Tigers and other cats

[crocodile_dan]

I thought I would change it up with a thread about big cats (Panthera) and some small cats (Felis). My main passion and most of my experience is with tigers, but I am also currently working with lions, leopards, cougars, serval, bobcats and american black bears. All these species are remarkably beautiful and I love my current position which I have for the next 6-12 months.

My main focus in this line of work is enrichment, conservation and habitat design. My managers are very eager to establish an enrichment program for the cats which will be great to contribute to whilst I'm here I can bring some ideas from my previous experience to the park.

The facility I am working at is a non-for-profit park that operates as a rescue sanctuary for many of the residents at the park.

If you have any photos, articles or information relating to big cats or small cats (preferably non-domestic as there are other threads on that) then throw it up here so we can all have a look

Below are some of the many residents I'm now working with.

 

[treeofgreen]

Always been inlove with big cats. Black panthers are just BEAUTIFUL!

I have only 1 item on my "bucket list" and that is to see a snow leopard in the wild. Will be crazy hard to tick off, but that's the fun right?

You lucky bugger.... i sit and show noobs how to print a word document and you get to work with those. Jelly! Thanks for the pics!

 

[crocodile_dan]

They are all amazing

That is an awesome item for a bucket list! best of luck.

I am very lucky already, I'm at the position here now so that I can hopefully get a tiger handler position later on when an availability comes up, that is my dream job!

 

[SamNabz]

Awesome job you have, Dan.

Now when you say "rescue sanctuary", and assuming you're in Australia, does that mean the animals are either confiscated from smugglers/smuggling rings and/or illegal pets that got too big?

 

[Magpie]

Awesome job you have, Dan.

Now when you say "rescue sanctuary", and assuming you're in Australia, does that mean the animals are either confiscated from smugglers/smuggling rings and/or illegal pets that got too big?

I reckon the snow makes it pretty clear it's not in Australia.

 

[SamNabz]

I reckon the snow makes it pretty clear it's not in Australia.

Thanks for that. Couldn't make out the snow picture as the images are not appearing properly on my screen - something like this APS Image Error

 

[crocodile_dan]

SamNabz and LizardJasper, I recently moved to the U.S. a few weeks ago for hopefully 6-12 months at a place called Cat Tales Zoological Park and Training School, located in Spokane, Washington. I am returning back to Aus after I finish however. It is not an employed position though but we are actively responsible for the daily husbandry and management of the residents.

I don't mind bringing up "aussie big cats" but as SamNabz pointed out there is a thread devoted specifically to this topic.

Hopefully I can continue to put photos up every week or two, and also provide some details about any specific tasks we do with the cats.

- - - Updated - - -

and yes the first time I've been somewhere when it snows

 

[Venomous_RBB]

So jealous right now, I love big cats, Reptiles are my favourite animal but big cats are so close behind, it isnt funny.
I have always loved the Tiger, especially the Sumatran, I also love all of the african big cats, as well as native american big cats.
My favourite smaller species of big cats would have to be the Lynx and Serval <3

Again, very jealous

 

[SamNabz]

Thanks for the response, Dan, definitely sounds like a great experience.

 

[Stevo2]

Here's a few

 

[crocodile_dan]

I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that they are from Singapore Zoo Stevo2?

 

[Stevo2]

Sturdy limb you chose Dan

 

[pythrulz]

What a great job you have working with these beautiful animals great pictures always loved the big cats especialy tigers it is a pity they are all but wiped out in there wild habitat with only a few thousand tigers remaining sad what mankind are doing to wild animals and the enviroment

 

[Asharee133]

Any snow leopards?!

 

[crocodile_dan]

That tiger enclosure at Singapore Zoo is beautiful, I showed it to the people here in my first week and they were astonished, very different to the enclosures here. I dislike most of the enclosures here. They are a far cry from what I'm used to.

I just hope I can continue to get the position I want once I have completed my time here. it is very sad that 1-5 tigers are poached everyday in the wild. There are some amazing conservation programs in effect that have seen stabilization and possible increase in tiger populations in some areas. I have contributed to one of these programs and I'd like to do much more in the near future.

Other Big Cat related news Darling Downs just had a white lion born at their zoo for anyone interested see their facebook for updates. I'll put any information related to captive and wild cats I hear about up here in the future.

 

[Vixen]

You have my dream job sir, you must be absolutely thrilled being able to devote your time and love to these magnificent creatures. Do you work with any Lions aswell?

 

[crocodile_dan]

No, no snow leopards from me.

- - - Updated - - -

I have worked with them, and we have one 2yo lioness plus a 10mo male cub at the zoo I'm at now. I will try and get further pics later, usually the only time I get is on mondays as our work day is 7-6:30 with no breaks even for lunch

 

[JasonL]

Not a big cat, but still a cat... wild Leopard Cat, Borneo

 

[crocodile_dan]

Lots of new photos

So we recently had Thanksgiving last Thursday and on Sunday (yesterday here) we held a special "Turkey Toss" at the zoo. The big guys, tigers and lioness, got a whole turkey (or turkeys), the leopards and cougars got whipped cream pies, and the bobcats got mice. We also had four of our Siberian tigers turn 5 on the 24th so there were a few enrichment presents going around as well

For any movie buffs I attached a (bad) photo of a Bengal tiger named Ceylon, her brother born in the same litter is Shirkon the star of Gladiator their parent's were the first bengals at the zoo.

Very unfortunately earlier this year the adult male lion Zamba passed away before I arrived. I'm sure most of you would know him, he was/is the MGM lion. It would have been amazing to work with him.

 

[Venomous_RBB]

Naww so cute <3
All the animals look so happy and healthy

Sad about Zamba
He was the main reason I fell in love with Lions, he had such a stunning mane, me as a kid thought that was just impossibly awesome, and from then on, I was drawn to lions <3

Still very jealous that you get to work with such awesome animals :lol: