The beautiful Lions Tigers & Bears ranch is located just outside of Alpine, California in sunny San Diego County. The ranch is 93 acres in size. There is a volunteer office, picnic area, barn, farm animal encounter area and the habitats for our rescued big cats. Part of the barn serves as an onsite medical care center which allows us to perform routine medical exams and minor surgeries without transporting the cats.

  
Stand Up for Tigers Being Illegally Traded in the United States

Every year there are tigers bred and killed here in the United States for the purpose of trading. It’s an illegal trade in tiger parts and products like tiger bone wine and alleged “traditional” medicines and aphrodisiacs. It’s a growing industry and the killing of thousands of tigers here in the US must be stopped.

We are not certain as to the exact number of tigers being killed thanks to a 1998 US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) Rule that exempted “generic” tigers from the permit and reporting requirements that normally apply to endangered species. All tigers bred outside of AZA accredited zoos are generic. Lack of reporting makes it very easy to kill a tiger and sell its parts without detection. The easier they make it for traders, the more they prosper from it and more tigers die.

To have any chance of saving the tiger from extinction in the wild we must control and track their breeding in the U.S. to be sure our tigers are not going into the illegal trade. Thankfully, the public responded and began writing to the FWS and they have responded by proposing a new rule removing the exemption!

But we know that those who are benefiting from this illegal trade will look for ways to overturn this ruling and keep the exemption. We can’t let this happen. I ask that you help us in this fight to save tigers from extinction and continue to write to the FWS and keep the pressure on them to not allow this exemption. We have until September 21, 2011 when the public comment period is over to get our letters in.

FWS is not accepting emails, but you can comment on line. Go to: http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=FWS-R9-IA-2011-0027-0001. Just select “Make A Comment” on the right side and let FWS know your feelings on this subject. Make sure to enter your name and address so they know it is a real person.

You may also write them at:

Public Comments Processing
Attn: FWS-R9-IA-2011-0027

Division of Policy and Directives Management

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

4401 N. Fairfax Drive, MS 2042-PDM

Arlington, VA 22203


If you would like to read the entire proposed rule click here.