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A fourteen week old Amur leopard cub explores its enclosure at Marwell Zoo, UK. The Panthera pardus orientalis is listed as critically endangered as a result of being hunted and habitat changes in eastern Asia.

A recent census found less than 35 of the creatures, which like to roam large areas of wilderness, left in the wild in far eastern Russia.

Members of the public have been invited to suggest names for the cub online.

The birth was part of a European conservation breeding programme to try to save the breed from extinction.

Until now the three-month-old cub has been kept inside with its mother Ascha.

Last week it experienced its first human contact, when it was sedated and taken for a check up by zoo staff.

Amur leopards were once found in the forests of Russia, Korea and China but their range has diminished due to poaching, as well as the loss of their habitat due to competition with humans for land.

The Wildlife Conservation Society, which carried out the census of Amur leopards, has classified the breed as endangered and threatened with extinction.

A zoo spokeswoman said: “Amur leopards face an uncertain future.
“As well as risks posed by man, the small worldwide population size means that the species is particularly vulnerable to inbreeding which can cause genetic problems including reduced fertility.

Walkers in the Highlands are being asked to help discover the true numbers of one of Britain’s most secretive creatures – the Scottish wildcat.It became extinct in England and Wales 150 years ago but continues to be sighted in Scottish woods and moorland.

Some estimates suggest just 400 survive – although there could be up to 4,000.

Now Scottish Natural Heritage is asking everyone who uses the countryside to take part in a year-long survey and report sightings of the timid animal.

Last survivor

The conservation body hopes to assess numbers and distribution.

The count is being carried out as part of the Scottish Government’s Species Action Framework and is an effort to safeguard the rare mammal.

Minister for Environment Michael Russell is due to launch the survey at the Highland Wildlife Park, near Kincraig, which has captive purebred wildcats.

However, Adrian Davies, who is co-ordinating the research, said it helped if people had seen a wildcat before and knew what they looked like.

He said: “There’s obviously a number of occasions where it might actually be quite difficult to determine a wildcat.

“They’re often seen at dusk and at dawn or in the dark so it can be quite difficult to determine what a wildcat is in the field.”

The animal is the last surviving native member of the cat family to be found in the wild in Britain.

It has been listed in the Species Action Framework for conservation effort over the next five years in an attempt to improve its habitat and reduce threats of cross breeding with feral domestic cats.

The Scottish wildcat has survived by clinging on in habitat margins between mountain and moorland and forest and fields, preying on rabbits, small birds and mammals.

2 Chinese companies and the American food products importer ChemNutra, have been indicted in the US for their alleged role in the tainted pet food scandal.

Prosecutors allege thousands of cats and dogs across the US died last year after traces of toxic chemical melamine were found in 150 brands of pet food.

They claim the contamination was traced to wheat protein imported from China by Las Vegas-based Chemnutra.

Chemnutra said it denied “any intent to defraud or knowledge of wrongdoing”.

‘Death or injury’

The two Chinese companies indicted are Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development, and Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products Arts and Crafts.

Bosses at the two firms, and the owners of Chemnutra, have also been charged individually.

Prosecutors say the affected animals died as a result of kidney failure.

“In today’s global economy, crimes that occur halfway around the world can seriously impact our lives,” said US Attorney John Wood.

Chemnutra said in a statement that prosecutors do not allege that its owners, Sally and Stephen Miller, “knew of the presence of melamine or any other substance that would cause death or injury to animals”.

“The Millers unequivocally support the government pursuing those with knowledge of the dangerous contaminants,” it added.

“However, they are deeply bothered by the government’s failure to make these important distinctions in its press release related to their indictment.”

A cat with 5 legs is to undergo surgery to remove an extra growing from the left side of it’s body. The stray was found by a US family in Pennsylvania, and taken to a local animal shelter, where she was named Baby Girl. The operation will not make her a  4 pawed feline, as vets also plan to amputate a deformed left hind leg.  Staff at the shelter say Baby Girl is already adept at getting around using only 60% of current paw power. Chrystin Rice, who works at the Washington Area Humane Society, says Baby Girl is in good health as she waits for her operation, scheduled to take place within the next 2 weeks. “She’s a little bit wild, but she is very easy to handle,” she said.  “The veterinarians who have seen her are just amazed that she has five legs. It’s probably from in-breeding.”The operation will improve the cat’s quality of life, the society says. So far no one has applied to adopt Baby Girl, although there have been a number of calls to inquire about her progress. But Chrystin Rice says people shouldn’t be put off by the extra leg – or the forthcoming lack of one which should be there.

“It’s actually a really, really nice cat,” she said.

It was reported earlier this week that South Korean scientists have bred cats that glow in the dark by inserting a fluorescence protein gene into the DNA of clones, which makes them glow under ultraviolet light !

The procedure could help scientists develop treatments for genetic diseases in humans.

Scientists led by Kong Il-keun of Gyeongsang National University produced three cats with altered fluorescence genes, the Science and Technology Ministry said.

“It marked the first time in the world that cats with RFP genes have been cloned,” the ministry said in a statement.

“The ability to produce cloned cats with the manipulated genes is significant, as it could be used for developing treatments for genetic diseases and for reproducing model (cloned) animals suffering from the same diseases as humans.”

Fluorescence genes are used in other experimental animals when they are placed next to a gene that scientists want to study.

They can easily see if the gene of interest has been taken up if the animal also glows.

The cats were born in January and February. One was stillborn; two grew to become adult Turkish angoras.

Not specifically bengal related, but still (big) cat related. The woman in the video found this lion injured in the forest ready to die.  She took the lion with her and nursed the lion back to health.  When the lion was better she made arrangements with a zoo to take the lion and give it a new and happy home. This video was taken when the woman after some time went to go visit the lion to see how he was doing.
Watch the lion’s reaction when he sees her. Amazing!!

Pictured is the rare Amur leopard cat, estimated to be one of only 30 left in the wild. The leopard was recently captured and given a health check before being released by into the wild by experts from a consortium of conservation organisations working in the Russian Far East. 

Back in 1970, it was reported in the Zoological Society of London’s ‘International Zoo Yearbook’  that two male hybrid cats were born at Kaunas, Lithuania (formerly USSR) in 1968 to an Amur leopard Cat (F bengalensis euptilura) and a Jungle Cat (F Chaus), – another species that hybridises freely with domestic cats.

Paws for thought: domestic cats stem from Middle East wildcats
Domestic cats around the world can trace their origins back to the Middle East’s Fertile Crescent, according to a genetic study in Science journal.
They may have been domesticated by early farming communities, experts say.

The study suggests the progenitors of today’s cats split from their wild counterparts more than 100,000 years ago – much earlier than once thought.

At least five female ancestors from the region gave rise to all the domestic cats alive today, scientists believe.

DNA evidence suggests that, apart from accidental cross-breeding, European wildcats are not part of the domestic moggy’s family tree.

Neither are the Central Asian wildcat, the Southern African wildcat, or the Chinese desert cat.

Ancient evidence

The earliest archaeological evidence of cat domestication dates back 9,500 years, when cats were thought to have lived alongside humans in settlement sites in Cyprus.

However, the new results show the house cat lineage is far older. Ancestors of domestic cats are now thought to have broken away from their wild relatives and started living with humans as early as 130,000 years ago.

The domestic cat’s ancestor may have been like this wildcat
The researchers focused on DNA in the mitochondria, the power plants of cells which supply energy and have their own genetic material.

Comparison of the genetic sequences enabled researchers to determine the relationships between different cat lineages.

The scientists found the cats fell into distinctive genetic “clades”, or groups.

One of the clades included domestic cats and some wildcats from the Middle East, suggesting that today’s moggy stems from the wild felines of this region.

Experts believe cats originally sought out human company, attracted by rodents infesting the first agricultural settlements.

The early farmers of the fertile crescent – present-day Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Israel – would have found the animals extremely useful for protecting their grain stores – an association that continues to this day.

“The felidae family is well known as a successful predator – very deadly, very ferocious, very threatening to all species including humankind,” said co-author Stephen O’Brien, of the US National Cancer Institute.

“But this little guy actually chose not to be that,” he said, “he actually chose to be a little bit friendly and also was a very good mouser.”

The study included researchers from the UK, the US, Germany, Israel, Spain and France.

New figures released today by pet insurer Petplan indicate that a cat is run over on UK roads every two and a half minutes. According to the company drivers hit 630 cats every day, nearly a quarter of a million in the last year.

Petplan research also indicates that kittens are most at risk with half of all the cats involved in road traffic accidents, (RTA) being aged between seven months and two years old.

The company has produced a free guide for owners to help prevent and deal with cat RTAs.

Feline Accident Black Spots

Bristol is pinpointed as the UK’s cat accident black spot. The city had the highest number of cat RTAs in the last 12 months. London comes a close second as the most hazardous place for cats. Grimsby and Dundee, says Petplan, are cat heaven having the lowest reported incidents in the last year.

Top Ten Black Spots:

Bristol
London
Swindon
Leeds
Nottingham
Reading
Jersey
Manchester
Cheltenham
Glasgow

Petplan’s research also found 35% of drivers admitted to either hitting or nearly missing a cat and three out of four drivers confessed to having no idea what to do if they were to hit a cat. Almost one in ten Brits felt the best course of action rather than seek professional help, was to stop and apply first aid themselves. While a meaner 13% would leave the cat for dead.

Simon Wheeler, Head of Marketing, Petplan, said:

“The luckier cats that do survive often suffer terrible injuries. Last year our most expensive claim came in at over £10,000 which illustrates just how crucial pet insurance is. It enables pet owners to make life saving decisions when tragedy strikes.”

Petplan paid out over £1million on RTA claims involving cats last year and quotes the average vet bill for treatment of RTAs at around £500.

55% of drivers feel that cat owners should take further steps to look after their animals. 85% of people believe a reflective collar is a good preventative measure to make it safer for cats and drivers on the streets, whilst 64% say keep cats indoors at night.

Petplan’s free guide to cat care is available by calling 0800 316 0270

A number of pet industry organisations have announced the publication of new guidance to pet owners to assist them in ensuring their animal husbandry conforms to the new legal obligations set out in the Animal Welfare Act which became law in England on Good Friday and in Wales on 27 March.

Under the Act pet owners are given a legal duty of care which means they must make provision for their animals:

1. For a suitable environment (place to live)
2. For a suitable diet
3. To exhibit normal behaviour patterns
4. To be housed with, or apart from, other animals (if applicable)
5. To be protected from pain, injury, suffering and disease.

The British Veterinary Association Animal Welfare Foundation, (BVA AWF) has produced a practical leaflet, designed to enable veterinary surgeons to assist pet owners meet their duty of care obligations. The BVA says its What Makes My Pet Happy leaflet should enable veterinary surgeons to communicate to their pet owning clients the practical relevance to both them and their pets of the new legislation and just what is meant by duty of care. The leaflet presents what can be quite a complex issue in easily understandable terms. It explains, for instance, what quality of life is, how it can be assessed and provided for, the role of the veterinary surgeon and why the subject is important with reference to the Animal Welfare Act’s duty of care.

The Pet Care Trust, (PCT) is making its animal care leaflets available free to the public as downloads from its website.

The range of 26 generic animal species leaflets from bearded dragon through guinea pigs and parrots to tropical fish, have been in existence for many years and are regularly updated.

Meriel France, Education and Animal Care Manager, PCT, said:

“Our pet care leaflets were originally developed for pet retailers to give to customers who were considering which animal might suit their lifestyle, and to give to those who buy an animal.

“But with the Animal Welfare Act introducing a legal duty of care on all pet owners and those responsible for caring for an animal, our trustees agreed we should share this expertise with the public in the spirit of there can’t be too many sources of good information.”

The Kennel Club, (KC) has produced an FAQ fact on the particular aspect of the Act regarding the ban on the docking of dogs’ tails.

The new docking ban brings to an end a practice that the KC has recognised for 134 years. There is an exemption for working dogs, which are defined as Spaniel, Terrier and Hunt, Point and Retrieve types or any combination of types that will be used to work. The Act also bans legally docked working dogs and dogs docked legally overseas who were born after April 6th, from being shown at events where the public pays to enter.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Act becomes law on 30 April.

Article sourced from ukpets news release