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The Netherlands: A Dutch tabby cat has adopted a red panda cub, which was abandoned by its mother at a zoo.

The adult panda, Gladys, rejected two cubs after they were born on 30 June. The Artis zoo in Amsterdam initially kept them both on an incubator, but the zookeeper’s cat had just given birth to four kittens, and allowed the pandas to join the litter. One of the cubs died last week.

Red pandas are a rare species only distantly related to giant pandas. When fully grown, they are not much bigger than a domestic cat.

“The young panda is doing well in the circumstances,” the zoo said in a statement.

“For it to survive, it is very important that it gets enough food and grows. We will see if this is the case over the next few weeks.”

The cub does not have a name yet, but the zoo says that anyone willing to sponsor her will be allowed to name her.

The red panda is an endangered species that lives in Himalayan regions in China, Bhutan, Nepal, India, and Burma.

West Bengal: An Indian fisherman whose father was killed by a tiger twenty years ago has survived a similar attack.

The Bengal tiger struck on Tuesday as Fatik Halder was crab fishing in the Sunderbans mangrove forest. For 20 minutes he was embroiled in a life or death battle with the animal, which bit and clawed him repeatedly.

Mr Halder then had to survive a traumatic journey to Calcutta to get treatment injuries to his upper body. As Mr Halder fought the tiger he remembered that his father, Gour, had been killed in a similar attack.

“Around 10 o’clock in the morning, when I jumped into the water in Benifeli forest and threw in the [fishing] net, I suddenly felt a searing pain, I didn’t know, for a couple of seconds, what had hit me.”

Realising that he was under attack from a man-eater, Mr Halder decided to fight back. He thought of his two children and wife, who were at home waiting for him to return. He frantically dug his heels into the mud and levered his fingers under the tiger’s jaws.

“The pain was becoming unbearable. I don’t know how I managed to dodge the blows,”  he said.

The animal’s teeth pierced his right shoulder. It tried to wrestle him to the river bed with its paws but the water and mud made it difficult for it to keep its footing and it finally gave up.

Bleeding and traumatised, the injured fisherman then had to survive another ordeal - the 10-hour journey to Calcutta for medical treatment. Fatik’s heroic survival has already passed into local folklore. He now insists that his fishing days are over and that he will be looking for some other job. But perhaps he should consider himself lucky to be nursing his injuries alive. A day before he was attacked another man, Narayan Das, was savaged by a tiger which clawed him in the neck inside the Sunderbans reserve. It happened when Mr Das’ boat became stuck in one of the numerous creeks that criss-cross the mangrove forest and he and other fisherman jumped into the water to push. By the time his friends managed to fend the tiger off using kitchen utensils, sticks and other items, Mr Das was critically injured. He was officially declared dead in the nearest town 100km (62 miles) away. His family will not get any compensation, forestry officials say, because the fishermen were trespassing in the tiger reserve.

A lion cub is being hand-reared by the director of a Cambridgeshire zoo because her mother would not feed her. Zara has been bottle-fed daily by staff at Linton Zoo after her parents struggled to cope with their newborn. She was just 2lb 4oz and would have died without human intervention, but six weeks on she weighs a healthy 10lb. Zara, who lives at Kim Simmons’ home, has also made friends with the family cat Arnie - but it is hoped that ultimately she will be freed in Uganda.

Mrs Simmons said: “We only hand-rear the cubs if it is absolutely necessary, but this was Safina’s (Zara’s mother) first baby and she couldn’t feed her due to her young age and inexperience.”

Mrs Simmons said Zara had become “great friends” with her ginger tom cat Arnie since moving into her home, on the zoo site.

“She’s got an absolutely wonderful personality and is very laid back and affectionate. “Arnie the cat loves having cubs in the house and the two are great friends, but we’ll have to guard him as Zara gets bigger and stronger.”

Zara is the latest addition to a family of five lions’ at family-run Linton Zoo, near Cambridge. Her parents Safina and Zuri and her grandparents Riziki and Karla are all at the zoo which has been operating since 1972.

Safina and Zuri are expecting another litter of cubs in October and Ms Simmons believes their brief experience with Zara will help them to be more able to cope next time.

All lions born at Linton Zoo will be moved to Uganda as part of a joint project between West Midlands Safari Park and Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire.

In Kenya, environmentalists are worried that an insecticide is being used by farmers to kill lions and other big cat predators. Carbofuran is a very powerful and toxic insecticide. When spread in the soil, it destroys bugs in the ground and is drawn up by plants and kills insects which feed on the sap or foliage. It is so powerful and toxic that it has been banned throughout Europe. In the US, it can’t be used in granular form, and the US Environmental Protection Agency is seeking a total ban. But in Kenya, carbofuran can be bought across the counter without restriction. According to world-famous naturalist Dr Richard Leakey, it is being bought not by farmers wanting to control bugs and insects, but mainly by herdsmen who use it to kill lions, leopards and other predators.

Among the latest incidents two lions were poisoned and killed in the Maasai Mara game reserve after eating the carcass of a hippo that had ingested carbofuran. One of the lions was shot to bring a quick end to its suffering. Another lion died a few months ago from carbofuran poisoning on a private ranch in Laikipia. In November last year, a dead camel was apparently found laced with carbofuran near Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The result was the death of at least two lions and 15 vultures which feasted on the carcass. Also near Lewa, several lions from the nearby Samburu Wildlife Reserve were poisoned; again, it is thought carbofuran was responsible.

There are many other cases throughout Kenya of predators dying after eating meat contaminated with the chemical. Dr Leakey says carbofuran is “deadly poisonous” and he has called for it to be banned in Kenya. “It’s become known in rural communities in Kenya as an easy way to get rid of predators: lions, leopards and hyenas,” he says. Dr Leakey says his research shows that Furadan, the trade name of the biggest-selling carbofuran insecticide in Kenya, is being bought not by farmers but by pastoralists who do not have any land for growing crops, and use the chemical to kill lions and leopards which threaten their herds.

There is no record for the number of predators killed in Kenya by poisoning, but many naturalists believe carbofuran is responsible for thousands of deaths, not just of big cats but all carrion eaters.
Simon Thomsett, a world renowned expert on vultures, eagles and other birds of prey, says there has been a “dramatic drop-off in the number of birds of prey in the past few years”, and the finger of blame is being pointed at carbofuran. He gives the example of 187 vultures that died when they fed on a carcass of an animal that was apparently laced with the deadly poison in an area by the Athi River. Simon Thomsett says the poison cannot be detected when sprinkled on the carcass and is very fast to act. “I literally saw vultures dropping out of the sky just a few minutes after they had eaten the poisoned meat,” he said.

Carbofuran comes in granular form, tiny dust-like purple pellets. The container warns that it should be kept “locked away out of reach of children”, but there is not a word on the label about a potential threat to wildlife. Kenya’s Pest Control and Products Board is carrying out research into carbofuran’s dangers and toxicity, and say it is too early to come to a conclusion.

Dr Leakey says the evidence is there for all to see. His worries are shared by Thomas Manyibe, a vet with the Kenya Wildlife Service who carried out post-mortem tests on the lions that were killed in the Masai Mara. He says evidence shows that carbofuran is being used to target lions and leopards.

On the edge of the Maasai Mara a young herdsman, Ndigwa, said he lost many cows every year to lions and leopards, but he said he would never resort to poison to take revenge on the predators.Others do not hesitate. Carbofuran comes from a number of different overseas suppliers, but the main producer is the US firm FMC Corporation.

The company said in a statement: “We take stewardship of our products very seriously and condemn any intentional baiting misuse of carbofuran. FMC is very concerned about reports of carbofuran (Furadan) being used to bait lions in Kenya and we have offered our services to the Kenya Pest Control Products Board in their investigation.”

Concerns about the use of carbofuran are not new. Fifteen years ago there were a number of cases of mass killings of birds in western Kenya; what is lacking is a comprehensive record of predators killed by poisoning. There is lots of circumstantial evidence but few hard facts. Detailed information is elusive, affected animals often disappear into the bush to die, and the evidence is then eaten by other carnivores.

Vets and wildlife rangers were called to watch the pathetic sight of the lions staggering and weakened from the effects of the poison.

“Tiger bone wine” is still being made and sold by some animal parks in China, say campaigners.

The Environmental Investigation Agency says staff at two parks offered to sell the drink, made from carcasses soaked in rice wine, to its researchers.

The trade in parts of the endangered species has been subject to an international ban since 1987, and has been outlawed in China since 1989. Despite global conservation efforts, tiger numbers continue to decline.

There are an estimated to be 3,500-7,500 tigers left in the wild, compared with roughly 100,000 at the start of the 20th Century.

The UK-based NGO said its investigators found that the wine, deemed to be a health tonic to treat conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism, was being openly advertised at the parks. Staff said the wine was made from tigers that had died after fighting with other big cats at the venues. One park produced what they said was a government permit that allowed the sale of the tiger-derived wine on the premises, but the EIA researchers said it was not possible to verify whether the permit was genuine.

The EIA said a senior worker, when questioned by its researchers, said that she was aware that the tigers were a protected species and trading of any part of the animals “in the open market” was prohibited. But the agency said that she went on to explain that the permit allowed “closed market” sales of the wine; in other words, it could be sold from the park’s premises.

Debbie Banks, head of the EIA’s tiger campaign, called on the Chinese authorities to close down the illegal trade. “We want other parks with similar tiger attractions to be investigated to see how widespread this tiger-bone wine-making practice is,” she said. “We also want the authorities to give a clear message to the business community that this illegal trade will not be tolerated.”

Conservationists estimate that tigers now only occupy just 7% of their historical range, primarily as a result of habitat loss, hunting and poaching.
They believe that there are just 2,500 breeding adults left in the wild and without more resources made available to protect the animals, the cats face an uncertain future.

Since the 1980s, a number of “tiger farms” have been set up in China. These establishments are believed to house about 5,000 captive tigers, possibly more than remain in the wild.

During last year’s high-level summit of the global Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (Cites), the Chinese delegation raised the possibility of ending its domestic ban in order to allow the use of farmed tiger parts.

They argued that this would prove to be the most sustainable option because it would satisfy the demand from traditional medicine practitioners without threatening the wild tiger population.

Although this approach was supported by some conservation groups, others warned that it would undermine efforts by the Chinese government to curb poaching.

They said that it would be cheaper to kill a wild tiger than to rear a captive one, and it would be very difficult to tell the difference between the two.

“Lifting the ban would increase demand and lead to a surge in poaching,” said Ms Banks. “It would be far too easy to launder their skins, bones and parts among those from legalised tiger farms. This would effectively declare an open season on wild tigers.”

Northern Sumatra: Non-governmental organizations have recently alledged that the police and military are  systematically involved in the illegal trade of endangered species in northern Sumatra.

They said that police and military officers were involved in the transportation of animals such as the Sumatran tiger and anteater found in protected forests in Riau, North Sumatra and Aceh, via Medan and on to other countries.

A spokesperson for the Non-governmental organizations - (the International Leuser Foundation, Flora Fauna International, Leuser Ecosystem Foundation, Conservation International and Sumatra Orangutan Conservation Program) - said that transporting the animals was impossible without escort by security authorities.

He mentioned the arrest in late May of an Army sergeant major in Tiga Binanga, Karo regency, while escorting a consignment of Sumatran tiger skins to Medan, believed to be poached from the Leuser National Park in Aceh.

“Investigating police said the tiger skins were to be supplied to a local trader in Tiga Binanga for Rp 13 million each,”  he said, but this was foiled by local police with help from the general public. He added that NGOs have detected the long-term involvement of security officers in the illegal trade. “But it has been very difficult to arrest them because they are powerful,” .

He said the Sumatran tiger was found in the Leuser National Park but the population has drastically fallen and that the seaports of Belawan and Tanjung Balai were believed to be used to take tiger skins and parts out of the country to the international market.

Fitri, a staff member of the Natural Resources Conservation Center, agreed and said there were many hidden tracks in Belawan and Tanjung Balai which could be used to bring the endangered tigers to Malaysia and Singapore.

The intensive poaching of endangered species in Sumatra is prompted by high demand in the international market, Fitri said, “And we are running short of staff to supervise the protected forests which have been their habitats.”

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has frequently reported on the prevalent poaching of the Sumatran tiger to the annual meeting of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, representing key wildlife protection stakeholders, but the trade has persisted due to increased demand in Southeast Asia for skins and parts.

It is thought that at least 66 Sumatran tigers have been killed in the last two years.

The tiger trade is flourishing in countries like Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos. Local laws have been established to protect the animals but are not effectively enforced, the WWF said.

Over the past 100 years, tiger numbers have dwindled. At the start of the 20th century more than 100,000 wild tigers roamed the Earth. Now with poaching decimating their numbers and extensive logging destroying their habitat, fewer than 7,500 remain. Environmentalists fear that by the end of this century, no tigers will remain in the wild.

Kinokawa, Japan

A loss-making Japanese railway company is back on track thanks to the popularity of a stray cat.

Wearing a black cap and posing for photos with passengers, Tama the tabby is credited with boosting Wakayama Electric Railway’s revenue by 10%.

The firm had to axe all staff at Kishi station in western Japan two years ago.

But Tama stuck by her post and was rewarded with promotion to station manager. The pet mascot even has her own office, a former ticket booth.

The feline, who was born and raised at the station in the city of Kinokawa, Wakayama prefecture, is living proof of the Japanese belief that cats are good luck.

“She never complains, even though passengers touch her all over the place. She is an amazing cat. She has patience and charisma. She is the perfect station master,” said Yoshiko Yamaki, a spokeswoman for the rail company.

The nine-year-old - who receives cat food in lieu of a salary - won national stardom last year when the firm formally appointed her as “station master”.

Since then passengers have been gradually returning, recently rising 10% to about 2.1 million a year.

The cat has spawned a range of popular merchandise, including a picture book called: “Diary of Tama, the Station Master.”

Whipsnade Zoo, Bedfordshire UK

A sand sculpture showing a cheetah cat catching its prey (a gazelle)  has gone on show at a zoo with a cheetah collection.

The large display at Whipsnade Zoo in Bedfordshire was created by Yorkshire sculptor Jamie Wardley with sand given free of charge by a local quarry.

On the back of the two-sided artwork a female cheetah is shown with her cubs.

Sand and ice sculptor Mr Wardley, from Bradford, has created works of art at venues around the world but this is his first display in a zoo.

It has been reported this week that the world’s fastest land animal suffers in captivity from AA amyloidosis, a disease of misshapen proteins somewhat like BSE. Scientists suggest that cheetahs may contract the disease by eating each other’s faecal matter - which contains amyloid proteins - perhaps when they are grooming.

14 tiger cubs have been spotted in a reserve in north-western India, forestry officials say.
The sightings are a rare piece of good news in the fight to halt the steep decline in tiger numbers in India.
Forestry officials in Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan say the cubs are from several mothers and have been seen regularly in recent months.
Ranthambore had just 32 tigers at the last count. India is thought to have 1,500 tigers, half the world’s total.
But conservationists say they face extinction unless urgent action is taken to save them.
Ranthambore has seen tiger numbers fall from 46 in 2004.
The park authorities are currently conducting a new tiger census and up-to-date figures - which will include the new cubs - are expected in June.

RS Shekhawat, deputy field director at Ranthambore, said the sightings of the cubs was “good news for all of us”.

“Credit goes to both governments - state and federal, the forest authorities and also local people for this positive development,” he told the BBC.
Ranthambore covers 392 sq.km. of dry deciduous forests sprawling over undulating terrain. The BBC’s Narayan Bareth in Jaipur says forest officials want more space for the tigers.
“We are contemplating expanding the habitat area for the tiger population because the population is on the rise,” Mr Shekhawat said.
Nearly 100 villages surround the park, and the more the tiger population grows the more they are likely to come into conflict with humans.
The Wildlife Trust of India’s state co-ordinator, Mahendra Kachhawa, urged the authorities to tighten security at the park. In 2005 it was reported that tigers had been wiped out at another park in Rajasthan, the Sariska sanctuary. That prompted the setting up of a tiger taskforce in India.

Wildlife experts welcomed the latest news, saying they also had information about sightings of tiger cubs in other reserves.