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Zoos, Circuses, Safaris: A Gallery of Captivity
Zoos, Circuses, Safaris: A Gallery of Captivity
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Zoos, Circuses, Safaris: A Gallery of Captivity
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  (07-12-2015, 08:19 PM)'Wanderfalke' Wrote:(07-12-2015, 03:54 PM)'Apollo' Wrote: Tiger from Nepal zoo This is why they stated that is was hard to deteremine captive bengals size because they were kept in such horrid conditions. Just makes me sad to see 
Pckts: "Its all in russian but they are some big cats, I think they are amurs as well."
This is Slovak language, spoken in Slovakia. This language is similar to Czech or Polish...Russian is different...a lot...and Russians use different alphabet. BTW all these tigers are "amurs" and they are all females. (09-18-2015, 12:40 AM)Amnon242 Wrote: Pckts: "Its all in russian but they are some big cats, I think they are amurs as well." Sorry, no disrespect intended. I'm not fluent in any of the eastern European languages so I didn't know. (09-18-2015, 01:08 AM)Pckts Wrote:(09-18-2015, 12:40 AM)Amnon242 Wrote: Pckts: "Its all in russian but they are some big cats, I think they are amurs as well." No problem. BTW we (Czechs, Slovaks and Poles) prefer to be called "central European"...for geographical, political and cultural reasons. BTW I have absolutely no problem with eastern Europe - Russians, Ukrainians or any other nation (or belief)...and I feel very sorry for the current fraternicide among Russians and Ukrainians...and I feel also sorry for the current wave of xenophobia/islamophobia in Europe...sorry for OT...
Basho is the White Tiger, Lotus is the Male Lion
Both are at the BlackJaguarWhiteTiger sanctuary, its a good comparison of two young males coming into their prime and gives you an idea of how large Basho will be when hes older  *This image is copyright of its original author  *This image is copyright of its original author Its a video on his IG account, you can watch it there if you'd like. 
In Guilin China, big cats are drugged, have their claws removed and are forced to perform in shows by trainers wielding spiked metal poles. Britta Jaschinski won the Wildlife Photojournalist Single Image award by capturing the cruel and surreal nature of the circus show. (Britta Jaschinski / Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015)
 *This image is copyright of its original author
This post has some videos of German circuses. All but he first are from Prof. Dr. Klaus Zeeb of the 'Tierhygienisches Institut Freiburg'. They are in German. The circus was, and still is, important in Germany. German trainers were among the best. They still are.
Over here, exotic wild animals can't be used in the circus anymore. As most visitors came to see them in particular, chances are many circuses will struggle in the near future. The biggest circus in Holland went bankrupt a week ago. Over 60 lost their job. Experience and knowledge will be lost forever. Many more will follow. I fear for the animals. During the debate on exotic big cats, trainers and others were experimenting with different training methods. They aim was to get them more active in a fitting, more natural, way. The animals liked it and the public was more involved. I know, because I was there. Research was done. All this is now past and gone. From now on, you will see parodies of big cats in zoos. In order to survive, circuses will have to come up with something in order to draw a crowd. I predict a giraf riding an rhino within a few years. There will be no animal rights groups to help the rhino. Why not? I worked with those involved in animal rights groups for quite some time when I visited rescue facilities to measure and weigh captive big cats. We cooperated on all kinds of projects. Until I had had enough. The reason was they were not that interested in big cats. It was about something else. What was that? I noticed they often were young. Many had had a troubled life. Abuse has terrible consequences. Ruined human lives and no legal action will result in problems sooner or later. In animal rights organisations, young people with a troubled past often met those with a similar background. And this time, they were not going to lose. Big cats were selected as a means. Why? They are a nightmare come true. Big cats are 'Monsters of God'. We talk about them. All this suited the activists. Best means to an end. They knew journalists and intimidated people (politicians in particular). The result of the war is no more exotic big cats in the circus. Did they enter the cage to see and touch a sedated big cat? Never. They were terrified. Did they know about big cats? Zilch. How did big cats respond to them when they were close to them? I better not tell you. Why then did they select big cats to retaliate? Because they too felt special and dangerous. Because they too wanted to be heard, respected and feared. But isn't a circus a terrible place for big cats? Of course it is. Isn't it degrading to make them perform? Of course it is. Didn't some trainers abuse big cats? Sure they did. Isn't it a no life? Sure it is. Isn't it true that animals in general are treated as vermin everywhere? Yes, they are. Isn't it true that something has to change? Yes, it has. So these animal protections groups did serve a purpose? Yes, they most certainly did. But not for captive big cats. The animal trainers I talked to agreed captive big cats didn't do that badly. Other animals suffer. Horses, cows, pigs, birds and everything else we eat. Many are kept in conditions that surpass the imagination. When a farm is burning down, thousands and thousands die. When there is a disease, many more perish. Not because of the disease, but because they are killed just in case. When humans are involved, anything is possible. Many just don't care about other creatures. Or each other. Over here, abuse is a problem. Should we get rid of religion for this reason (most children are abused by those working for religious organisations - the percentages are staggering)? Should we get rid of schools? Families? Sport clubs? The justice system? The answer is we need time to learn and change a few things. It will go very slowly, but over the years we will make a bit of progress. Compared to the Middle Ages, today's life, at least in most parts of Europe, is not that bad. But there's no question that some will get involved in abuse no matter what. Can't be prevented. In most cases, the victims are those that can't defend themselves. The young, the old, the disabled, the poor, the loners and the unlucky. As to captive big cats. There are many thousands. Most live in conditions you don't want to know about. The lucky ones made it to a zoo or rescue facility. In spite of the remarks about the circus above, it is not the worst option for captive big cats. They interact with other animals. They interact with us. They travel. They stay fit to a degree. They mate. They are treated by those who care about them and they are healthy compared to those who walk from one side to the other all day every day. As a result of the exotic cats act, many thousands of big cats will lose friends, connections and a perspective. I do not doubt that many will be 'euthanized'. The others will spend the rest of their life in a cage with zero perspective. Many will no longer have the opportunity to see them (a zoo is way too expensive for many, whereas the circus, at least for children, is not). When I had big cats skulls in my house, the children in my street found out and visited me. Their parents and others followed. Many hundreds came to see the skulls. They asked many questions and stayed for a long time. I never saw them as interested again. They told me they don't want to live in a world with no animals. The problem is they do not have the opportunity to see them. There's no education anywhere. Zilch. All connections are lost. Anyway. Here's the videos: 1 - R. Strickler (1984). Circus show of 13 minutes (polar bear included): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpHZUuzwQzY 2 - Working with lions and tigers. Footage of 7 big cat trainers (3 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYhMlf9mD_Y 3 - Friendship with predators (3 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7aKmBE6mug 4 - L. Knie and tigers (1973). From the start of the training to the act (3 minutes): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZsj0TUSnrQ
Just goes to show you that a big cat doesn't follow a species "code of conduct"
If raised with love and support, they can learn to adapt, BJWT has numerous "prides" of Lions, Tigers, Leopards and Jaguar all live harmoniously and their specific personalities always shine through, but they learn can still adapt to their surroundings quite nicely.  *This image is copyright of its original author 3 Male Lions, A Lioness, Tigress and Male Jaguar... All part of a even larger pride with more lions, tigers and leopards. Its crazy to see
TIERPARK BERLIN - I - OCTOBER 2015
Berlin has two zoos. I reported on the first one a year ago. This year, I visited the Tierpark Berlin. A bit larger than the other zoo, it's quite something to behold. We needed two days to get an idea. As the Tierpark struggles to make ends meet, both zoos decided for a kind of joint venture. I hope the Tierpark will remain on its own, as it has a lot of species seldom seen in other zoos. The Andes bear is an example. We estimated him between 170-190 kg., but bears usually are heavier than you think:  *This image is copyright of its original author The Tierpark Berlin has two Amur tigers. They are from the Moscow zoo. Both (male and female) are in great shape. Compared to all other wild cats, they are large. Make that very large. We watched the male in particular for a long time. We concluded he is 200-210 cm. in head and body length (straight line). With a tail well exceeding 100 cm., his total length would range between 310-320 cm. 'between pegs', possibly a tad more. Apart from that, he is long-legged. Well over 100 cm. while standing. His head, as you can see, is very large and massive. Compared to the three male Amur circus tigers I measured some years ago (280, 287 and 298 cm. in total length), he most definitely was larger all the way. One of the most striking features in tigers is the combination of size and power and athleticism. Although it may seem a bit different in the picture, the shoulders, the upper-arms and, in particular, the fore-arms and paws are very powerful. I do not doubt that some large male Indian tigers in northern India are more massive, but I wouldn't bet against him in spite of that:  *This image is copyright of its original author One could argue about the meaning of athleticism. For me, it is a combination of strength and the ability to use it in the best possible way. In order to do that, you not only need strength and fitness, but also awareness, control and balance. How to act right when needed. Agility comes to mind, but it's more than that. Did it show in some way? Yes. Example. When the tiger was moving, he seemed like a dancing ghost. Although we could see him all the time, he took us by surprise time and again. He was here, there and everywhere. We couldn't hear him walk and we didn't see him climb the tree. One moment, he was lying down, legs in the air, and the next he was in a tree very close to the bars. He accepted the response, then moved over to the female. She immediately responded, but couldn't get to him. Visitors were warned to stay away from the bars, as she was known to respond in an aggressive way when general rules of conduct were not respected. With four 6-month old cubs, you keep your distance. Smaller cats, like leopards and, in particular, pumas, do it all the time (moving fast and climbing trees), but that is what you expect from a cat ranging between 30-75 kg. You also often see it coming. A lion, similar in size as a tiger, is bigger, heavier and more massive than jaguars, leopards and pumas. When making a point, you expect him to just kick the door in and move anything out of the way while doing so and that's what you get in most cases. One would expect something similar with a tiger of that size or even larger, but this is not the case. A lion compares to a heavyweight bouncer, whereas a tiger is closer to a dancer also capable in martial arts and demolition. When the tiger was lying down (see the picture above), we were discussing a few things. Although we watched him all the time, he suddenly was a yard and a half before and above us. Watching, always watching:  *This image is copyright of its original author When I asked the others about the differences between lions and tigers, they said tigers seemed more nervous or more alert (depending on how you perceive the attitude). Some of the people also watching the tigers agreed. Tigers made them feel a bit weary, whereas lions, in their opinion, oozed more trust. More reliable, they thought. One could say that smaller cats in general evoke more wearyness. When I asked them which of the big cats they would not want to face one on one, they, without exception, agreed on female leopards, female pumas and female tigers. Females are more weary and more active. Most cats will refrain from direct contact when they watch you. Tigers do not. Watch the tigress below:  *This image is copyright of its original author
@ Peter: I went to Berlin in 2000, and to discover the two zoos was a very great pleasure for me, especially as concerns the felines. I could draw them, they were beautiful. Of course the Tiergarten in the ancient East sector of the city is much more bigger (The price of the square meter ground was not at all the same...). Yes you're right, you need to plane two entire days in order to visit both zoos.
(10-28-2015, 12:52 AM)Spalea Wrote: @ Peter: I went to Berlin in 2000, and to discover the two zoos was a very great pleasure for me, especially as concerns the felines. I could draw them, they were beautiful. Of course the Tiergarten in the ancient East sector of the city is much more bigger (The price of the square meter ground was not at all the same...). Yes you're right, you need to plane two entire days in order to visit both zoos. Not sure how you feel about it, but I'd love to see your drawings if you wanted to start a thread on it? (10-28-2015, 12:52 AM)Spalea Wrote: @ Peter: I went to Berlin in 2000, and to discover the two zoos was a very great pleasure for me, especially as concerns the felines. I could draw them, they were beautiful. Of course the Tiergarten in the ancient East sector of the city is much more bigger (The price of the square meter ground was not at all the same...). Yes you're right, you need to plane two entire days in order to visit both zoos. (10-28-2015, 01:07 AM)Pckts Wrote:(10-28-2015, 12:52 AM)Spalea Wrote: @ Peter: I went to Berlin in 2000, and to discover the two zoos was a very great pleasure for me, especially as concerns the felines. I could draw them, they were beautiful. Of course the Tiergarten in the ancient East sector of the city is much more bigger (The price of the square meter ground was not at all the same...). Yes you're right, you need to plane two entire days in order to visit both zoos. |
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