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Wild Things
September 26, 2001
Written by: Tracy Vogel, Staff Writer
The resident had moved out, and the apartment manager stopped by to check the place out.
He opened the door.
There, waiting, was a bobcat.
He shut the door.
The Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals got the urgent call, went out, and rounded the animal up. The three-year-old, intact male is now safely ensconced in a well-built cage at the SPCA facility, which it does not appreciate, said Dave Garcia, director of operations. "He is not a happy [animal]."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When wildlife animals become problems for owners, they become problems for animal shelters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ask Mr. Garcia what kinds of animals he sees, and he rattles off a list. "Last year I had 34 big cats—tigers, leopards, cougars, lions, ocelots, bobcats—everything," he said. "I truly understand why people buy those cute little tiger cubs—because theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re cute as can be. Until they grow up to be 300 pounds and can kill you."
When wildlife animals become problems for owners, they become problems for animal shelters. The Association of Sanctuaries, a group of accredited animal sanctuaries, gets calls from shelters around the country. "Too many people out there think itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a cute idea to make a pet out of a wolf or a big cat or a monkey," said Craig Brestrup, executive director.
Recent calls include a Tennessee shelter looking for homes for several of the smaller wild cats, including bobcats, and a New Hampshire shelter needing homes for a few dozen wolf-hybrids from a closed down "hybrid factory." "I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know what theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re going to do with that," Mr. Brestrup said, noting that wolf sanctuaries are packed.
Most shelters, if theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re lucky, rarely have to deal with anything more dangerous than an aggressive dog—something theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re trained to handle. But every now and then, a unique situation crops up. Twelve states currently ban possession of wildlife animals, seven have a partial ban and 14 require a license or permit to possess wildlife animals. Local laws are often more stringent than state regulations.
In Texas and Missouri, states that lack many regulations regarding wildlife animals, those unique situations crop up frequently. Restrictions in Texas are left up to the county. In Missouri, private owners are required to inform local law enforcement agencies that they posses the animals.
Though no figures exist on how many wildlife animals are privately owned in the United States—the lack of regulation also means a lack of data—the Animal Protection Institute estimates that 6,000 to 7,000 tigers are held by private individuals in the United States. To put that in perspective, there are only 5,000 to 7,000 tigers left in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Federation.
Estimates put about 2,500 of those tigers in Texas, Mr. Garcia said. Ninety percent of the exotic animals that show up at the shelter are big cats. Most are confiscated cruelty cases or abandoned animals. Ten percent are walk-ins—people show up and ask to have them taken off their hands.
One tiger was left tied to a tree in downtown Houston. Another was abandoned in a three-bedroom house. One Houston tiger took the arm off a small boy—and not by biting it, Mr. Garcia said.
Must have been claws, then. "No, no claws," Mr. Garcia said. "He just slapped at it. These guys are extremely powerful."
People donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t realize that, agreed Curt Ransom, director of rescues and investigations for the Humane Society of Missouri. He recalled one tiger that workers were called in to deal with. "It was out there batting around a 100-gallon horse trough like it was a beach ball."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoos typically arenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t an option. They have their own breeding programs, with the participating animals carefully screened for best results. Even temporarily housing an animal raises quarantine issues.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then there was the Missouri family keeping a Bengal tiger in a round, barred metal pen in a side yard. The tiger escaped—because the roof was plywood, kept in place by junk piled on top. Nothing, Mr. Ransom said, that the tiger couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have casually swiped aside whenever it had the urge.
In another Missouri case, an African lion grabbed the ownerâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s nephew by the throat and crushed his esophagus. The lion had been chained to a tree. "No fence, no anything. Perfectly legal," Mr. Ransom said. The boy survived with emergency care.
But sometimes the mistakes are fatal. A young Texas girl was killed by one of her stepfatherâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s two tigers when he brought her into the cage with him. He bent down to attend to one tiger, and the other leapt over him to lunge at the daughter. "Anytime tigers see children or people who are handicapped, they start stalking," Mr. Garcia said. "Tigers in the wild always pick out the weakest link of the herd. If theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re all adults and one child, theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll focus on the child."
But the animals endanger adults as well, including the shelter workers and law enforcement officers who have to tackle the issue. Look at your typical housecat, with centuries of domestication behind it, Mr. Garcia said. It still hunts. "Big cats are going to do the same thing—they just hunt a little bigger game. And thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s us."
The Houston SPCA recently put $250,000 into an addition designed specifically to handle big cats. The facility, which consists of reinforced caging with double-locks, safety doors to prevent staff from coming into contact with the cats, and a secondary perimeter fence that will keep the cats from escaping even if they get out of the cages, can hold up to seven of the animals.
Obviously, that isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t an option for most shelters. Out of the 115 counties in Missouri, only five have an animal control facility. Some towns will have an animal control officer, or a few cages for stray dogs and cats—but thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s it, Mr. Ransom said. "When you run into a Bengal tiger, what do you do—other than shoot it?"
In addition to big cats, Missouri shelters of late have had to deal with a 12-foot python, which died because its owner had been force-feeding it; a 3-foot caiman, a species of crocodile; an emu that was chasing children; and an ostrich.
"Thereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s no gauge—shelters [that] have never dealt with an exotic animal will suddenly find themselves in possession of a unique monkey," said Kate Pullen, director of animal shelter issues for the Humane Society of the United States. "You just never know whatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s in your community and at any time, you may be asked to step up to the plate and deal with it."
Shelters tend to take the animals in, Mr. Brestrup said. They place them in cages out back that they might use for livestock, or in cages isolated from the general shelter population.
If thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s impossible, they often seek help locally—a zoo, sanctuary, or expert that can house the animal temporarily while they look for a new home.
The Association of Sanctuaries will send out an e-mail to its members on behalf of the beleaguered shelter, looking for someone to take the animal in. If nothing turns up, the next step is to look at the second tier of sanctuaries—places that arenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t accredited but are still know to be good places.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to big cats, Missouri shelters of late have had to deal with a 12-foot python, which died because its owner had been force-feeding it; a 3-foot caiman, a species of crocodile; an emu that was chasing children; and an ostrich.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If that fails, the shelters face the unpleasant option of either sending the animal to a sanctuary where it wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t be well cared for—and might be sold to another private owner—or euthanizing it.
"A fair number will go off to not-good facilities, and a fair number are euthanized," Mr. Brestrup said.
Zoos typically arenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t an option. They have their own breeding programs, with the participating animals carefully screened for best results. Even temporarily housing an animal raises quarantine issues. "So the burden really does fall on shelters," Ms. Pullen said.
Education is important in advance—shelters should find out what kind of experts and resources they have in their community, Ms. Pullen said. They need to know who to work with, and who will be reliable. "[Find out] before you get hit with something and have to house 20 caimans."
The Humane Society offers shelters resources on wildlife animals. Staff at the organization can provide information on feeding, housing and—if necessary—how to euthanize various animals.
Since no shelter can be prepared for every type of animal, the best solution is for people to stop taking in such creatures as pets, shelters said. And that also means encouraging states to ban private ownership of wildlife animals as pets—or to strictly regulate it, at a minimum.
But Mr. Ransom doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t see that happening soon, noting that the industry resists regulation. Heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s concerned that more injuries will have to happen before things change. "Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s like stop signs," he said. "No one puts up a stop sign until someone gets killed."
September 26, 2001
Written by: Tracy Vogel, Staff Writer
The resident had moved out, and the apartment manager stopped by to check the place out.
He opened the door.
There, waiting, was a bobcat.
He shut the door.
The Houston Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals got the urgent call, went out, and rounded the animal up. The three-year-old, intact male is now safely ensconced in a well-built cage at the SPCA facility, which it does not appreciate, said Dave Garcia, director of operations. "He is not a happy [animal]."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When wildlife animals become problems for owners, they become problems for animal shelters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ask Mr. Garcia what kinds of animals he sees, and he rattles off a list. "Last year I had 34 big cats—tigers, leopards, cougars, lions, ocelots, bobcats—everything," he said. "I truly understand why people buy those cute little tiger cubs—because theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re cute as can be. Until they grow up to be 300 pounds and can kill you."
When wildlife animals become problems for owners, they become problems for animal shelters. The Association of Sanctuaries, a group of accredited animal sanctuaries, gets calls from shelters around the country. "Too many people out there think itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s a cute idea to make a pet out of a wolf or a big cat or a monkey," said Craig Brestrup, executive director.
Recent calls include a Tennessee shelter looking for homes for several of the smaller wild cats, including bobcats, and a New Hampshire shelter needing homes for a few dozen wolf-hybrids from a closed down "hybrid factory." "I donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t know what theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re going to do with that," Mr. Brestrup said, noting that wolf sanctuaries are packed.
Most shelters, if theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re lucky, rarely have to deal with anything more dangerous than an aggressive dog—something theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re trained to handle. But every now and then, a unique situation crops up. Twelve states currently ban possession of wildlife animals, seven have a partial ban and 14 require a license or permit to possess wildlife animals. Local laws are often more stringent than state regulations.
In Texas and Missouri, states that lack many regulations regarding wildlife animals, those unique situations crop up frequently. Restrictions in Texas are left up to the county. In Missouri, private owners are required to inform local law enforcement agencies that they posses the animals.
Though no figures exist on how many wildlife animals are privately owned in the United States—the lack of regulation also means a lack of data—the Animal Protection Institute estimates that 6,000 to 7,000 tigers are held by private individuals in the United States. To put that in perspective, there are only 5,000 to 7,000 tigers left in the wild, according to the World Wildlife Federation.
Estimates put about 2,500 of those tigers in Texas, Mr. Garcia said. Ninety percent of the exotic animals that show up at the shelter are big cats. Most are confiscated cruelty cases or abandoned animals. Ten percent are walk-ins—people show up and ask to have them taken off their hands.
One tiger was left tied to a tree in downtown Houston. Another was abandoned in a three-bedroom house. One Houston tiger took the arm off a small boy—and not by biting it, Mr. Garcia said.
Must have been claws, then. "No, no claws," Mr. Garcia said. "He just slapped at it. These guys are extremely powerful."
People donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t realize that, agreed Curt Ransom, director of rescues and investigations for the Humane Society of Missouri. He recalled one tiger that workers were called in to deal with. "It was out there batting around a 100-gallon horse trough like it was a beach ball."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zoos typically arenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t an option. They have their own breeding programs, with the participating animals carefully screened for best results. Even temporarily housing an animal raises quarantine issues.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Then there was the Missouri family keeping a Bengal tiger in a round, barred metal pen in a side yard. The tiger escaped—because the roof was plywood, kept in place by junk piled on top. Nothing, Mr. Ransom said, that the tiger couldnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t have casually swiped aside whenever it had the urge.
In another Missouri case, an African lion grabbed the ownerâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s nephew by the throat and crushed his esophagus. The lion had been chained to a tree. "No fence, no anything. Perfectly legal," Mr. Ransom said. The boy survived with emergency care.
But sometimes the mistakes are fatal. A young Texas girl was killed by one of her stepfatherâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s two tigers when he brought her into the cage with him. He bent down to attend to one tiger, and the other leapt over him to lunge at the daughter. "Anytime tigers see children or people who are handicapped, they start stalking," Mr. Garcia said. "Tigers in the wild always pick out the weakest link of the herd. If theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]re all adults and one child, theyâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll focus on the child."
But the animals endanger adults as well, including the shelter workers and law enforcement officers who have to tackle the issue. Look at your typical housecat, with centuries of domestication behind it, Mr. Garcia said. It still hunts. "Big cats are going to do the same thing—they just hunt a little bigger game. And thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s us."
The Houston SPCA recently put $250,000 into an addition designed specifically to handle big cats. The facility, which consists of reinforced caging with double-locks, safety doors to prevent staff from coming into contact with the cats, and a secondary perimeter fence that will keep the cats from escaping even if they get out of the cages, can hold up to seven of the animals.
Obviously, that isnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t an option for most shelters. Out of the 115 counties in Missouri, only five have an animal control facility. Some towns will have an animal control officer, or a few cages for stray dogs and cats—but thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s it, Mr. Ransom said. "When you run into a Bengal tiger, what do you do—other than shoot it?"
In addition to big cats, Missouri shelters of late have had to deal with a 12-foot python, which died because its owner had been force-feeding it; a 3-foot caiman, a species of crocodile; an emu that was chasing children; and an ostrich.
"Thereâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s no gauge—shelters [that] have never dealt with an exotic animal will suddenly find themselves in possession of a unique monkey," said Kate Pullen, director of animal shelter issues for the Humane Society of the United States. "You just never know whatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s in your community and at any time, you may be asked to step up to the plate and deal with it."
Shelters tend to take the animals in, Mr. Brestrup said. They place them in cages out back that they might use for livestock, or in cages isolated from the general shelter population.
If thatâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s impossible, they often seek help locally—a zoo, sanctuary, or expert that can house the animal temporarily while they look for a new home.
The Association of Sanctuaries will send out an e-mail to its members on behalf of the beleaguered shelter, looking for someone to take the animal in. If nothing turns up, the next step is to look at the second tier of sanctuaries—places that arenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t accredited but are still know to be good places.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
In addition to big cats, Missouri shelters of late have had to deal with a 12-foot python, which died because its owner had been force-feeding it; a 3-foot caiman, a species of crocodile; an emu that was chasing children; and an ostrich.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If that fails, the shelters face the unpleasant option of either sending the animal to a sanctuary where it wonâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t be well cared for—and might be sold to another private owner—or euthanizing it.
"A fair number will go off to not-good facilities, and a fair number are euthanized," Mr. Brestrup said.
Zoos typically arenâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t an option. They have their own breeding programs, with the participating animals carefully screened for best results. Even temporarily housing an animal raises quarantine issues. "So the burden really does fall on shelters," Ms. Pullen said.
Education is important in advance—shelters should find out what kind of experts and resources they have in their community, Ms. Pullen said. They need to know who to work with, and who will be reliable. "[Find out] before you get hit with something and have to house 20 caimans."
The Humane Society offers shelters resources on wildlife animals. Staff at the organization can provide information on feeding, housing and—if necessary—how to euthanize various animals.
Since no shelter can be prepared for every type of animal, the best solution is for people to stop taking in such creatures as pets, shelters said. And that also means encouraging states to ban private ownership of wildlife animals as pets—or to strictly regulate it, at a minimum.
But Mr. Ransom doesnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t see that happening soon, noting that the industry resists regulation. Heâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s concerned that more injuries will have to happen before things change. "Itâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]s like stop signs," he said. "No one puts up a stop sign until someone gets killed."
