December 09, 2011
Introducing Big Cat Week
Introducing Big Cat Week
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Nat Geo WILD is presenting their second annual Big Cat Week starting Sunday, Dec. 11 - Saturday, Dec. 17th. As part of the week's focus on understanding and saving the world's most extraordinary big cat species, you can watch seven nights of visually stunning and powerfully resonant stories of nature's fiercest felines and the people working to save these majestic cats. Susan's guests today, are two of featured men, who leant their expertise to search out and film, never-before-seen footage of mountain lions, cougars and jaguars. Hear about the lives and challenges of these gorgeous cats and what the adventures were like from, wildlife naturalist, Casey Anderson, featured in the premier episode, Stalking the Mountain Lion and Dr. Howard Quigley, world-renowned expert on big cats and Panthera's Jaguar Program Director.
| Wild About Pets: Nat Geo Wilds Casey Anderson Casey takes us behind the scenes of his new Nat Geo Wild special Stalking the Mountain Lion. He'll tell us about the techniques he used to track these magnificent cats, and shares what he learned about them to help dispel some of the common misconceptions about them. (photo by Christian Sperka) |
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| Wild About Pets: Pantheras Dr. Howard Quigley Dr. Quigley educates us on two other big cats - the cougar and the jaguar. He'll talk about their common characteristics, the dangers they face in the wild, and what his organization is doing to help preserve the species and their habitat (photo by Steve Winter/Panthera) |
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| Links to Related Websites: |
Panthera  Panthera is an international nonprofit whose sole mission is the conservation of the world's largest and most imperiled wild cats -- tigers, lions, jaguars and snow leopards.
Utilizing the knowledge of the world's leading cat biologists, including Dr. Alan Rabinowitz and Dr. George Schaller, Panthera implements range-wide conservation initiatives from northern Argentina through Mexico, India to the Russian Far East, Senegal to South Africa, and Mongolia to Afghanistan. |
Look While You Listen  Visit Wild About Pets.net to view the photographs Susan and her guest are discussing and for other useful links |
| Guest(s) Appearing on this Episode | ||
| Dr. Howard Quigley Dr. Howard Quigley, Panthera’s Jaguar Program Director, focuses on the conservation of jaguars range-wide and the conservation of cougars in California and Wyoming. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley, his Master’s degree from the University of Tennessee, and his Doctorate from the University of Idaho. Before serving as President of the University of Idaho’s Hornocker Wildlife Institute, Dr. Quigley worked as an Assistant Professor for Frostburg State University within the University System of Maryland. After the Hornocker Wildlife Institute merged with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), Dr. Quigley directed the WCS’s Global Carnivore Program. In 2002, he took on the role of Executive Director of Craighead Beringia South, a wildlife research and conservation organization based in Wyoming. Later, in 2009, Dr. Quigley joined Panthera in his current position. Dr. Quigley’s work with carnivores has included field studies of giant pandas in China, Siberian tigers in the Russian Far East, cougars in central Idaho, and jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal. Currently, Dr. Quigley heads the Teton Cougar Project in the southern Yellowstone ecosystem, a program that focuses on predator-prey interactions, cougar population dynamics, and cougar interactions with other large carnivores. In the latter aspect of his work, he coordinates with other scientists to examine the interactions of wolves, grizzly bears, cougars, and black bears. These data will be used to improve our understanding of carnivore “guilds” and to inform and develop long-term conservation and management plans for large carnivores. Dr. Quigley is also conducting a review and evaluation of cougar science and conservation efforts in the state of California. In the 1970’s, Dr. Quigley and Dr. George Schaller, Panthera’s Vice President, began the world’s first comprehensive and ecological study of wild jaguars in the Brazilian Pantanal. Today, working from the bottom up with local communities and top down with political leaders and heads of national environmental agencies, Dr. Quigley now manages the world’s largest team of jaguar experts, with conservation projects in 13 of the 18 jaguar range states. Dr. Quigley is a member of the I.U.C.N. Cat Specialist Group and consults on a variety of carnivore issues, including jaguar recovery in the U.S., cougar-human interactions, and jaguar-rancher conflicts in Latin America. Through his involvement with graduate committees at five universities, Dr. Quigley has helped graduate more than twenty graduate level students. In addition, Dr. Quigley is the author of more than thirty scientific publications and popular articles. Read an interview with Dr. Quigley featured on Mongabay.com "American cougars on the decline: 'We're running against the clock,' says big cat expert." Watch Dr. Quigley featured below in an environmental news segment by Assignment Earth titled "Cougars Compete to Survive": Panthera's Website |
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| Casey Anderson Nicknamed the "animal magnet" as a kid, Casey Anderson grew up in Montana surrounded by wilderness and animals. After college, he became an animal keeper and trainer at wildlife parks, traveling to elephant orphanages in Kenya, hanging out with crocodiles and even getting thrashed by a mountain lion. Then baby Brutus came into his life. Brutus was born in an overpopulated wildlife park. Casey rescued him from being euthanized and built a new sanctuary just for Brutus. A natural performer, Brutus was comfortable around people, making him a perfect assistant to teach park visitors about grizzly anatomy and conservation – and starring in educational videos and even feature films and television shows. When Casey and Brutus are not on set they spend their days at Montana Grizzly Encounter in Bozeman, Montana, a bear rescue and education facility that Casey founded in 2004. Whether they are educating the public on grizzly conservation, wrestling in the grass, or on a location, this tandem loves what they do. Casey's Blog |
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A good example of how people and jaguars can co-exist. |
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