Joe Howell took this photo of the Jaguars this past summer at Catoctin , one of which was responsible for the injury to the keeper that was posted earlier today. 300 lb's. as stated in the newspaper account is a stretch but that would make it seem like it was the black male that was responsible.
Courtesy of Mary Ann Howell
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Catoctin Wildlife Park
Posted by
Wade G. Burck
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9 comments:
Wade, the latest news is that both jaguars are now in quarantine, although it is believed that only the male was involved and both animals are current on their rabies innoculations through September. It would sadden me immensely if one or both of these beautiful animals were to be destroyed as a result of this incident.
Mary Ann
Mary Ann,
Sleep easy, they only destroy if the animal is loose and a threat to others, or as a last alternative to rescuing/saving the victim. The rabies/quarantine deal is just some nonsense to justify animal control being there. You also have to produce rabies records and "quarantine" them if you have been clawed. I guess they have a hard time accepting that they attacked you because they can, and not that they were driven into a rabies frenzy.
Wade
In Tegucigalpa there were times when we had as many as twenty jags, many of them "trapped" for canned hunts around the Copan ruins, then "seized" and turned over the the natural resources ministry by "officials" who didn't get their cut as promised. A few were returned to the wild when we could pinpoint territory. Some were traded away to other zoos in Central America, and several to circuses. There were times when we were way overcrowded and I felt like think only thing I was thinking about jags. I might have seen a few very obese males in the 250 pound range, but nothing close to 300. I don't think I ever had a jag that was aggressively defensive when there was room to get away, even in a small baler cage. What's odd about the Thurmont attack is that it sounds like the keeper and the cats were both inside the den area. Certainly there's no reason to put down the cat. One thing that I found I had to watch for in jags was a strong predatory response in the dark. The cat that would keep its distance in daylight wasn't necessarily a cat you wanted to turn your back on at the end of the day when dusk came. Five years ago when I was in Trujillo on the north coast of Honduras I tried to follow a jag I spotted near sunset on the edge of town. I was pretty sure she was headed for a goat farm nearby, but when she hit the tall grass she was as good as invisible. As soon as I turned around I had that nasty feeling that if she wanted to she could tap me on the shoulder and say "boo" and I wouldn't even know she was there until the deed was done.
Has anyone ever contracted rabies from a big cat?
It has deputed that vaccinations are good for the life of an animal. Mandatory annual inoculations are just a way to keep veterinarians in business.
Casey - do you vaccinate your cats annually for feline panleucaponia etc, etc, etc?
We do all ours as cubs three times and the vet said they were right for life.
Now I've got a recently graduated young pup of a vet telling me [and reporting to the government] that they should be knocked out and done every year.
Seems to me she is making income for herself as well as stressing my cats by anaesthetising them every year.
What do you reckon?
Steve,
Cubs have gotten the 3 hits for feline panleucaponia for years and it is good for life. I have never even read or heard of anything to the contrary. Is this young vet goofing on you, or has she done some independent study and discovered something new and hasn't published it yet.
Wade
Ben,
I read the newspaper account to mean the Jaguar was in an adjoining cage, not night den.
Wade
Casey,
Of course no body had contracted rabies from a big cat. That's why they are vaccinated once a year, or quarantined if necessary. LOL
Wade
I reckon she's goofing on me to keep her income stream flowing.
Trouble is, she's a vet and I'm a nobody so the government believes her.
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