Roy Horn attacked by tiger

[severin]

What's a K9 unit?

Wild animals belong in the wild. Their job is to hunt.

 

[zakur]

Wrong on both. Not foolish, just risky. And not cruel, they were doing their jobs. When they weren't doing their jobs, they were the most well cared for animals in the world.
How is S&R using animals any differt to K9 units? Oh, wait, that's right, S&R treatet their animals better, and they were never put in danger.

K9 units are "staffed" by Canis familiaris; they have been domesticated for 15,000 years, bred to perform a variety of jobs for human beings.

Panthera tigris altaica, on the other hand, are wild animals.

Wild animals belong in the wild. Their job is to hunt.

Exactly.

 

[Wyvern]

Wild animals belong in the wild. Their job is to hunt.

I generally agree with this but many tigers, the white tiger in particular, are on the verge of extinction. S&R, and many other organizations around the world, are working proactively to try and prevent this from happening with their breeding and conservation efforts. And many of the big cats that are used for this purpose - at least in the organizations that I am aware of - come from zoos that either donate or sell them, or can no longer care for them, or from people who think the baby animal is cute and makes a nice pet until it gets big, etc. So it's not like they are trapping healthy cats out in the wild just to bring them to Las Vegas to perform in a show.

 

[MoeFaux]

K9 units are "staffed" by Canis familiaris; they have been domesticated for 15,000 years, bred to perform a variety of jobs for human beings.

Panthera tigris altaica, on the other hand, are wild animals.Exactly.

You miscredited that quote in the above post and listed my name to it.

 

[reprise]

I generally agree with this but many tigers, the white tiger in particular, are on the verge of extinction. S&R, and many other organizations around the world, are working proactively to try and prevent this from happening with their breeding and conservation efforts. And many of the big cats that are used for this purpose - at least in the organizations that I am aware of - come from zoos that either donate or sell them, or can no longer care for them, or from people who think the baby animal is cute and makes a nice pet until it gets big, etc. So it's not like they are trapping healthy cats out in the wild just to bring them to Las Vegas to perform in a show.

White tigers are not a species. White tigers are at a distinct survival disadvantage in the wild. It's a mutation of an existing species which occurs naturally and which can also be bred for on a selective basis. I believe that S&R stopped breeding for the white mutation as the gene pool has now become too small (the gene which expresses the white mutation also expresses other defects).

 

[Wyvern]

White tigers are not a species. White tigers are at a distinct survival disadvantage in the wild. It's a mutation of an existing species which occurs naturally and which can also be bred for on a selective basis. I believe that S&R stopped breeding for the white mutation as the gene pool has now become too small (the gene which expresses the white mutation also expresses other defects).

This is interesting. I believe I understand you, although I am not a Biologist The point of my post was to explain why I do not believe that what S&R do for a living is bad or wrong, and that, in fact, they are doing what they can to help the survival of tigers. It is my understanding that the white tiger has been hunted to near-extinction. This, of course, would be a human cause rather than a genetic cause. Is my information wrong? And how do you believe S&R obtain their tigers?

 

[Lavie Enrose]

Another reminder that it while the speciality of these performers might be "magic", it is not without risk.

Penn has written an article in Rolling Stone magazine about the dangers of magic. It is the November 13 issue, on sale now. I have not read the article yet.