The Future Protectors of the World`s Wild Cats

FOR KIDS and YOUTH
The Future Protectors of the World’s Wild Cats
Jul – Aug 2012 · Volume 2, Issue 4
Sections:
Feline Conservation
Federation News and
Events………..…..… 2
FCF Member Zoos and
Sanctuaries to Visit... 7
Learning about the
Cats……………….... 8
Efforts to Save the
Wild Cats…….......... 9
2012 FCF Convention
Last month, several FCF members and conservationists all over the
world met for the 2012 FCF Convention that was held in Cincinnati
Ohio. For those that attended, it meant
getting to see and play with
gfa
baby cats, watching adult cheetahs run top speed during the cheetah
run and servals jumping several feet in the air to catch a toy at the
ambassador show, seeing the new cougar exhibit and the rest of the
many species of cats at the Cincinnati Zoo, hearing speakers from all
over the world talk about what they are doing to save cats, and eating
supper while riding up and down the river on a riverboat. For the
kids, it also meant getting to play fun games about cats, making cat
toys and much more.
The 2013 FCF Convention will be at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. We
hope to see you there!
Feline Fun …........… 10
Glossary …….…….. 12
Feline Conservation
Federation
P.O. Box 31210
Myrtle Beach, SC 29588
www.felineconservation.org
The Feline Conservation
Federation is a 501(c)(3)
organization dedicated to
the conservation of wild
felines through
preservation, education
and research.
Cheetah from Cincinnati Zoo
1
FELINE CONSERVATION FEDERATION NEWS AND EVENTS
Produced by
the Youth
Education
Committee
Chair:
Debi
Willoughby
Lauren Bean
Deeanna
Croasmun
Dawn English
Amy Flory
Robert Hohn
Pam Sellner
Dave Sol
To
Unsubscribe
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mailing list:
Send an email
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Youth@FelineCo
nservation.org
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unsubscribe in
the subject line.
FCF ANNUAL CONVENTION 2012
Cincinnati, OH
By Debi Willoughby
This year’s convention was another amazing time! It all started
on Wednesday, June 6 with the Husbandry and Wildlife
Educator Courses. These courses are a great way to learn about
how to have and care for wild cats legally AND how to become
a wildlife educator so you can spread the word about wild cats
to the public. There was a surprise visit by wildlife educators
from the Cincinnati Zoo! They brought along some of their
special friends: a 2 year old alligator, a prehensile tail porcupine
and a Eurasian owl! We learned all about these animals and how
they survive in the wild. My favorite was the porcupine because
he waddled when he walked!
The next night was the Ice Breaker for the convention. That’s
when most people show up, hang out and have a good time! We
also got to meet and hang out with some furry friends that came
to the convention: a baby kinkajou, a baby red kangaroo, a baby
wallaby, baby snow tigers, a 5 year old ocelot, a baby ringtail
lemur, a 1year old Canada lynx, a baby geoffroy’s cat and a
baby bobcat! Wow, what fun that was!
Friday was an amazing trip to the Cincinnati Zoo! This zoo has
over 500 animals and is the 2nd oldest zoo in the country! They
have everything from lizards to white lions to elephants and
everything in between! We spent the whole day walking around
the zoo and attending the special events set up just for us! We
got a sneak peek of a new cat exhibit area that is still being
worked on, watched their famous Animal Show, ate ice cream
with a cheetah and got to watch a private cat show just for
registered FCF feline handlers! The day was awesome and we
were all exhausted by the end of the day!
Saturday was a day to listen to people talk about their interesting
jobs and conservation efforts. There was also a kids class going
on at the same time. In the kids class we learned about all kinds
of wild cats, watched the baby kangaroo hop all around the
room, colored wild cat pictures, played wild cat games and had
a fun time doing other crafts! Saturday night we all boarded a
big river boat and floated up and down the Ohio River while we
ate dinner and joined in the banquet auction. The food was
yummy and the auction was fun!
All I can say is WOW! What an amazing trip! I can’t wait until
next year so I can go to the next convention in Myrtle Beach!
2
WILD CATS:
African Golden Cat
Andean Cat
Asian Golden Cat
Bay Cat
Black-Footed Cat
Bobcat
Canada Lynx
Caracal
Cheetah
Clouded leopard
Cougar
Eurasian Lynx
Fishing Cat
Flat-Headed Cat
Geoffroy's Cat
Iberian Lynx
Iriomote Cat
Jaguar
Jaguarundi
Jungle Cat
Kodkod or Guina
Leopard
Leopard Cat
Lion
Marbled Cat
Margay
Ocelot
Oncilla
Pallas Cat
Pampas Cat
Rusty-Spotted Cat
Sand Cat
Serval
Snow leopard
Tiger
Wildcat
Top and Right: prehensile tailed porcupine
Bottom: owl from Cincinnatti Zoo
3
Cheetah Encounter and Run
Cheetah run at Cincinnati Zoo
Tommy T cheetah at Cincinnati Zoo cat ambassador show
4
This ocelot (left) shows how cats climb down and this serval
(below) shows how high it can jump at the Cinncinnati Zoo
Cat Ambassador Show
New cougar enclosure at Cincinnati Zoo
5
Geoffroy’s cat and bobcat
Michelle McKay and baby bobcat
6
FCF MEMBER ZOOS AND SANCTUARIES TO VISIT
Alligator Adventure
1891 Colony Drive
Surfside Beach, SC 29575
Animal Junction
146 Frog Hollow Road
Churchville, PA 18966
http://www.animaljunction.com/
Collins Zoo
2900 Hwy 49
Collins, MS 39428
www.collinsmszoo.com
Cricket Hollow Zoo, Inc.
1512 210th Street
Manchester, IA 52057-8951
www.crickethollowzoo.com
Dade City's Wild Things
37245 Meridian Ave
Dade City, FL 33525
www.dadecityswildthings.com
Heaven's Corner Zoo & Animal
Sanctuary
385 Quinn Rd
West Alexandria, OH 45381
www.heavenscorner.net
Hernando Primate Inc
14495 Chicanic Road
Brooksville, FL 34614
www.hernandoprimate.com
Hesperia Zoo
19038 Willow St
Hesperia, CA 92345
http://www.thehesperiazoo.com/
Natural Bridge Zoological Park
5784 S Lee Hwy
Natural Bridge, VA 24578
http://naturalbridgezoo.com/
Olympic Game Farm
1423 Ward Rd
Sequim, WA 98382
www.olygamefarm.com
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
4020 N Cherry Road
Camp Verde, AZ 86322
http://www.outofafricapark.com/
Sierra Safari Zoo
10200 N. Virginia St.
Reno, NV 89506
http://sierrasafarizoo.org/
T.I.G.E.R.S. Preservation Station
6000 S.W. 118th Avenue
Miami, FL 33183-1728
www.tigerfriends.com
Tanganyika Wildlife Park
1037 South 183rd Street West
Goddard, KS 67052
www.twpark.com
Tiger Creek Wildlife Refuge
17552 FM 14
Tyler, TX 75706
www.tigercreek.org
Tiger World
Panther Ridge Conservation
4405 Cook Road
Center
Rockwell, NC 28138
14755 Palm Beach Point Boulevard www.TigerWorld.us
Wellington, FL 33414
http://www.pantherridgesanctuary.org/ Wild Animal Safari
3246 E Seminole
Phillips Park Zoo
Springfield, MO 65804
1000 Ray Moses Dr
http://www.goanimalparadise.com/
Aurora, IL 60505
http://www.phillipsparkaurora.com/ Wildwood Wildlife Park
10094 Hwy 70 West
Safari Zoological Park
Minocqua, WI 54548
1751A CR 1425
http://www.wildwoodwildlifepark.com
Caney, KS 67333
http://safaripark.org/
Zooville USA
4702 Cooper Rd
Plant City, FL 33565
www.zoovilleusa.com
Note to FCF members: If you would like to be included here, please contact the committee.
7
LEARNING ABOUT THE WILD CATS
Jaguarundi
Puma yagouaroundi
Weight: 15-20 pounds
Body Length: 26 in. Tail Length: 18 in.
Habitat: lowland forests and scrub Range: Texas and South America
Diet: Small mammals, birds, reptiles Behavior: diurnal and terrestrial
Breeding: Unknown Gestation: 73-75 days # of Babies: 1-4
Sexual Maturity: 18-24 months Lifespan: 10-15 years
Status: ESA –
Endangered, IUCN – Least Concern, CITES – Central America: Appendix
I and South America: Appendix II
* With its long body, short legs, flattened tail, long flattened head, short nose, and small low-set round ears,
jaguarundis are often mistaken for otters.
* Other names for the cat are Jaguarondi, Leoncillo (little lion), Eyra Cat, Otter Cat, and Weasel Cat.
* Jaguarundis live in a broad range of habitats: lowland brush areas, swamp lands, savannah and forest
regions in South America, Central America, and the southern United States.
* A Jaguarundi diet consists of fish, frogs, reptiles, birds, rodents and small mammals.
* The cats are good climbers and swimmers.
* Not much information is known about jaguarundis as they are elusive. They have the ability to hide within
their habitats and slip away when humans approach. Many past attempts to track these cats have failed.
* Their coats are brownish-gray to black or reddish-brown.
* Unlike most cats, Jaguarundis are primarily diurnal (active during the day) rather than nocturnal (active
during evenings or night).
* Jaguarundis make a wide range of vocalizations, including purrs, whistles, yaps, chattering, and bird-like
chirps.
* Jaguarundis struggle with habitat loss, brush clearings, predators, and animal control programs.
References:
http://www.felineconservation.org/feline_species/jaguarundi.htm
http://www.theanimalfiles.com/mammals/carnivores/jaguarundi.html
http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Jaguarundi.aspx
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/9948/0
For more information about the Jaguarundi, visit the Youth Section of the FCF website.
8
EFFORTS TO SAVE THE WILD CATS
CATS AND DOGS: A WIN-WIN PARTNERSHIP FOR CONSERVATION IN SOUTH AFRICA
It is an age old story: humans and
predators just do not mix well in areas
where livestock is raised for both money
and food. Farming in Africa carries the
risk of livestock loss to large carnivores
such as leopard, cheetah, African wild
dogs, brown and spotted hyena and lions.
Farmers then get angry and try to kill
these predators that are preying on their
lambs, goats and cattle. This is the same
story conservationists are faced with all
over the world.
Various methods, such as capturing,
snaring, shooting, poisoning and relocation of the carnivores, have all proven to offer only temporary relief to
the preying on domestic livestock because new carnivores migrate into the territories.
The Feline Conservation Federation has a
conservation program called the Rare Species
Fund that donates money to projects that will
protect wild felines in nature. The RSF recently
sent $5,000 to South Africa to the Endangered
Wildlife Trust (EWT). The EWT is an
organization that has been dealing with the
conflict between carnivores and farmers for the
past 30 years and has learned valuable lessons
in preventing it. The EWT believes that
prevention is best solution, and evolved the
EWT’s Livestock Guarding Dog Project (LGD)
that provides livestock guarding dogs such as
the indigenous Maluti and the Turkish
Anatolian shepherd onto farms in order to
prevent loss of stock. The farmers agree to a
one-year partnership with EWT that ensures the farmers follow the advice and assistance of the EWT’s LGD
Project staff so that the livestock guarding dogs stay healthy and are given proper care.
Puppies from these breeds are taken to the farm and placed into a sheep, goat or cattle herd from a young
age where they interact and bond directly with the livestock. This bond allows the herd to accept the puppy as
one of their own and for the puppy, in turn, to grow up as a member of the flock. As the puppies grow up they
begin to fulfill their duty of protecting the herd against predator attacks by warning of predators in the area and
herding the animals away from the threat.
These dogs move and live with the livestock as they move around the farm. The dog is placed as a deterrent
and guardian, not as an attack dog. Through pure size, protectiveness of its livestock, and intimidation, he is
able to peacefully defend his herd from being the next meal.
The Livestock Guarding Dog Project has been extremely successful. 110 dogs have been placed, and this
has increased the acceptance farmers have toward carnivores, thus expanding the areas where these carnivores
can safely roam. The FCF is proud to support this project that protects Africa’s great cats and helps farmers
succeed in their efforts to raise the livestock they need to survive.
9
FELINE FUN
1.
Leopard Cat
2.
Asiatic Golden Cat
3.
Cheetah
4.
Caracal
5.
Rusty-spotted Cat
6.
Cougar
7.
Oncilla
8.
Bobcat
9.
European Lynx
C.
A.
D.
B.
10
E.
H.
F.
I.
G.
11
Glossary
Ambassador – a person who speaks out or takes action for a cause
Carnivore – an animal that eats meat
Conserve/Conservation – to save and protect an animal
Conservationist – a person that saves and protects animals
Diet – what an animal eats
Diurnal – active during the day
Gestation – how long babies grow inside their mom before they are born
Habitat – the type of place (forest, ocean, desert) where an animal lives
Husbandry – the breeding and raising of animals
Indigenous – naturally found in an area without the help of humans
Nocturnal – active during the evening or at night
Predator – an animal that lives by killing and eating other animals
Prey – an animal that is hunted or killed by another animal for food
Range – the countries or continents where an animal can found
Territory – the area where an animal lives
Answers to Fun Page:
1. H
6. E
12
2. B
7. D
3. C
8. A
4. G
9. F
5. I