Yesterday, I sent this editorial to the Rexano.org site because I was stunned at how the relocation of the animals was being handled (see below). First, I found out over the weekend that Maverick, an aging leopard, was slated to go to the Amarillo Zoo. Maverick just lost his sister who he lived with since he was a cub. Maverick should not be placed on displayed because of his age and recent loss. Apparently this was a USDA placement and it fell through yesterday, so Maverick will not be going to the Zoo afterall.
Then I learned the relocation group planned on moving Noel to the New Mexico zoo. Noelle is a wild cougar, not used to people, and currently living next to tigers at the Talley Road facility, so she is under constant stress every time the tigers moved. When I saw her the first time at Talley Road, Noelle was huddled in the corner hissing and spitting at us and the tigers. I cannot imagine what would happen to her if she was placed on tour at a public zoo. I have no idea if Noelle actually left for the Zoo or not.
Then, between the Facebook and website postings, I learned that the animals were sick at the time they were transported to their new homes. Here is a paragraph pulled from one such website:
"Harley, Lakota and Salem, the three bobcats, have already arrived at The Wildcat Sanctuary. They needed immediate vet care to treat a flea infestation and multiple types of parasites. Salem and Lakota are quite old and will need some further care. Harley is as her name suggests the wild one. All are doing well and once their parasites are under control will live next to Sebastian, a serval. They will have access to a building to get out of the chilly Minnesota winters.
Staff will return later this month to transport tigers Ekaterina, Sierra and Zeus."
One of the tactics Carol Asvestas used in the past was to state the animals arrived with worms or was under nourished. Sadly, in this case, it was true. The WAO animals were infected with worms and fleas when they left the WAO.
When I heard about Billy McNamara’s interesting experience with the WAO earlier this week (Tuesday), it confirmed it for me that Michelle Cryer was only in it for the money.
This exert is from the San Antonio Current’s follow-up WAO news story regarding Billy's experience with the WAO:
http://sacurrent.com/news/story.asp?id=71517
The WAO holds roughly 400 animals. While Straw told the QueQue that most of the animals have been moved (or are in the process of being relocated), sources involved in that process are saying very few, if any, have been moved yet. That only about one-third have been “potentially” placed. One would think the WAO board would be taking all the help it can get. Strangely, a videographer with Hollywood connections offered to record the passage of some animals from San Antonio to Indiana. Instead of welcoming the help in putting the message out there, the board, according to filmmaker Billy McNamara, agreed during a conference call last week to allow him to videotape a transfer — for a fee.
“They basically said, if you want to do a rescue you have to give us money. Or else you can’t,” McNamara told the QueQue this week. When he offered to pay for the cost of transporting the animals to a rescue in Indiana, the board circled round to McNamara’s Hollywood-based celebrity sponsor. “They said he’s got deep pockets, he should be able to get us some money. … Basically, that’s extortion.”So much for the animals.
In speaking with Billy he was stunned that Michelle Cryer wanted money upfront from the daughter of a well-known actor before he would be allowed to cover the WAO’s five tigers travels to Indiana. I guess this did not make Billy’s day, considering he had already committed resources to cover the transfer event.
In any case, earlier today I learned that the Talley Road neighbors saw a lot of primate cages being loaded on to large trucks. As of last night in talking with Don Elroy (more on that later), I don’t’ think any of the macaques were leaving the WAO, but perhaps the WAO’s chimpanzees were relocating to Chimp Haven and ChimpSanctuary NW today.
Anyhoo, here is the editorial I wrote yesterday. You will not find it on the Rexano.org web site because I had it pulled (I’ll explain why in my next posting).
September 8, 2010
Well, the media circus has begun – already the media cameras are lining up to cover the relocation of the WAO animals and the animal fundraising machines are gearing up to make a lot of money resulting from the WAO closure. It is absolutely heartbreaking that the WAO animals are forced to leave their homes of many years to be transported throughout the United States, to completely different terrains and climates, when monies could have been raised to help keep them here in San Antonio, Texas.
Three animal sanctuaries, Wildcat Haven, Wildcat Sanctuary, and Safe Haven Wildlife, announced on their website they need to raise a lot of money to build the displaced WAO animals their new enclosures. According to their websites the following amounts are required to build “homes” for their latest rescued animals: Wildcat Haven needs over $25k for 2 tigers; Wildcat Sanctuary requires $45k for two lions and a tiger; and Safe Haven requires $30k for its two new lions. Over all, the sanctuaries claim it will cost them over $100k (total) to build enclosures for 7 big cats (that’s approximately $14,286 per big cat).
Interesting enough, prior to the WAO’s spiraling downfall, the facility accepted cost proposals from contractors to build new enclosures for its big cats. For a 50x50 enclosure that could comfortable house 2 big cats (2,500 sq feet), contractors estimated on the high side that it would cost the WAO approximately $15,600 for material and labor. Now granted, sanctuaries differ to some degree in their use of construction materials (for example, WAO used cattle panels versus chain link which is widely used by other sanctuaries), but the overall cost should not have differed significantly.
It is unknown how long the big cats going to Wildcat Haven and Wildcat Sanctuary will live in transporters or small “quarantine” cages until their new homes are finally built. I’m just wondering if the cages will even be completed before the sanctuaries receive their first flurries of snow. What type of precautions and preventative steps will the sanctuaries take to help the elder animals adjust to the change in weather? The WAO animals were acclimated to Texas warm weather so moving to cold weather states will be very hard on many of the older animals.
Safe Haven Wildlife announced on its Facebook page that the Discovery Channel is funding two WAO animals’ transport costs to its facility, which may be featured on-air in 2011. WAO lions, Kovu and IFAW, will have an enclosure waiting for them at Safe Haven, but it will be at the expense of the sanctuary’s current tiger waiting to leave her temporary cage. “Kuvo and Ifaw, who are accustomed to living together, will be housed in the new enclosure originally intended for Siberian tiger Choi-Hu. Until another new enclosure can be built, Choi-Hu will remain a while longer in her temporary enclosure, where she has been living happily since November 2009.” No doubt the lions are receiving this special treatment so Discovery Channel—whom apparently negotiated exclusive rights to cover this story—can witness the WAO’s lions “enjoying” their new environment.
If every sanctuary accepting the WAO’s big cats has to raise money to build enclosures, the amount required to properly house the 55+ big cats comes to a staggering $770+k. Just think what the WAO could have done with that kind of money! Needless to say, this dollar figure does not even include relocating the primates and other WAO animals throughout the US.
Now I want to make it very clear; I am not against the animals finding peace after all they have been through for the last 4 ½ years. I am simply pointing out that money could have been raised throughout the United States and elsewhere to save the WAO instead of forcing the animals to leave their homes. If the large and not-so-large animal groups and government officials had performed their obligated duties to protect consumers and animals, instead of turning a blind eye to the all the alleged misappropriation of funds and violations of the Animal Welfare Act, then perhaps the corrupt management and board of directors would have been removed years ago and life for the WAO animals would have improved significantly. I guess we’ll never know for sure now.
In conclusion, I wonder if the ssanctuaries listed above will be transparent and share with the me and the general public pictures of the animals enjoying their new enclosures. Great sanctuaries would be willing to share right away. Questionable sanctuaries will either say they will share the photos (and never do) or simply ignore my requests for photos. I guess only time will tell which sanctuaries are truly "credible" or those that operate just like the WAO used to operate before it was shut down.So, the media circus has begun and instead of the Wild Animal Orphanage receiving financial support from the general public, which is sorely needs right now to care for its remaining animals, other sanctuaries will receive the spotlight and the monies needed to support their own animals.http://wildanimalorphanage.org/
http://wildcathaven.org/tigers.html
http://www.wildcatsanctuary.org/whatsnew/new.html
As you know, the SA Current and the San Antonio Lightning covered this story extensively.
4 1/2 years ago, I went to the USDA, OAG, TCEQ, HSUS, PETA, Voices for Animals, ASPCA, and so forth, begging for assistance to save the WAO animals.
And you may recall from my past posings, everyone turned a blind eye to the conditions at the WAO for four years and refused to help me. It wasn't until the WAO collapsed under the weight of all its debts, that FINALLY the USDA and OAG took notice of the horrible situation. A situation which I predicted years ago!!
Now suddenly everyone wants to help the WAO animals.
While I am pleased the animals are finally getting the attention they deserve, I just can't help but think of all the lives that could have been saved during the 4 year investigation into alleged misappropriation of funds and violations of the AWA at the WAO.
What is worse is now everyone is pointing fingers and everyone else and not the ones responsible for the current conditions at the WAO—the past and current board of directors and all the individuals and agencies that refused to help the animals from the very start.
This was a horrible tragedy that could have been avoided if only there were a cooperative effort between the government and animal protection agencies. If a tiger and a lion can live and cooperate together, than why is it so hard from groups that say they "love animals" to actually work together to save them!!! I guess I will never know or understand the "politics" of the animal world.
More about Animal Politics in my next post.
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