Feline Conservation Federation Ends Speculation About Texas Tigers

<p><location value="LU/us.dc.wash" idsrc="xmltag.org">Washington, D.C.</location> (PRWEB) <chron>September 30, 2011</chron></p><p>Contrary to speculative claims by animal rights organizations that Texans own 2,000 to 4,000 "backyard" tigers, a <a href="http://www.felineconservation.org"><org>Feline Conservation Federation</org></a> (FCF) study of tigers in <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location> revealed the population is much closer to 300, and almost none of them are pets.</p><p>"I am disappointed at these organizations, but not surprised", says FCF executive director <person>Lynn Culver</person>. "The backyard tiger is a hoax, fabricated by animal rights to inflame public hysteria for fund raising purposes."</p><p>To locate and document the nationwide wild cat population, FCF researchers combined <org>USDA</org> species inventories, state wildlife agency reports, county registrations, state health department records, FCF feline census data, interviewed feline breeders and sanctuary operators, and investigated stories on the Internet.</p><p>The latest count of <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location> tigers according to FCF research is 312 tigers, housed in 47 locations. Nine <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location> sanctuaries hold 107 tigers, and 36 tigers reside in 13 Texas zoos. And the "urban legend" pet tiger is nearly non-existent.</p><p>A <org value="ACORN:2219833697" idsrc="xmltag.org">World Wildlife Fund</org> press release, <a href="http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/21/americas_5000_backyard_tigers/">Black Market Feeds on Bodies of America's Backyard Tigers</a> describes <person>Henry Leigh</person>, WWF spokesperson, as worried 5,000 American tigers are in danger of being killed by their owners, who would sell their bodies to the illegal medicinal tiger bone market.</p><p>In <a href="http://www.cedrhill.org/animalfacts.htm">A Tigers Tale</a><person>Richard Farinato</person>, spokesperson for the <org>Human Society of the United States</org> (HSUS), guesses the state of <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location> has 3,000 tigers.</p><p><person>Carole Baskin's</person> Internet opinion piece, <a href="http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/cant-own-3-dogs-but-you-can-own-a-tiger/">Can't Own 3 Dogs But You Can Own a Tiger</a> says 2,000 tigers are in <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location>. Baskin exhibits cats retired from her breeding operation. Baskin allegedly does not know the <org>USDA</org> monitors tigers, even though she uses <org>USDA</org> records to maintain an excel database of tigers.</p><p>The Houston Examiner, a site where anyone can sign up to be a "reporter" ran <a href="http://www.examiner.com/cats-in-houston/tigers-and-other-big-cats-texas">Tigers and Other Big Cats in <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location></a> which credits <org>National Geographic</org> with estimating 15,000 big cats are in private homes, and attributes the SPCA with estimating <location value="LU/us.tx.houstn" idsrc="xmltag.org">Houston</location> has 500 big cats.</p><p>To investigate the incredible <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location> tiger claims, Culver contacted the <org>Houston SPCA</org> to learn more about <location value="LU/us.tx.houstn" idsrc="xmltag.org">Houston's</location> problem with big cats.</p><p>SPCA public relations spokesperson <person>Merra Nandlal</person>, hired a year prior to <person>Robyn Broyle's</person> "investigation" for her Houston Examiner story, has no knowledge of this SPCA estimate. Nandlal told the FCF, "In the last three years the <org>Houston SPCA</org> has temporarily housed two tigers confiscated near <location value="LU/us.tx.waco" idsrc="xmltag.org">Waco</location>, and one other confiscated tiger, also from western <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location>."</p><p><person>Colleen Hodges</person>, public relations person for <location value="LU/us.tx.harris" idsrc="xmltag.org">Harris County</location>, which surrounds <location value="LU/us.tx.houstn" idsrc="xmltag.org">Houston</location>, told the FCF, "Twenty years ago <location value="LU/us.tx.harris" idsrc="xmltag.org">Harris County</location> was farm and ranch land, but now, it is mostly subdivisions, with deed restrictions. Couples have two jobs, and kids in daycare, they don't have tigers."</p><p>But according to <location value="LU/us.tx.harris" idsrc="xmltag.org">Harris County</location> animal control field supervisor, <person>Danny Sanchez</person>, there are actually three tigers registered with the county, owned by two people. "In the past 10 years," Sanchez says, "another 5 or 6 people have had wild cats."</p><p>South of <location value="LU/us.tx.houstn" idsrc="xmltag.org">Houston</location>, in <location value="LU/us.tx.braria" idsrc="xmltag.org">Brazoria County</location>, animal control deputy officer <person>Amanda Kaylor</person> has six people registered with felines, mostly servals, no tigers, and one cougar. "In the past, there was one tiger, but it passed away," says Kaylor, adding, "and one time there was a pair of unregistered tigers, but the owner removed them."</p><p>North of <location value="LU/us.tx.houstn" idsrc="xmltag.org">Houston</location>, <person>Joe Guidry</person>, <location value="LU/us.tx.monery" idsrc="xmltag.org">Montgomery County</location> animal control field supervisor, has three tigers registered at a single facility. Says Guidry, "The facility used to have more animals, but they have gotten old and passed on." Guidry doesn't believe there are any tigers hiding in <location value="LU/us.tx.monery" idsrc="xmltag.org">Montgomery County</location>, explaining, "With 473,000 residents, someone would complain."</p><p>According to <location value="LU/us.tx.chaers" idsrc="xmltag.org">Chambers County</location> animal control officer <person>Leslie Richie</person> there are no tigers living in her county, but she vaguely remembers a single tiger cub, "Somewhere in <location value="LU/us.tx.jefson" idsrc="xmltag.org">Jefferson County</location>, near <location value="LU/us.tx.beaont" idsrc="xmltag.org">Beaumont</location>, about a decade ago."</p><p><location value="LU/us.tx.jefson" idsrc="xmltag.org">Jefferson County</location> animal control has no tigers, but suggested FCF look in <location value="LU/us.tx.galton" idsrc="xmltag.org">Galveston County</location>.</p><p>In 2008, Hurricane Ike hit <location value="LU/us.tx.galton" idsrc="xmltag.org">Galveston</location>. Tiger and lion owner, <person>Michael Ray Kujawa</person>, made national news when he brought his lion with him to a local church to ride out the storm. After the devastation by Ike, the big cats were relocated out of state.</p><p><location value="LU/us.tx.galton" idsrc="xmltag.org">Galveston County</location> assistant district prosecuting attorney <person>Elizabeth Cuchens</person> says, "No tigers are registered and there are no neighbor complaints of tigers either."</p><p>USDA Animal Care Inspector <person>Charlie Currer</person> reports that in the <location value="LU/us.tx.houstn" idsrc="xmltag.org">Houston</location> area, only two <location value="LU/us.tx.harris" idsrc="xmltag.org">Harris County</location> facilities have tigers, and no <org>USDA</org> licensed facilities have tigers in neighboring <person>West Bend</person>, <location value="LU/us.tx.braria" idsrc="xmltag.org">Brazoria</location>, <location value="LU/us.tx.monery" idsrc="xmltag.org">Montgomery</location> or <location value="LU/us.tx.galton" idsrc="xmltag.org">Galveston County</location>.</p><p>In the early 1990’s Currer had about 50 facilities with wild felines, but says big cats are not in <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location> anymore. “Counties have really, really cracked down on possession of big cats. People have to pay a lot of money, get insurance, and comply with a lot of regulations. Most of them just gave up their animals.”</p><p>Currer doesn’t believe people are hiding tigers, saying, “The large cats are difficult to conceal, they are not like a serval you can keep in the house.”</p><p>In <location value="LU/us.tx.marion" idsrc="xmltag.org">Marion County</location> one neighbor complaint is familiar to the FCF. A month after arriving with tigers, leopards, and a cougar, a neighbor reported the unregistered owner to authorities. With the help of the FCF <a href="http://www.felineconservation.org/fcf/texas_rescue_funded_by_wildcat_safety_net.htm"><org>Wild Cat Safety Net Fund</org></a> the cats were relocated to <location value="LS/us.wi" idsrc="xmltag.org">Wisconsin</location>.</p><p>Wild Animal Orphanage (WAO), one of the largest sanctuaries in <location value="LS/us.tx" idsrc="xmltag.org">Texas</location>, has dissolved. The FCF Wild Cat Safety Net paid the fuel bills to <a href="http://www.felineconservation.org/fcf/safety_net_fund_tansports_tigers_from_wild_animal.htm">transport 13 WAO tigers to <location value="LS/us.in" idsrc="xmltag.org">Indiana</location></a>, where they joined more than 100 other tigers at the Exotic Feline Rescue Center.</p><p>FCF is very concerned having documented that the true tiger count is much less than the unsubstantiated claims reported by unidentified "experts."</p><p>Culver says, "FCF is committed to protecting tigers and their habitat. Captive reared tigers are feline ambassadors that raise public awareness of conservation issues, and possess genetic diversity that could someday save this species from extinction."</p><p><org>The Feline Conservation Federation</org> is an international non-profit organization of zoos, sanctuaries, breeders, educational exhibitors, private owners and researchers. With more than 50 years feline husbandry experience, the FCF is a leading force in captive breeding, public education, wild feline conservation, and, is the expert on the number of tigers in America.</p><p>###</p><p>Read the full story at &lt;a href="http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8840075.htm">http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/9/prweb8840075.htm</a></p>