1st July 2009

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First litter of lynx since 2006 in Colorado

The first lynx kittens since 2006 have been discovered in Colorado, bolstering the hopes of biologists interested in restoring the endangered species.

The tuft-eared, big-pawed cats were native to Colorado but their population took a hit in the 1970s, reports the AP, from logging, trapping, poisoning and development. Also, recent years have seen drop in the number of snowshoe hares, the mountain feline’s favorite meal.

But this spring, 10 lynx kittens have been spotted by scientists. There are seven males and three females in five dens. One appears in the photo above, taken in May.

Tags lynxbaby animalsbig cats

19th June 2009

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Moxie the lion cub is getting big

Okay, so this newly-released, Father’s Day-appropriate pic of Moxie the Bronx Zoo lion cub was only taken a couple weeks after Beast Blog’s first snaps. Still, look how self-assured the little lioness is!

Photo from WCS.

Tags lionsbig catsbaby animalsBronx ZooNYC

1st June 2009

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Snow leopards get new NYC home

The Sunday New York Daily News got a furrrocious exclusive about three snow leopards who have moved into new digs at the Central Park Zoo. (Video above.)

The cats came from the Bronx Zoo, which has long run a successful endangered leopard breeding program. They are a 12-year-old female, a 2-year-old male and a 2-year-old female.

In their new surroundings, which open to the public June 11, the cats split their time between a cliff-side waterfall and a lush hillside forest of birches and bamboo. To keep them active, their caretakers occasionally stash the scents of other animals in the exhibit to test the leopards’ hunting instincts. Says keeper Jeff Sailer, “It could be something as simple as straw that one of our rabbits in the children’s zoo slept in overnight. Leave some of that straw behind a bush or under a rock and, believe me, a snow leopard will know if it’s out there.”

While it’s early to be talking about cubs, exhibit designer Susan Chin tells the paper that the 2-year-old male is an intended mate for the 12-year-old female (proving that yes, leopards can be cougars).

“It will take them a while to get adjusted,” says Chin, “but at some point, we’re hoping it happens. We’ll have to come out here with candles and romantic music.”

Tags NYCbig catssnow leopardsvideos

28th May 2009

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Mountain lion dead after zoo stupidness

A Kansas zoo’s only mountain lion is dead after she was shot by police during an escape attempt.

The 14-year-old, 150-pound animal escaped her enclosure Sunday evening, exiting through a door left open by a zookeeper, officials at the Great Bend Zoo have revealed.

At the time of the cat’s escape, visitors were still in the zoo, and were quickly evacuated. Attempts to lure the lion back to her exhibit with a path of food failed and she became skittish and aggressive in a faceoff with authorities.

Zoo director Mike Cargill gave police permission to shoot the animal less than 20 minutes after her escape. She never got more than 150 feet from her own enclosure.

According to Cargill, the wait for veterinarians with tranquilizer darts could have taken 20 or more minutes, and there was a concern that the lion might leap the 8-foot-high fence separating the zoo from the rest of Great Bend, Kansas. According to the Great Bend Tribune, the cat “seemed to be preparing to dart into an open area outside of the North American exhibit, where she would have had open ground to gain speed.”

“I know a lot of people are upset,” Cargill said yesterday. “I’m upset. I didn’t get into this business to kill cats.”

The keeper who left the door open is subject to disciplinary actions, but the zoo won’t release the details. In the past, at the same zoo, a leopard that grabbed a zoo staff member by the head was also shot.

Related: a rare white tiger has mauled a keeper to death at the Zion Wildlife Gardens in New Zeland as eight horrified tourists looked on.

Tags mountain lionsbig catsescapes

17th May 2009

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Amazing Tiger Attack Footage

To put some suspense in your lazy Sunday, here’s newly-edited footage of a 2004 tiger attack in Assam, India. Rangers riding elephants were tracking a tigress one May morning, armed with tranquilizer guns. They took a shot, missed, and the animal disappeared into the tall grass, only to resurface a moment later (see above).

Footage can’t be embedded, but you’ll find the clip on trutv.com HERE. Don’t worry, it’s G-rated. (It’s no worse than anything Scar does in The Lion King.)

Tags tigersbig catsattacks