big cats have. They don’t understand that they’re physically
powerful, social animals who have to be around other members of their species.
When Nikita came to us, she had never seen another lion before.” Although public
perception may be that circuses and zoos are largely to blame for
America’s
Big Cat Crisis, Lope believes that the problem begins with breeders. “It’s
telling when you consider what it takes to get one trainable performing animal.
For every one that does work out, there are hundreds that don’t. Those animals
have to go somewhere, and most reputable sanctuaries are absolutely flooded.” American
Sanctuary Association Director Vernon Weir agrees and adds that it’s
well-intentioned but frequently misinformed people who largely contribute to
the problem. “The crisis is really due to the breeding, selling, and trading of
these animals,” says Weir. “A lot of people buy them as cubs. You can probably
get a tiger cub for anywhere between $1,000 and $5,000. Breeders don’t explain
the nutritional or spatial requirements, and they certainly don’t reinforce
that the cats grow up to be powerful and dangerous.” Weir emphasizes that the
majority of publicized maulings occur when people find themselves disillusioned
by the inevitable demands of caring for a big cat. Larger, older, and more
aggressive cats end up abandoned, abused, and either headed toward a sanctuary
or faced with euthanasia. The result is that most sanctuaries are filled to the
brim. These organizations are ultimately forced to cope with the cumbersome
financial toll of providing for animals that can no longer be returned to the
wild. Tammy Quist is the Executive Director of Wildcat Sanctuary in
Isanti County,
Minnesota.
Given the high levels of care that the facility’s twenty animals require, Quist
contends that the best place for big cats is in the wild. “Too often people
just have no idea what they’re getting into,” she explains. “Our tigers can eat
between fifteen and twenty pounds of meat a day. To take proper care of a
single animal, it can easily run you $25,000 annually.”
Legislative
Loopholes and the Sanctuary Controversy
While
there are quite a few solid state laws prohibiting or at least restricting
private ownership of big cats, Lope insists that there are just as many ways to
get around them. “Enforcement is truly the issue. There are so many gray areas.
Permits aren’t always specific as to the number of animals you can have or the
standard of care you need to provide.” Another legislative loophole is the
hybridization of wild cats. Without genetic testing to prove that an animal
doesn’t belong to a species that private citizens are prohibited from keeping,
breeders can easily tell one story to customers and another to government inspectors.
Even properly licensed animal exhibitors such as zoos and circuses have the
potential to play a role in
America’s
big cat crisis. While such facilities might have to submit to greater
legislative scrutiny than private breeders, Weir says the danger lies with
roadside zoos and similar small-name, low-budget businesses that keep animals. “Theoretically,
licensed exhibitors shouldn’t be part of the problem,” says Weir. “But we’ve
found that some of these smaller industries frequently go broke or shut down,
and this results in big cats that end up in sanctuaries or that are abandoned
or inhumanely destroyed.” Adding to the dilemma are sanctuaries that take in
more animals than they can legitimately care for, as
well as pseudo-sanctuaries that actually
manipulate their title to sell, breed, or buy big
cats. In extreme cases of this latter occurrence, animals are often slaughtered for their meat or fur or sold to
organizers of canned hunts. Organizations such
as the ASA and The Association of Sanctuaries
(TAOS) offer accreditation to various facilities
that meet necessary care and safety requirements. Lynda Sugasa is the Executive Director of the Safe Haven
Illinois Speaks out
The
people of
Illinois
are hard at work to end the big cat crisis! The
Safe
Haven
Wildlife
Refuge
Center in Marengo aims to
rescue and rehabilitate a variety of indigenous animals. Bobcats and cougars
are among the many species the center houses. These wildcats were all
confiscated from situations involving illegal ‘ownership’ and cannot ultimately
be returned to the wild. “Improper and illegal ‘ownership’ of big cats is epidemic
across the nation,” explains Executive
Director
Linda Sugasa. “Laws vary from state to state, and so many wild cats end up in
sanctuaries such as our own because they’re bred as fad pets, the ‘species of
the month.’” The center currently sponsors educational programs designed to
inform the public about the needs of local wildlife. It also aims to raise
public awareness about the cruel effects of the illegal pet trade. The
Safe
Haven
Wildlife
Refuge
Center has been accredited by
TAOS. Check out www.SafeHavenWildlife.com for more details. It is currently illegal in
Illinois to privately
keep wildcats as pets. Only USDA-licensed exhibitors (zoos, science and
research facilities, and refuges) can obtain special permits from the Director
of Natural Resources that allow guardianship.
Check
out www.Dnr.state.il.us for more details.
