Let these leopards go!

Snow leopards: rare, endangered big cats. And their name suggests the part of the world where they’re native: the high, bitterly cold mountains of Central Asia.

So, then, what are two snow leopard cubs doing in Cape May, NJ? Easy. They are born-in-captivity residents of the Cape May County Zoo. It is to laugh (after sighing, gnashing teeth, fist-shaking).

The claim: that zoos around the world are helping to conserve these animals by housing and breeding them. Hmmmm. How’s that? These babies were never in the wild, nor will they be. They exist to be in the zoo, in this case, a south Jersey zoo.

That may be a fate worse than death, or extinction. “Extinction is forever,” the saying goes, but if an animal could be consulted, would s/he choose life in a zoo? Would any animal make that choice, if given the chance?

OK, so humans can visit the zoo and see the snow leopards – which are heavily furred animals, the better to withstand weather in the Himalayas. Then what? Maybe they’ll contribute to the Snow Leopard Trust, an organization proclaiming its desire to conserving the animal? Then what? More snow leopards in zoos?

Gee, maybe they could become circus animals too, like the tigers who are on the same endangered list. Or the pandas, ditto, who also populate zoos?

Is a "zoo snow leopard" (which I’ve read can’t be released to the wild, by the way) a real snow leopard? Would it be more intelligent and humane to let these creatures go extinct if they must, rather than making them into captive models for tee shirts and tote bags? Talk about fates worse than death. Or extinction.
#

Jaguar trails & animal schmoozers

“To help jaguars survive, ease their commute,” the May 11 NYTimes headline read. Intriguing. Their commute from where to where? As spelled out by reporter Elisabeth Rosenthal, these particular jaguars commute from Costa Rica to South American destinations.

The story describes how big cats like jaguars need connecting corridors through human development so they can migrate and mate to intermix gene pools and repopulate areas. Costa Rica has designated “jaguar corridors” so these “stealthy, nocturnal animals” can travel safely, sometimes eating chickens, pigs and cows en route.

Such pathways, which also exist in Africa and Asia, mark a shift in conservation strategy, Rosenthal reports. Isolated sanctuaries have been found to decrease diversity, and they risk “dulling down” a species.

So altogether now: “bon voyage!” to the jaguars.

***********************

From the growing field of animal personality research comes an indication that “Even among animals: Leaders, Followers, Schmoozers.” In her usual catchy-informed style, science reporter Natalie Angier reported on this in the April 4 NYTimes.

Scientists have found evidence of distinctive personalities among animals of all sorts, or as Angier wrote: “They have identified hotheads and tiptoers, schmoozers and loners, divas, dullards and fearless explorers, and they have learned that animals, like us, often cling to the same personality for the bulk of their lives. The daredevil chicken of today is the one out crossing the road tomorrow.”

And, other scientists are comparing traits that bridge the gaps between animals and human animals. For instance, Angier reports, “Recent research suggests that highly sensitive, arty-type humans have a lot in common with squealing pigs and twitchy mice, and that to call a hypersensitive person thin-skinned or touchy might hold a grain of physical truth.”
#