The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa*

Tell us about your interesting Wildlife Experiences
Poplap
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 10:53 pm
Location: Daar waar die bobbejane hul borshare kam...
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Poplap »

The cheetah cubs.... they were aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwww... ( The fence hampered photo opportunities to a great extend.)


And in the same tone, sad. Thinking that they were born in captivity... Hope they will be released one day. Really hope so.



Image


Image


Image


Image


And this one just about breaks my heart...


Image


Poplap
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 10:53 pm
Location: Daar waar die bobbejane hul borshare kam...
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Poplap »

Ol' pink eyes are looking at you, Lis....



Image


Poplap
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 10:53 pm
Location: Daar waar die bobbejane hul borshare kam...
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Poplap »

Almost forgot about the meerkats...



Image



----


Fenced in animals are never good, Lis and CB. In fact, I am always saddened by it. Immensely so. Never, but waaaayyyy better there than in a zoo. The cheetahs have a run every day, chasing a lure.


Who knows, perhaps the last few of their kind will be those behind fences, the way us humans are urbanising and building hotels and coal mining and blah blah blah.


CB, the trip in itself was relatively expensive (the Oom said equal to four nights camping in Kruger :lol: :lol: :evil: ) so apart from drinks and a snack, we gave the shop a miss. (We had to remove all our jewellery before we were allowed to stroke the cheetah. That's why the LO is bare neck, and then has her cheetah hanging around her neck again. .... Come to think of it, we bought a licence disc holder for the Oom's car in the curious shop. :D :D


Poplap
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 10:53 pm
Location: Daar waar die bobbejane hul borshare kam...
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Poplap »

Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Poplap
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 10:53 pm
Location: Daar waar die bobbejane hul borshare kam...
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Poplap »

Image


Poplap
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 10:53 pm
Location: Daar waar die bobbejane hul borshare kam...
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Poplap »

The last few from the LO:


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Image


Lis, I agree with you. Same type of snouts, different angles. Yaaaawnnn. Oh soo boring!'


Image


User avatar
Lisbeth
Site Admin
Posts: 67237
Joined: Sat May 19, 2012 12:31 pm
Country: Switzerland
Location: Lugano
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Lisbeth »

kamekora wrote:What are your views on wild life rescue? i have always have been amazed with big cats, they are so gorgeous! when i was little i always wanted a white tiger, yes i know that this is not possible, but it is what i wanted. when i look into the rescues you can actually adopt cats such as lynx and servals as pets, due to the previous owner either neglecting them or not being able to meet their needs as a adult cat and surrendering them. do you think it is good to adopt these cats b/c they can not be released into the wild, most of them are declawed and some have had their fangs removed. i know everyone will say wild animals belong in the wild not behind bars, but what i am asking is it right to adopt these, not fresh kittens that could be wild, but the ones that are already behind bars for life but are probably not getting the attention and care they need due to space! what is your point of view?
_________________________________


Poplap
Posts: 1436
Joined: Thu May 24, 2012 10:53 pm
Location: Daar waar die bobbejane hul borshare kam...
Contact:

Re: The Ann van Dyk Cheetah Centre - De Wildt, South Africa

Post by Poplap »

kamekora wrote:What are your views on wild life rescue? i have always have been amazed with big cats, they are so gorgeous! when i was little i always wanted a white tiger, yes i know that this is not possible, but it is what i wanted. when i look into the rescues you can actually adopt cats such as lynx and servals as pets, due to the previous owner either neglecting them or not being able to meet their needs as a adult cat and surrendering them. do you think it is good to adopt these cats b/c they can not be released into the wild, most of them are declawed and some have had their fangs removed. i know everyone will say wild animals belong in the wild not behind bars, but what i am asking is it right to adopt these, not fresh kittens that could be wild, but the ones that are already behind bars for life but are probably not getting the attention and care they need due to space! what is your point of view?

A warm welcome to the cool, green Forum, Kamekora, where we speak out on behalf of our magic, yet voiceless fauna and flora. Somehow my 9th sense tells me this is a 'trick question'..., but here goes:


I agree that wild animals belong in the wild.


For instance, there are many pros and cons as far as zoos are concerned. Some see it as mere 'entertainment' for humans, others as part of the essential preservation of endangered species. (I for one do not like zoos).


Sanctuaries like this one play a different role - most probably as a go-between.


As you have rightly stated, there are some animals that cannot be released into the wild again due to injuries sustained / modifications as they were previously kept as pets, such as a vulture with a broken wing, a monkey which has been de-fanged, or as the albino HB elsewhere in my posts above, etc. However, if it is a clear case that these animals cannot be released back into the wild again, in my opinion they should be kept in a sanctuary (if on the IUCN endangered list, for breeding purposes) or sadly so, put to sleep. Definitely no adoption by the ordinary man on the street.


Why?


Firstly, there are a plethora of ethical issues involved.


Further, baby animals become huge animals. Very cute when they are small, not so cute when you need to build an extra room to keep this animal.


Appropriate care for wild animals requires considerable expertise and specialised facilities which the ordinary person on the street does not possess or cannot supply.


Their nutritional and social needs are demanding to meet and, in many cases, unknown. It is also expensive. (The animals at this sanctuary are fed horse meat and a mixture of chicken and other nutrients. The slightest change in their diet can upset their stomachs, which might even result in death. So they are fed a 'constant', i.e. a type of meat that is mostly readily available).


These animals often grow to be larger, stronger, and more dangerous than owners expect or can manage.


Wild animals also pose a danger to human health and safety through disease and parasites.


Domestication takes thousands of years - you can take the animal out of the wild, but you can never take the wild out of the animal, so to speak. Perhaps you recall the chimp which mauled a Connecticut woman a couple of years ago? http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,494067,00.html - Apparently without any real provocation (except a new hairdo? Who knows?)...


This lengthy discussion backs up my statement as set out above:



'Wild animals, when kept as pets, are a public health and safety concern

Every year, privately owned wild animals seriously injure or kill humans. Pet snakes have suffocated babies; raccoons have killed children; and lions and tigers have mauled their owners. Individuals legitimately concerned about wild animals being kept in their neighborhoods regularly seek assistance in dealing with this problem. Animals in traveling acts also present considerable danger to the public. One particularly notorious act involved a wrestling bear that, though muzzled and declawed, managed to bite off fingers and break bones of his handler. Even small tiger cubs, used by traveling zoos that charge a fee to the public for a photo with the animal, have inflicted serious injuries to children. These are still wild animals and as such, are unpredictable and in any situation can inflict serious, if not fatal, injuries to children and adults. Furthermore, wild and exotic animals carry a number of diseases that are transmissible to humans, including polio, rabies, tuberculosis, hepatitis, tularemia, leptospirosis, salmonella, and ringworm, as well as numerous parasites.

What does the future hold for a wild animal held in private ownership?
Most owners are ignorant of a wild animal's needs. Many practicing veterinarians can neither properly diagnose nor effectively treat health problems in wild animals. The animal's behavior is usually misunderstood and often radically altered in captivity as a result of inappropriate care. In order to domesticate the animal, many owners resort to such extreme measures as defanging, declawing, and castration. If the owner decides to get rid of the animal, it is usually impossible to find a new home. Obviously, other individuals are no better equipped than the original owner to care for a wild animal; reputable zoos, for a variety of reasons, generally do not accept such animals; and other facilities that will take them must be regarded with suspicion. The few wildlife sanctuaries that exist are often stretched to the breaking point, and local animal shelters are ill-equipped to handle anything other than the occasional raccoon.

Should individuals keep wild or exotic animals as pets?
No. Wild and exotic (non-native) animals are unsuitable for home rearing and handling. They have complex needs that are difficult to meet. Most individuals have neither the finances nor the experience to care for them properly. It has been estimated that 90% are dead within the first two years of captivity. Many wild animals forced into a domestic situation cause injury to humans, especially children. Others, if released into the environment, may die because they lack learned survival skills and can cause irreversible and costly damage to our ecosystem.'



Source: http://www.cwapc.org/news/faq.html

Another source: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/exotic_pets/facts/


There are many sources readily available on this issue on the net. \O Trusting that my answer suffices.


Post Reply

Return to “Tales of Wildlife Experiences & Animal Behaviour”