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PERFORMING ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY
Rescue. Advocacy. Sanctuary. For Life.
Since 1984
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Rescued tigers Rosemary and Morris are siblings who share a habitat at our ARK 2000 sanctuary.
| Every Day is Tiger Day at PAWS! | |
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July 29 is International Tiger Day, a time to honor, educate, and take action to support these highly endangered animals. Tigers are very special to all of us at PAWS – we are privileged to currently care for seven rescued tigers at our ARK 2000 sanctuary.
All of our tigers have come from facilities that bred and exploited them for profit. Some came from a defunct roadside zoo that sold photo opportunities with helpless cubs to the public. Others were part of a government action.
Each tiger has their own distinct personality and qualities that endear them to us:
Rosemary and Morris (above) are siblings who share a habitat (they are spayed/neutered). Rosemary is full of energy and exudes personality. Morris is very mellow and prefers to bask in the sun.
Nimmo, Wilhelm, and Bigelow are brothers. Nimmo and Wilhelm, who share a habitat, are inseparable and like to play-chase one another. Bigelow prefers his own space, keeping in touch with his brothers at a shared fence line.
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Herman (pictured) is quiet and kind of shy, but he likes to share a welcoming “chuff” (a friendly vocalization that sounds like a breathy snort) with his caregivers.
Falcor is interested in observing the world around him. He also loves a good nap.
Our tigers are a daily reminder that big cats do not belong in captivity, where their complex needs can never be fully met, and that we must strive to protect the fewer than 5,000 tigers remaining in the wild – which is the only place they belong.
You can help wild tigers
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Learn more about these endangered big cats – The largest cat species in the world, tigers are threatened by habitat fragmentation and loss, lack of prey, human-wildlife conflict, and poaching. Share what you’ve learned with others.
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Don’t be fooled by fake “conservation” claims. No tigers born in captivity will ever be sent to live in the wild because they lack essential survival skills. White tigers are a novelty; they have absolutely no conservation value. Due to being highly inbred they often suffer disabling health problems. Only support conservation work by legitimate organizations working in Asia to save tigers.
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Reduce your environmental footprint. Wild tigers are being affected by climate change. Learn how you can reduce your carbon emissions using the EPA’s Household Carbon Footprint Calculator.
You can help captive tigers
PAWS has a special page where you can find information about captive tigers, fact sheets, and tips on how to help. Click here to visit the page.
Make a special donation for the tigers at PAWS
Your donation of $57 provides care for one of our rescued tigers for a day. Click here to donate.
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Tess the elephant does a headstand as part of her daily exercises at a Texas zoo.
Photo by Ariana Garcia/CHRON
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The Dark Side of Elephant "Yoga" | |
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Several media outlets recently ran a story about a Texas zoo and its exercise program for elephants that they claim is similar to yoga. Captive facilities commonly “exercise” elephants because of limited space and mostly flat surfaces that prevent elephants from building muscle tone. Some of the exercises at this zoo, however, caught our attention.
The news stories included photos of elephants engaged in behaviors that are standard training fare, such as elephants presenting their feet for inspection from behind a fence. Regularly checking elephants’ feet – which we do at PAWS – helps to monitor foot health and treat problems that may arise and should be part of any elephant husbandry practice.
But other photos portray exercises that are essentially circus tricks.
A 40-year-old elephant named Tess is shown doing a headstand – a typical circus trick. In a press release, the zoo explained that it’s a “behavior she’s known for decades and takes a lot of muscle control to achieve.” But nowhere do they describe how Tess learned this trick.
In fact, Tess was once owned by Have Trunk Will Travel, a California-based outfit that exploited elephants for rides and circuses. They left California soon after the state passed a law, co-sponsored by PAWS, to ban the use of elephant bullhooks. The bullhook is a metal rod resembling a fireplace poker used to control elephants through fear and pain.
Video footage of Have Trunk Will Travel training sessions, released by Animal Defenders International in 2013, revealed exactly how an elephant is trained to stand on her head: by shocking her with a powerful electric stun device (see video at 4:35).
Have Trunk Will Travel also used the bullhook to force elephants to sit upright (see video at 6:07) – another behavior displayed by Tess at the zoo.
As the zoo uses protect contact management – and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums now generally prohibits bullhook use – we are not suggesting that they employ similar training practices.
But we are questioning why the zoo would encourage Tess to perform tricks that have no application to elephant care – and that she would associate with pain and abuse. If Tess is volunteering these behaviors, that raises concerning questions about how her early training has affected her mental state and why she would continue to perform these tricks. Or is this display purely for the public’s amusement?
Fitness is essential for elephant health and welfare, but leading the public to believe that certain behaviors – like circus tricks – are normal, desirable, and even entertaining is just wrong. Just as wrong as having Tess perform tricks she learned through the worst kind of abuse.
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Elephants Thika and Mara by the African elephants' lake at ARK 2000. | |
How Elephants Exercise at PAWS
(Spoiler: They Do It on Their Own)
At PAWS, our elephants largely spend their days foraging, which has the benefit of keeping the elephants moving and their muscles toned as they walk among the rolling hills of their habitats.
Even an older elephant like Lulu (at age 57, the oldest African elephant in North America), who may not travel as far as she once did, continues to maintain good body condition.
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Pictured: Toka and Lulu foraging on a hillside.
Foraging is a multifaceted behavior that involves movement, exploration, homing in on preferred foods, and careful selection. It also encompasses a variety of handling techniques such as digging, kicking or shaking dirt off grass roots, and manipulating tree branches. One interesting behavior we see at PAWS was introduced by African elephants Toka and Thika, who use their tusks to pry bark from trees.
In the wild, elephants spend 60-80 percent of their time foraging for food, which tells you just how important the behavior is for these large animals. It is just as important, both mentally and physically, for elephants in captivity.
Thanks to the size and landscape of our elephant habitats and opportunities for foraging, our elephants are able to get the exercise they need through natural behaviors.
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Black bear Mack enjoys a watermelon in his habitat at PAWS' ARK 2000 sanctuary.
| Black and Brown Bears: Spot the Differences | |
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As part of our Year of the Bear campaign, PAWS is drawing attention to an animal that deserves more of our respect and protection in the wild and in captivity. Each month, we provide interesting and sometimes little-known facts about bears – their intelligence, agility, and complex behaviors.
A PAWS supporter wrote and asked about the difference between black and brown bears. Here’s the lowdown. . .
Brown bears (also called grizzlies) and black bears are closely related to each other (and to the polar bear). One thing they have in common is that you can’t rely on color differences to tell them apart. Black bears can be black, dark brown, cinnamon, blond, and even white. Grizzlies may range in color from black to blond.
So how do you tell them apart? Read on!
Size
Grizzly bears usually are larger than black bears, although weights can differ depending on season and geographic area.
Shoulder hump
The grizzly bear has a prominent hump composed of a mass of well-developed muscle between the front shoulders. This adds strength for digging and turning over heavy rocks. The black bear does not have a shoulder hump.
Facial profile
Grizzlies have a concave or “dish-like” profile, a prominent snout with blunt tip, and deep-set eyes. The black bear has a flat, straight profile from the nose to the top of the head, with less prominent snout and eyes that are set farther apart. Fur on the black bear’s face is flatter, whereas grizzlies have longer, fuzzier-looking fur.
Ear shape
Grizzly bears have smaller, more rounded ears that are much fuzzier looking than that of black bears. Black bear ears appear larger, longer, more erect, and pointed.
Claw length
Grizzly bears have longer, straighter front claws they use for digging for roots or excavating den sites. They are often light-colored, and two to four inches long – they can be longer than a person’s finger! Black bear claws are more efficient for climbing trees and tearing into rotten logs for insects and grubs. They are shorter, more sharply curved, dark, and often much less than two inches long.
Thanks to Bear Smart, where you can read more about the differences between grizzlies and black bears, then take a test to see how well you can tell them apart!
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THANK YOU!
July Amazon Wish List Donors:
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Dawn Danko: one 8 lb. tub of Manna Pro Flax Seed; four 2 lb. bags of sunflower seed kernels. Yvonne Hart: one 3 lb. bag of Brazil nuts; one 2 lb. bag of pecans; five 1 lb. bags of dried blueberries; one 5 lb. bag of cashews. Joleene Ladyman: one bottle of AminAvast 60#. Michele Madrid: one 8 lb. tub or Manna Pro Flax Seed. Alissa Chulack: two 2 lb. bags of banana chips. Patricia D. Adler: one 2 lb. bag of banana chips; one 3 lb. bag of Brazil nuts; one 8 lb. tub of Manna Pro Flax Seed. Cynthia B. Bianchi: two 2-way walkie talkie radios. Walter Adams: one 8 oz. bottle of EicosaDerm; two 2.5 lb. Biotin 100 powder. Patricia D. Adler Cartozian: one 5 lb. Biotin 100. Lisa McNeil: one 3 lb. bag of walnuts. N. Gordon: one 3 lb. bag of walnuts; one 4 lb. bag of almonds. Lynn Castiglione: one 4 lb. bag of almonds; one box of AA batteries, 24#; one 3 lb. bag of Brazil nuts. Ellie Bryant: one 4 lb. bag of sunflower seed kernels. Kathryn M. Dodds: one bottle of CosequinDS, 132#; one 4 lb. bag of sunflower seed kernels; one 2 lb. bag of banana chips; one 4 lb. bag of almonds; one 3 lb. bag of Brazil nuts. Patricia Glenn: one 5 lb. bag of Missing Link Skin and Coat; one bottle of AminAvast, 60#. Michele Mitchell: one 5 lb. bag of cashews; one 4 lb. bag of sunflower seed kernels. Jayne Alenier: one box of AA batteries, #144. Anonymous Donors: one box of AA batteries, 24#; one 3 lb. bag of walnuts. | |
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We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. We have an ongoing need for many of the products listed. Click here to review the items and donate.
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PAWS provides lifetime care to the tigers, bears, elephants, and other animals who call our sanctuary home. Your kind support provides expert daily care, necessary veterinary treatments, and specialized nutritional support, all tailored to the individual needs of each animal. Your gifts make this excellent care possible. | |
There are many ways you can help PAWS animals: | |
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Donate. Although we work closely with regulatory agencies on animal rescues, PAWS receives no government funding and must rely on your donations to continue our work. When you make a contribution for the wild animals at PAWS, it is unlike any other. How many people can say they’ve gifted elephants with spacious rolling hills and a more natural life, or made a present of a lush, tree-filled habitat for a tiger? Or given a bear a new chance at life? And you ensure we are prepared for the next wild animal in dire need of rescue. Three ways to give and every donation matters.
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PAWS is proud of its 4-star rating with Charity Navigator - the highest rating possible. We are part of an elite group of charities with an "exceptional" designation (at least four consecutive years of 4-star ratings), meaning that your gift will have the greatest impact possible. CharityWatch gives PAWS an "A" rating.
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Give to one of PAWS' ongoing MightyCause campaigns: Our "Dollars for Dirt" or "Give BIG for PAWS' Elephants" fundraisers for the elephants, like Prince (pictured), or our "Help Captive Tigers" fundraiser to benefit the rescued tigers living at our ARK 2000 sanctuary.
Adopt A PAWS Animal. If you would like to help our animals, one of the best ways is to become an "adoptive parent," or give a PAWS adoption as a gift to an animal lover in your life. PAWS adoptions are symbolic adoptions only. No animal will be sent! Learn more
PAWS Partnerships. Help us change the life of a victim of captivity by becoming a PAWS Partner. PAWS partnerships help support our sanctuary operations and the day-to-day care of the animals. Learn more
Estates/Planned Giving. You can help us make sure captive wildlife in need of shelter will always have PAWS' sanctuary to call home! Learn more
Corporate Donations and Matching Fund Programs. Learn more about what is needed.
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Purchase PAWS apparel and merchandise. Clothing for adults, kids, toddlers and infants, as well as other fun merchandise like notecards and coffee mugs - available from our CafePress online gift shop.
PAWS Amazon Wish List. We have chosen specific items that are needed at the sanctuary, which you can purchase directly from Amazon. Many items are ongoing. The list is always current! View here.
EBAY Giving Works. Visit PAWS eBay page to view our current listings and to bid. List your items on EBAY and choose PAWS as your charity. Donate a percentage of each sale to the animals. Visit our EBAY charity listing page here. Start selling or buying!
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Shop online through IGive and raise money for PAWS! Up to 26% of your purchase - at more than 1,600 retailers - can be donated to PAWS. Learn more
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