Working Around Tigers- Big Cat TV

What are your feelings about people going to pet tigers at Dream World in Australia? I want to go, but not if it's a bad idea.

Over18Bum, feel free to visit our website to learn more about volunteering or paticipating in the intern program at Big Cat Rescue.

i love how you are helping nature.
i have visited your site and learned many things. keep up the good work!!! i wish i could donate but i'm still a student and all i can do is pray for the success of your organization...

I want to work there!

Great work, thank you. Questions for "BigCatRescue": what do you think/feel about the work being done at Tiger Island, in Queensland Australia?

I would not be surprised to one day learn that Tatiana had been taunted and perhaps hit with something thrown by the injured and perhapd deceased party. Just last week they caught and fined two people at the same zoo for throwing acorns at the rhinos.

At one sanctuary where I did some volunteer work (poop cleaning, feeding assist and some work with cubs) they had a sign with 7 rules.

Rule #1 and Rule #7 were the same:

Do Not Throw Rocks At The Animals

Now I know why it was that way.

All these reasons are exactly why we do not do free contact, and are never in with the cats. A tiger is a tiger, and we respect that.

Sorry to impeed on this argument, but I have to agree with the others. Animals are animals, no matter how "docile" "tame" or "friendly" they appear to be. Even domesticated dogs have killed people in the past. Animals need to be respected and given space.

Tigers will not accept humans unless they feel the humans are accepted by them. The best way to do this is to acknowledge them at a distance first and assure them that you mean them no harm. Then once they're done being your friend, back off

"The poop-cleaner's got treats! Let's like him now!'
Nice. :)
I love your guys' work, the big cats are one of Earth's many treasures that wed cannot afford to lose.

The last time I checked a hand rasied tiger wasn't the only reason it would be able to return to the wilderness.

AS for the happiness issue, a zoo or captive born tiger is unaware of what the wilderness brings. THey know only what they were born into.

That being said why drag up a 2 month debate?

but how would they get there teeth through the cage

The difference it makes is that these animals are not afraid of humans. It makes them impossible to return to the wild, not to mention they don't get to learn hunting from their mother's example.

It's not a good difference, not if you really care about the animal being happy.

If they wanted to get their hands bitten off or clawed to ribbons, sure they could.

It's more out of instinct. A Tiger is a predator, first and foremost, an opportunistic hunter who kill kill any prey it thinks it can bring down because it doesn't know when it'll find food again. It'll also kill any other predators it views as competition. It's not evil, it's just a Tiger.

Big cats have to be trained to some extent to even be semi-safe around people. But it's a mistake to think that because they can learn audio cues, they are "trainable." They'll always be wild animals, those others "doing tricks" no less so then these.

Love it :D I clicker train my dog. Doesn't take them long to catch on does it.

Amazing how smart and "trainable" these animals are. I'm a big cat lover yet never seen relatively wild and "undomesticated" big cats perform these tricks. Though from what I viewed in videos, it seemed male lions were less intelligent and trainable than tigers or female lions. Can you confirm this?

We are a sanctuary/rescue and are located in Tampa, Fl. usa

Wow. I love siberian tigers but erm uuhhh how many does the Big Cat Rescue center have? If I am wrong erm please tell me. Siberian Tigers are the largest tigers and they are 13 feet long and 900 lbs? gosh they are like the great white sharks on land, only they will attack no matter what, more fierce than a great white.

Hey, BigCatRescue, I was wondering if u could tell me where that zoo is because I really wana come there so is it in Canada?

Some tolerate people sure, but even those captive cats can still turn and kill you one day as they are wild. That is why we do our work from outside the cages.

Hi BigCatRescue again, I have another question. Do big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards or jaguars socialize with humans? Like a dog? Because the way I see it, Tigers usually or sometimes obey their keeper or masters.

Ligers are an animal that is produced in captivity when people mate a lion with a tiger. We focus our conservation efforts in saving habitat and helping those that protect and research the species of cats that exsist in the wild.

Hi BigCatRescue, I was wondering, I know all of your lions and tigers are neutered or spayed but does your park or conservation research center do any search on Ligers?

Interesting question! From my experience they will hiss when really upset (or servals seem to hiss all the time) but they seem to lower their ears and head generally and don't really seem to arch up their backs like a house cat would.