United States and Other Nations are Now Concerned About the 200 Seized Big Cats from a Fake Mexican Animal Sanctuary
Concerned Sanctuaries and Citizens Have Reached Out to Mexican Media and Government Officials in Mexico City and Consul General Mexico in Los Angeles
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO, July 20, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A coalition of accredited big cat U.S sanctuaries, veterinarians and concerned citizens in Mexico and the U.S. are urgently calling upon Mexican authorities to safely re-home the approximately 200 big cats recently seized from pseudo-sanctuary Black Jaguar-White Tiger Foundation near Mexico City. Leading the call for support among the accredited sanctuaries is San Diego’s Lions Tigers & Bears big cat and bear sanctuary.“We need to keep these animals from going from one bad situation to another,” said Bobbi Brink, founder and director of Lions Tigers & Bears. “These cats are underweight, malnourished and have open wounds. They need to be transferred to accredited sanctuaries so they can live their lives safely and with dignity.”
As there are no accredited big cat sanctuaries in Mexico, by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries in Mexico, the coalition is asking for the animals to be sent to accredited sanctuaries in the U.S. Brink is heading a coordinated effort with multiple sanctuary members of the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance, American Sanctuary Association and Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries who have offered to provide transportation, logistics and lifetime homes to at least 50 cats at their U.S. based sanctuaries. The team is also working on identifying additional opportunities for placement to other established, true sanctuaries.
Recently, Brink’s San Diego sanctuary raised $15,000 plus through a GoFundMe page and sent the on-the-ground veterinary team medical supplies, including medicine, wound care, antiseptic, de-wormer, pain treatment, microchip supplies, and more as they care for the cats.
Petition to help the big cats caught in Mexico is spreading worldwide: https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/200-big-cats-in-mexico-need-help-support-their-transfer-to-true-sanctuaries.html
On July 6th, the Black Jaguar-White Tiger Foundation facility was raided by the Mexican government, which gained control of more than 200 big cats on the property, including African lions, white lions, tigers, jaguars, and pumas with concerning health conditions. Since then, eight cats in critical condition have been relocated to local zoos for treatment. However, the rest of the cats are still on-site, being monitored by government officials and veterinarians. Many are underweight, malnourished, and have open wounds.
An update with photos from the Mexican government on July 7 says the specimens have “an advanced degree of malnutrition, dehydration and general neglect.” There is no running water or electricity where these animals are being kept, and many are in fair to poor condition.
For years, The Black Jaguar-White Tiger Foundation’s facility has been a travel destination for actors, reality TV stars, athletes and artists, who have partaken in public contact with dangerous wild animals.
Unfortunately, the facility deceived visitors by operating as a pseudo-sanctuary under the guise of conservation.
“A true sanctuary doesn’t allow contact or breeding, when you see a facility conducting such practices, it is a huge red flag,” said Brink.“ Facilities that allow full contact with big cats need to breed constantly in order to have a supply of cubs for photo opportunities. Facilities like these only have the interest of the owner in mind … while the animals are the ones that suffer, as we’ve seen with Black Jaguar-White Tiger.”
Lions Tigers & Bears has provided a haven to abused and abandoned big cats and bears for 20 years and inspires and educates the public to end the exotic animal trade. Brink and her team have coordinated the rescue of more than 1,000 exotic animals over the years, bringing them from horrendous living conditions to accredited sanctuaries around the country, including her own.
Mexican and American citizens want Mexican government Officials to do the right thing and get these animals to proper accredited facilities where they can live healthy and happy lives. It’s all set up for the real rescue. All they have to do is call..
To donate or learn more, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/200-big-cats-in-mexico-need-help.
About the Big Cat Sanctuary Alliance
About Lions Tigers & Bears
Lions Tigers & Bears is a federally and state licensed 501(c)3 nonprofit rescue facility dedicated to providing a safe haven to abused and abandoned exotic animals while inspiring an educational forum to end the exotic animal trade. Lions Tigers & Bears is a NO CONTACT, NO KILL, NO BREED and NO SELL facility that allows the animals in its care the opportunity to live out their lives with dignity in a caring and safe environment. Lions Tigers & Bears is one of the few sanctuaries in the United States with the highest level of accreditation from the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries and the American Sanctuary Association.
The exotic animal rescue nonprofit, led by Brink, has coordinated rescues for more than 1,100 big cats, bears, wolves and other exotic animals across the U.S. in need of permanent refuge and lifetime homes at reputable sanctuaries, including Lions Tigers & Bears.
https://www.gofundme.com/f/200-big-cats-in-mexico-need-help
https://www.gopetition.com/petitions/200-big-cats-in-mexico-need-help-support-their-transfer-to-true-sanctuaries.html
https://www.bigcatalliance.org/
http://www.americansanctuaries.org
http://www.sanctuaryfederation.org
https://www.gob.mx/semarnat (Secretary of Environment, Mexico)
https://www.gob.mx/profepa (Environmental Protection arm, in Mexico)
Contact: On Behalf of Lions Tigers and Bears Accredited Sanctuary Edward Lozzi & Associates PR and Publicity 310-922-1200 epl@lozzipr.com
Edward Lozzi
Edward Lozzi & Associates PR
+1 310-922-1200
epl@lozzipr.com