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WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation dedicated to ensuring a wild future for all wildcats.
The mission of the WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society is to protect and defend all native and non-native wildcats.
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Journal of the WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society
Winter 2009 ~ Volume II is now available!
Publications
July 13, 2010: Mongabay.com just released:
Dangerous and exploitative: a look at pet wild cats
Lisa Tekancic, president of the WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society spoke with Laurel Neme on her The WildLife radio show and podcast about captive wildcats and the wildcat pet trade. During her interview, Lisa describes the history of wildcats in captivity--from the Roman spectator games and royal menageries--to their current status as private pets; for commercial use in the entertainment industry, roadside zoos, and pseudo-sanctuaries; the ill affects and dangers involved with keeping wildcats; and provides an overview of the current applicable federal, state, and local laws. She notes the only thing that is predictable about a wildcat is its unpredictability; that wildcats will always be wild despite years of captive breeding; and shares some behind the scenes stories on Las Vegas entertainer Roy Horn, Christian the Lion, and big cats used in the making of major motion pictures, including Gladiator.
The interview originally aired on February 15, 2010 and was transcribed by Jordan Schaul. Photos courtesy of Big Cat Rescue and Mongabay. A podcast of the interview is available at: www.laurelneme.com
WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society is a member organization of the International Tiger Coalition!
Read MoreWildcat News
July 14, 2010: 13 nations pledge to double tiger population by 2022
"Thirteen nations, including India, agreed to step up their conservation efforts with the aim of doubling the wild tiger population by 2022, officials said. Officials and conservationists from the tiger-range countries met in the Indonesian resort island of Bali from Monday through Wednesday to hammer out plans to be discussed at the Tiger Summit in Russia in September. 'This meeting was crucial in that it gave more focus to conservation plans drawn up at previous meetings in Nepal and Thailand,' said Harry Santoso, director of biodiversity conservation at Indonesia's forestry ministry. 'We are confident that with concerted efforts, the global tiger recovery programme will be successful,' said Santoso, who also headed the Indonesian delegation. At the meeting, countries presented their national tiger recovery programmes and outlined commitments to meet the target of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022. The meeting also endorsed a draft declaration to be adopted by leaders at the Tiger Summit in Russia. The proposed declaration stated that tiger conservation efforts are primarily a national responsibility but that 'financial and technical support of the international community' is still needed to save wild tigers. It also called for increasing enforcement efforts to reduce the trafficking of tiger parts and to eradicate poaching and identifying and protecting key tiger habitats, such as breeding areas. The 13 tiger-range countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, and Vietnam."
United Nations Report
A new report issued by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, The Globalization of Crime: A Transnational Organized Crime Threat Assessment, includes a chapter dedicated to environmental resources with an analysis on the illegal trade in tiger parts and products.
August 30, 2010: Tiger Summit POSTPONED
The International Forum on Tiger Conservation will now take place from November 22-23, 2010 which will close with an address by the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. Putin will then hold meetings with Heads of Governments and International Organizations on November 23-24, 2010.
Russia Announces Tiger Summit
An international forum to discuss tiger conservation efforts will be held in St. Petersburg from September 15-18, 2010. The summit is expected to be attended by representatives of 13 states who have tiger populations in their regions. Over 450 tigers, or 11% of the global population, live in Russia. The meeting is expected to be attended by the heads of governments, allowing not only the raising of the necessary finances for national tiger conservation plans, but also the integration of these schemes into social and economic development programs. Global tiger populations dwindled from 100,000 to 4,000 in the past century, with some subspecies becoming extinct. Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Cambodia, China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, and Thailand have wild tiger populations. North Korea claims to have tigers in the wild, but the current status of the big cat there is unknown.
APHIS to Issue Animal Welfare Enforcement Information
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) will begin issuing press releases announcing the outcome of enforcement actions it has taken in response to violations of the Animal Welfare Act (AWA).
APHIS administrator Cindy Smith stated, "it is clear that certain repeat offenders are not taking issues of animal welfare and humane treatment seriously enough. In turn, APHIS will not only be moving more swiftly to take enforcement action, but we will be making information about those enforcement actions available to the public on our Web site."
Beginning in June, APHIS will issue monthly press releases that include case summaries where the agency is charging people and businesses with violations of the AWA. The press releases will also provide summary information about closed enforcement cases and penalties levied.
May 25, 2010: Twelve Tiger Poachers Convicted
In a landmark judgment, the Additional District Judge in a court in Allahabad today convicted 12 tiger poachers under the Wild Life Protection Act. The poachers, who belong to Katni in Madhya Pradesh, have been sentenced to 3 years rigorous imprisonment and fined a sum of Rs. 10,000. Ten of the 12 convicted were women.
CONVENTION ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE IN ENDANGERED SPECIES OF WILD FAUNA AND FLORA (CITES), Fifteenth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (CoP15), March 2010
More on CoP15 . . .
WildCat Advocate, our quarterly newsletter, features the latest news and events affecting wildcats from around the world!
WILDCAT CHAT
WildCat Conservation Legal Aid Society's president, Lisa Ann Tekancic, shares her thoughts on wildcat issues.
♦ July 2010 ~ Shooting in the Wild: An Insider's Account of Making Movies in the Animal Kingdom, by Chris Palmer
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