Raising Cubs documentary by Stephanie Holt 

wrote saying:  Hello,  My name is Stephanie Holt and I work for Offspring Films. We are a wildlife TV production company and we are currently finishing a landmark series about the evolution of the cat family, featuring well-known big cats, such as lions, tigers and cheetahs as well as the more uncommonly known cats such as pallas, clouded leopards and margay.

 

We are currently developing an exciting new series, in which we hope to follow young cubs from new-born or newly orphaned to one year old.  Over the course of the year, with a maximum of four visits, we want to show viewers the main trials and challenges faced by those rearing young cubs, helping fight against the extinction of some of our most stunning felines.

 

Through this series we will answer questions such as, what are the pivotal moments for their early development? When are the riskiest periods during which a cub’s health can turn for the worst? When do they become more dangerous or feisty? And other techniques for rearing a big cat for its potential release back into the wild.

 

I would love to hear if this may be something you would be interested in being involved in, and if you have or know of any cubs coming in to any rescue centers or due to be born in the next six months. I would be happy to phone and chat further about any ideas you may have on this and options for our possible star cubs/kittens?  All the best, Stephanie Holt OFFSPRING FILMS LTD

 

Susan Bass responded to Stephanie saying:

 

Stephanie, your current project sounds interesting. Your developing project sounds horrendous if you are indeed talking about showing your viewers how captive cubs -- bred by breeders and exhibitors in order to make money off  of them, with cub handling schemes when they are very young, and then sentenced to a lifetime in a cage when they become too large for direct contact with the paying public -- are exploited and abused by their owners/breeders/exhibitors. There is absolutely nothing educational or species-saving about watching these cubs and there is currently no way to release captive-raised cubs into the wild. Please take a few minutes to educate yourself on the issue of cub abuse:  http://bigcatrescue.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/FactsheetBigCatsHandling_rev.1.pdf - Susan

 

Hi Susan,  I'm afraid perhaps I haven't made myself clear enough, we are mostly looking for rescued wild cubs and how they can be reared and returned to the wild. And indeed the hardships people face in the decisions they must make when rearing these helpless cubs. We are already in contact with rescue and rehabilitation centres in Asia and Africa and I was more aiming towards any rescued cubs in America that you may know of, or indeed good people to contact.  Our passion is towards conservation and certainly not towards breeding for the exotic pet trade.  All the best,  Steph

 

Susan to Steph:  America has no wild tigers or lions, so there would never be wild cubs needing rescue. And even in Asia and Africa there are extremely few wild cubs that are rescued. I have read one or two articles about orphaned cubs found In the tiger reserves in Asia who were temporarily taken to zoos and then released. In Africa you need to be very careful about the lions bred for canned hunts. The owners of these breeding places will happily lie and tell you the cubs in their care were orphaned or abandoned, when in fact they were purposely bred and then socialized with humans before being sold off to canned hunt facilities.

 

I wrote them both and said:  Usually once a year we will have orphaned bobcats who are raised for release back to the wild, but we are hands off, so most of their care is monitored via CCTV as we have to stay completely away from them to keep them wild enough for release.  We have no bobcat kittens in rehab right now.  Spring / Summer is usually when that happens.  For the cats, 

Carole Baskin, CEO of Big Cat Rescue

 

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