Weekly Feline News

Owing to certain preoccupations at present, I've decided to start posting on this blog on a weekly basis for the time being. Hopefully I'll be able to start blogging daily at some point in future. For the moment, I'm going to post a weekly cat-related news issue every Sunday. So here is some interesting stuff that I came across this past week.

A stray tiger in India is keeping wildlife officials on their toes as it moves from one forest to another in the suburbs of Lucknow district in the country's north. The big cat has covered a distance of over one hundred and fifty kilometers now in the last couple of weeks as it seeks to find a new home range for itself. The tiger, a male, has also killed several cattle in this foray of his and is now close to moving in proximity of human settlements. The authorities therefore need to trap and relocate the animal soon before it comes in conflict with people. Apart from being a remarkable migratory tale, this story also sheds light on the loss of prey and territory these animals are facing as they compete with the expanding human population and encroachment on their habitat. Tigers are being forced to move out of their jungles and travel long distances in search of a suitable ecosystem that might sustain them. You can read about this tiger's journey here, here and here!

Meanwhile authorities are conducting tests on a stray cougar recently killed in Georgia. The one hundred and forty pound feline was shot by a hunter near West Point Lake. Initial investigation suggests that the animal was most probably a captive animal that was illegally held and had somehow managed to escape. The gut of the cougar, for example, was found to be totally empty - indicating that the cat was not used to hunting on its own and was fed by its captors. DNA testing is being conducted to trace the regional subspecies of the felid - since cougars are not thought to exist in the wild in Georgia. Just another tale to highlight the dark side of breeding and captivity of exotic animals. More here and here.

Some good news for cheetahs. The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) is now working towards conservation of these sleek felines. CMS is an intergovernmental treaty that was concluded under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme, and focuses on animals that move across international borders in search of prey and habitat. A number of endangered mammalian, bird and fish species are on the agenda of CMS. It is hoped that this move by the UN will help support the endangered cheetahs that have shrunk dramatically in numbers over the past decade. Full story here.

Here is some more good news. This time it relates to the critically endangered Iberian Lynx of Spain. Considered by some to be the most endangered wild cat in the world, the Iberian Lynx has been teetering on the brink of extinction for many years now. However, after sustained efforts by scientists and conservationists in recent years it is now believed that this lynx subspecies has now recovered somewhat. Number has doubled to two hundred from one hundred animals six years back. This was concluded in the recently held 'Third Seminar on Iberian Lynx Conservation' in Spain. More here (translated version - original is in Spanish).

Efforts are underway to save Bella the lioness in Romania. The beautiful and brave animal has managed to survive a difficult life so far. As a cub she was held privately and underfed. Through adolescence and adulthood she was held in terrible conditions in a zoo. As a result she has suffered from skeletal deformities and blindness in one eye. Her other eye has a cataract, making the poor cat virtually blind. Born Free, the UK based animal welfare foundation, is trying to raise funds for an operation on her still viable eye to remove the cataract, restore her eyesight and then move her to a better facility in Africa where she can live out her remaining years of life in peace and comfort. You can read more about Bella and maybe even help her out on the Born Free website here.

Now to another charity organization. I was contacted via email recently by Rob who helps run a site called GiveBackAmerica.org. The concept behind the site is really wonderful. It's an online charity mall and every time you shop through there, a portion of money from your purchase goes to your charity of choice without any additional cost to you. They have a blog too located here. So maybe next time if you plan to buy something online you might consider buying through this site. Recently the people at this site have been adding many small animal rescues and shelters to their list of charities - and so in this way you can help animals too as you shop!

I also received an email from Mike Kagey, who is one of the creators of a hilarious internet comedy 'The Tender Morsels' - about a band that creates and plays music for cats - yep exclusively for the felines! You can watch their funny video here. They've also got a MySpace page that you can visit here. This is one band that targets a very attractive niche!

In other 'news' I was given the following two awards by Angus.




A big thank you to Angus and his humans!!! I'll pass these awards to the following cool blogs...

Sandee at Comedy Plus

Faz

Black Cat

Beaded Tail

Purr Prints

African Safari Stories

So that's it for this post. I know it's quite long but here is the bright side - you've got an entire week to read it ;)

See you all next Sunday. Have a great week!