| Talk
to my family and friends and you will find I have had
a great love of animals and especial cats since I was
a kid. In the seventh grade a gentleman brought a Mountain
Lion to my class. I do not remember the name of the gentleman
but I do remember the cat's name, Sam. After that experience
I wanted to have a cat of some kind at some later date.
I think a lot of people have that same desire but most
do not act on it. I was told once, 5% of the people make
things happen, 15% watch it happen and the other 80%
say what happened! When I built the Project Survival's Cat Haven I put myself in the 5% group.
Teaching
the next generation about conservation.
So let analyze this as
I did many years ago. If I have cats is a "Zoo" what
are my goals? Maybe I can entertain people! How about
educating people about cats! To breed endangered species!
To have cats as my personal pets, it is cool to have
cats! All these are parts of a goal but never seemed
to resonate the purpose of what I thought was important.
I am not saying any of those goals above were bad,
they just did not meet my desire. If we are truly in
the business of saving cats we need to do that where
they live not in a "Zoo". Our cats in captivity
at the Project Survival's Cat Haven need to become ambassadors
for their wild cousins to inspire others to take an
active roll in conservation. The key words are 'active
roll'. That must be the goal if we are going to save
cats in the wild.
Some
of the fun things our cats find for us to do!
Enough of my lecturing. I grew
up in Santa Rosa California. I went to school at Kings
River College, Oregon State and Fresno State. I have
lived in the Central Valley since 1981. I have never
been married and have no kids or pets, only my furry
friends. |
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Dale
Anderson and Kong & Goliath
Every job I have ever had was a prelude to obtaining
cats at a later date. I was an airline pilot for 10
years. It was the perfect job for me to get myself
ready for the task ahead. I was able to travel around
the would looking at different zoos, seeing what was
good and what was bad. It also allowed me the time
need to get my cat experience to obtain my permits.
My thinking before I started my travels was to obtain
a cat for my own personal gratification. After working
in the industry and seeing many different operations,
I found there was very little work being done to help
save cats in the wild. At that point my perspective
on cats and conservation changed. Currently no one
can take a cat from a captive situation, (captive born
and raised) and return them back to the wild. When
I say this to people most have a very surprised look
on their face. We all remember "Born Free" and
Elsa the lion and how she was put back into the wild.
Lions are the only social cat and if the pride accepts
that cat they can teach her the ways of the wild. All
other cats learn from their mothers and humans have
not figured out a substitute for mother yet.
My parents Leon and Marion Anderson.
No one could ask for better parents and any more love
and support.
I will make a simple
illustration; If my goal is to climb Mount Everest
I need to plan and set up a base to climb from. The
base camp becomes a very important tool for me to be
able to have a chance to climb the mountain but it
does not become the goal. I think to many "Zoos
over the years have lost perspective and made the base
camp their goal and lost site of the true objective
of climbing the mountain. Captive breeding programs
will not save cats in the wild. Education programs
are good but if you do not link action to the education
it becomes insignificant. The work needs to be done
where the cats live. That means money need to be put
into the places cats live wild, not into 2 million
dollar enclosures for captive animals. If people want
to spend that kind of money, they are free to do so,
but do not call it conservation and do not tell me
the "Zoo has no money to spend on conservation.
If "Zoos" want to spend their money on these
types of things that's fine but maybe they should change
their name to "Amusement Park" I know they
will never change their name because
"Zoos" would not be able to keep up the facade
of making people think they are helping to save animals.
We need to change the way zoos think if we are going
to make big progress in conservation.
The most important things
in my life are; my relationship with God, my family
and my passion to save wild cats. It doesn't get any
better that that!
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