A tigers' tale: Oakland zoo rescues 4 sisters

[Dover]

Source: SF Gate




The plan was to bring home only one tiger. But then Oakland Zoo staffers got a look at the four yarn-chasing, ball-pouncing tigers that a Texas zoo was giving away.

"There's no way we could take just one," said Erica Calcagno, an Oakland zookeeper who made the trek to Brownsville, Texas, where the tigers - all sisters - had been rescued from a roadside freak show.

"They're gorgeous. Even when they're sleeping they're gorgeous. And we thought their story was an important one for us to tell."


Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/18/MN071LJ7QM.DTL#ixzz1bFM4cEkU

[Divernan]

1. "It was love at first chuff!"

[tosh]

2. Calvin Klein's Obsession??

Who'da thought?:silly:

[Dover]

8. Hmmm...gonna have to try some of that 'obsession' stuff.. grrrrrrrr.....

meow. :evilgrin:

[elleng]

3. Of course they're 'even cute when they're sleeping!'

My brother was cute then too!!!'
:rofl:

[msanthrope]

4. Yeah...I went to the pound for one kitten. Came home with three. I know the feeling. nt

[benld74]

5. This from the SFGate article,,,,

Owning tigers is legal is 21 states, including California. More than 8,000 tigers live in the U.S., far more than live in the wild globally. Of the 8,000, only a few hundred live in accredited zoos. The rest live in backyards.





Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/18/MN071LJ7QM.DTL#ixzz1bFZq3h6A

[Dover]

9. "Tiger mills". I was stunned to read that. Had no idea our laws were so lax on this.

Appalling. I hope these two stories about wildlife abuse in the news today are a catalyst for real
change on this issue. It amounts to the legalization of abuse, abuse, abuse! Not to mention the
inherent dangers...

[Nothing Without Hope]

6. Decades ago in Texas someone offered my uncle a "pet" Tiger

I was with him when he went to see it. It was heartbreaking. That gorgeous huge animal was confined in a dirty metal cage with heavy bars, maybe twice the tiger's length (minus tail) in each direction. My uncle didn't buy the tiger, but we were all saddened by the sight. My uncle and aunt were great animal lovers and lovingly cared for many kinds of animals at their ranch outside of Austin. I recall a longhorn bull that used to follow my aunt around like a puppy when allowed to do so. But they realized that they could not give the tiger the care it needed, it was just overwhelming.

This has been going on for a long time.

[Ikonoklast]

7. I wish I had the money...

I'd end up with every unwanted tiger on Earth and give them a home, and consider it a hundred million well spent.

[Nothing Without Hope]

10. Yes, that would be lovely. Rescued tigers along with a

reserve for them to live in and staff to keep everything healthy.