GW maybe for some: Zoo cats get rabbit snacks

During the past 10-15 years or so, rabbits have gradually become a big
problem in Helsinki. They are not a native species in Finland, but
people have started to let their pet rabbits free, on purpose or by
mistake, and they have bred... well, like rabbits. They seem to fare
very well in the southern cities, causing all kinds of trouble in parks
and gardens. Me, I don't mind a gnawed park tree or dead bush so much,
but the city has decided to try and exterminate them. Instead of just
wasting the rabbits (uh, in more ways than one), they have now decided
to feed them to the big cats in the zoo.

Our biggest newspaper has a video of the first time some of the big cats
got their rabbit snack. Big GW he you do see the dead rabbits and if
you're not used to seeing cats with their prey, or if you have pet
rabbits or other small pets, don't watch this video!

The guy who is interviewed is my sister's colleague; he lives on the zoo
island and tends the lions. My sister says he is the best possible lion
care-taker, a completely unflappable, big huge man with a big huge mane. :P

Lions (along with two cubs), a snow leopard, and a lynx.

http://www.hs.fi/videot/1135250185248

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

Marina wrote:
During the past 10-15 years or so, rabbits have gradually become a big
problem in Helsinki. They are not a native species in Finland, but
people have started to let their pet rabbits free, on purpose or by
mistake, and they have bred... well, like rabbits. They seem to fare
very well in the southern cities, causing all kinds of trouble in parks
and gardens. Me, I don't mind a gnawed park tree or dead bush so much,
but the city has decided to try and exterminate them. Instead of just
wasting the rabbits (uh, in more ways than one), they have now decided
to feed them to the big cats in the zoo.

Our biggest newspaper has a video of the first time some of the big cats
got their rabbit snack. Big GW he you do see the dead rabbits and if
you're not used to seeing cats with their prey, or if you have pet
rabbits or other small pets, don't watch this video!

The guy who is interviewed is my sister's colleague; he lives on the zoo
island and tends the lions. My sister says he is the best possible lion
care-taker, a completely unflappable, big huge man with a big huge mane. :P

Lions (along with two cubs), a snow leopard, and a lynx.

http://www.hs.fi/videot/1135250185248


They react like house-cats with a special treat - looking around
suspiciously before trotting off somewhere safer to really settle down
and enjoy their meal.

--
Cheryl

"Marina" wrote in message
...
During the past 10-15 years or so, rabbits have gradually become a big
problem in Helsinki. They are not a native species in Finland, but people
have started to let their pet rabbits free, on purpose or by mistake, and
they have bred... well, like rabbits. They seem to fare very well in the
southern cities, causing all kinds of trouble in parks and gardens. Me, I
don't mind a gnawed park tree or dead bush so much, but the city has
decided to try and exterminate them. Instead of just wasting the rabbits
(uh, in more ways than one), they have now decided to feed them to the big
cats in the zoo.

Our biggest newspaper has a video of the first time some of the big cats
got their rabbit snack. Big GW he you do see the dead rabbits and if
you're not used to seeing cats with their prey, or if you have pet rabbits
or other small pets, don't watch this video!

The guy who is interviewed is my sister's colleague; he lives on the zoo
island and tends the lions. My sister says he is the best possible lion
care-taker, a completely unflappable, big huge man with a big huge mane.
:P

Lions (along with two cubs), a snow leopard, and a lynx.

http://www.hs.fi/videot/1135250185248



I've watched enough "nature" shows (40+ years worth) to know that cats (big
and small) are carnivorous. I'm sure the big ones in your zoo would rather
have a LIVE rabbit to catch & kill.

I also hope the rabbits being fed to the zoo cats aren't killed using
poison - that could mean trouble to the zoo cats!

Magic Mood Jeep wrote:

I've watched enough "nature" shows (40+ years worth) to know that cats
(big and small) are carnivorous. I'm sure the big ones in your zoo
would rather have a LIVE rabbit to catch & kill.

I also hope the rabbits being fed to the zoo cats aren't killed using
poison - that could mean trouble to the zoo cats!

I sgree that the cats would probably like to hunt their food, but that
would probably cause a huge public outcry. The rabbits are trapped in
traps that kill them mechanically, at least as far as I have gathered.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

Cheryl wrote:

They react like house-cats with a special treat - looking around
suspiciously before trotting off somewhere safer to really settle down
and enjoy their meal.


I thought it was a bit funny how the male lion growled briefly at the
camera before snatching the rabbit and scampering off with it.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

On Oct 21, 10:18*am, "Magic Mood Jeep" wrote:
"Marina" wrote in message

...





During the past 10-15 years or so, rabbits have gradually become a big
problem in Helsinki. They are not a native species in Finland, but people
have started to let their pet rabbits free, on purpose or by mistake, and
they have bred... well, like rabbits. They seem to fare very well in the
southern cities, causing all kinds of trouble in parks and gardens. Me, I
don't mind a gnawed park tree or dead bush so much, but the city has
decided to try and exterminate them. Instead of just wasting the rabbits
(uh, in more ways than one), they have now decided to feed them to the big
cats in the zoo.

Our biggest newspaper has a video of the first time some of the big cats
got their rabbit snack. Big GW he you do see the dead rabbits and if
you're not used to seeing cats with their prey, or if you have pet rabbits
or other small pets, don't watch this video!

The guy who is interviewed is my sister's colleague; he lives on the zoo
island and tends the lions. My sister says he is the best possible lion
care-taker, a completely unflappable, big huge man with a big huge mane..
:P

Lions (along with two cubs), a snow leopard, and a lynx.

http://www.hs.fi/videot/1135250185248

I've watched enough "nature" shows (40+ years worth) to know that cats (big
and small) are carnivorous. *I'm sure the big ones in your zoo would rather
have a LIVE rabbit to catch & kill.

I'd be surprised if a live rabbit, if it weren't stunned or simply
_handed_ to the cat, could not evade a lion or tiger much more often
than not. A leopard or puma would be a different story and a jaguar
might be.

I also hope the rabbits being fed to the zoo cats aren't killed using
poison - that could mean trouble to the zoo cats!

I hope they aren't, that's for sure.

--
Will in New Haven

Magic Mood Jeep wrote:

"Marina" wrote in message

Our biggest newspaper has a video of the first time some of the big cats
got their rabbit snack. Big GW he you do see the dead rabbits and if
you're not used to seeing cats with their prey, or if you have pet rabbits
or other small pets, don't watch this video!

The guy who is interviewed is my sister's colleague; he lives on the zoo
island and tends the lions. My sister says he is the best possible lion
care-taker, a completely unflappable, big huge man with a big huge mane.
:P

Lions (along with two cubs), a snow leopard, and a lynx.

http://www.hs.fi/videot/1135250185248

I've watched enough "nature" shows (40+ years worth) to know that cats (big
and small) are carnivorous. I'm sure the big ones in your zoo would rather
have a LIVE rabbit to catch & kill.

I agree - this is what happens all the time in the wild, so I wouldn't
call it inhumane. In fact, if the rabbit population is exploding without
any natural limits, it would have to be culled sooner or later, or they
would eventually saturate their environment and many would starve. So
in that sense, it is humane.

I also hope the rabbits being fed to the zoo cats aren't killed using
poison - that could mean trouble to the zoo cats!

That seems unlikely to me. It would be the height of stupidity for them
to feed their animals poisoned food. I certainly hope they're more on
the ball than that!

Joyce

--
Whenever you feel anger, you should say, "May I be free of this
anger!" This rarely works, but talking to yourself in public will
encourage others to leave you alone.

During the past 10-15 years or so, rabbits have gradually become a big
problem in Helsinki. [...] Instead of just wasting the rabbits (uh, in
more ways than one), they have now decided to feed them to the big cats
in the zoo.

Wouldn't be easier and more fun for the big cats if they simply
took them to the park for lunch?

It'd do wonders for the school truancy rate on those days, too.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === http://www.campin.me.uk ====
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Jack Campin - bogus address wrote:
During the past 10-15 years or so, rabbits have gradually become a big
problem in Helsinki. [...] Instead of just wasting the rabbits (uh, in
more ways than one), they have now decided to feed them to the big cats
in the zoo.

Wouldn't be easier and more fun for the big cats if they simply
took them to the park for lunch?

It'd do wonders for the school truancy rate on those days, too.

Hehehe. I don't know, I might have skipped school for the chance to see
lions in the neighbourhood park. Maybe it wouldn't have been so smart,
but could I have resisted? I don't know.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.

wrote:
That seems unlikely to me. It would be the height of stupidity for them
to feed their animals poisoned food. I certainly hope they're more on
the ball than that!

There was any interview with the zoo vet in tonight's news. She said
that the rabbits are trapped, and that she won't accept shot rabbits,
because they could have lead shots in them that could poison the cats.

Heh, I don't know why this has made the news everywhere here. Maybe it's
really true that many urban people are so far removed from wildlife and
nature that this is a big deal to them. One reporter said, with deep
wonder in her voice, that they eat all of the rabbit, fur and
everything! How quaint!

Well, this city girl has seen cats bring in their prey - little rodents
and birds - since before I could walk. They only left the gall bladder
from the rodents and feathers from the birds.

--
Marina, Miranda and Caliban.
In loving memory of Frank and Nikki.