2009 Annual report - Feline Conservation Federation

Feline
Conservation
Federation
2009
ANNUAL REPORT
Mail: 4403 S. 334th E. Ave
Broken Arrow, OK 74014
phone: 812-397-2302 FAX 812-397-2655
Web: www.felineconservation.org
email:info@felineconservation.org
2009 Board of Directors
Executive Director: Lynn Culver
President: Kevin Chambers
Vice President: Patty Perry
Secretary: Joe Fortunato
Treasurer: Kurt Beckelman
Member Services: Betsy Whitlock
Conservation: Pat Callahan
Legislation: Robert Johnson
Public Relations: Roger Newson
Marketing: Ron DeArmond
Education: Sylvia Gerber
Development: Billie Lambert
Table of Contents
Education of the public, media and legislators is necessary . . . . . . . . . 3
Letter from the President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
From the Desk of the Executive Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Teaching today to prepare for tomorrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
FCF reaches out to the public to talk about cats. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
FCF Conservation Grants and Rare Species Fund help cats ... . . . . . . . .7
FCF facility accreditation is legitimate peer review of husbandry. . . . 8
Captive populations will protect against extinction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
Annual Financial Report. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
Education of the public, the
media, the legislators and
those who wish to engage in
captive husbandry is
necessary to ensure the
future survival of these
incredible felines.
Human population growth is depleting natural resources around the globe. The result is catastrophic
loss of habitat, and loss of dispersal options for wildlife which leads to loss of genetic diversity and loss
of species.
Today, many of nature’s wild felines are being
pushed to the edge of extinction. It is a sad fact that
more tigers are held safe in FCF member facilities
than exist in all the forests of India. This chilling statistic is a testament to the dedication and skill of our
members to create captive habitat that protects the
world’s largest feline from harm.
FCF members cannot prevent the poaching, or
stop the black market trade, we cannot decrease
the human population, but our members can improve
the quality of life, and chance for future survival for
not only nature’s greatest feline, but also the other
large, medium, and small wild feline species.
A letter from Kevin Chambers, FCF President
2009 has been a very productive and busy year for the FCF,
beginning with the hiring of its first ever executive director, Lynn
Culver.
To our credit are four successful husbandry courses and the
launching of the first ever Wildlife Conservation Educator’s Course.
FCF booths educated the public at the California Pet Expo, the
Wildlife Conservation Network Expo, and at the Lolli Brothers’ Exotic
Animal Auction.
The FCF has awarded around $19,000 to conservation projects
through our Conservation Grants Program, the Rare Species Fund,
and our hugely successful Andean Cat Conservation Center
fundraiser.
Three new facilities were accredited.
The FCF has been working with Washington, D.C. legislators to
strengthen understanding of our goals and our members, and also
meeting with and educating legislators in key states.
Thankfully, our Wildcat Safety Net has not yet been called upon
this year to provide emergency help for wildcats in need, but the fund stands at the ready.
From the desk of Lynn Culver, FCF Executive Director
The FCF is its members. Its former members are its legacy,
and its present members build its future.
At least 400 FCF members provide captive habitat. The FCF
feline census registers over 2150 non-domestic felines, which is
more than the AZA zoos. The captive conservation of wild feline
species is vitally important. The knowledge and experience of
FCF members is a key ingredient to insuring the future survival
of these cats.
The FCF organization provides the avenue for networking,
knowledge exchange and learning opportunities so that its
members can successfully preserve, protect and propagate nondomestic felines.
Unlike the other animal welfare organization in America, only
the FCF is actually training the next generation of caregivers, and
improving the welfare and quality of life for captive felines.
With over 50 year’s husbandry experience, FCF holds the
greatest diversity of felines and the greatest combined knowledge. No other organization accomplishes as much for the welfare of felines, or to increase
appreciation of these felines, and improve understanding of the threats to their survival.
Our dedication goes beyond the care of our captive charges. FCF funding reaches all the
way around the globe, into the forests, mountains, and savannahs, anywhere wild felines
call home. FCF specializes in supporting those species that are over-looked by other
conservationists, the small and endangered felines of the world. In 2009 the FCF Conservation Grants and Rare Species Fund supported research and conservation in South Africa,
Argentina, Thailand, Zimbabwe, Brazil and Chile.
Teaching today to prepare for tomorrow
Where would we be without
animals? We evolved beside
them. They feed us and clothe
us. From animals we learn the
secrets of survival. This connection with the other inhabitants of our living planet has
been unbroken for thousands of
generations. Our modern world
is severing us from nature. We
have driven a wall that distances us from our animal
brothers. This societal shift is
impoverishing our spirit, destroying our planet home and
affects all animal life as well.
In contrast to the simplified
animal extremist mantras like,
“better dead then bred”, and
“they belong in the wild”, FCF
members understand that if we
are to save species we must
not only protect the felines in
nature but also the carefully
managed captive populations.
Both serve to insure that
nature’s felines survive.
Without captive ambassadors, we would not know what
we do about feline behavior,
health, and genetics. Wildlife
managers benefit from our research and our experiences.
Feline Conservation Federation members specialize in
trust-based relationships built
with hands-on husbandry. We
create habitat. We provide environmental and psychological
stimulation that insures healthy,
happy and fulfilled lives for nondomestic felines.
2009 Highlights:
Today’s feline keeper is highly regulated by local ordinances, state laws and federal regulations. The level of
professionalism expected for those who keep and propagate exotic felines is constantly increasing. The FCF meets
these needs with its Registered Handler program, the informative bimonthly Journal, the FCF Wild Feline Husbandry Course and its latest addition to our educational
efforts, the Wildlife Conservation Educator’s Course.
In 2009 FCF certified instructors taught four husbandry
courses, graduating another 65 people. Students gain
knowledge on feline natural history, health care, habitat
construction, behavior training, contingency planning, regulations and more. FCF taught two courses in Florida, a
California course in conjunction with the annual FCF convention held in July, and a fall course in Oklahoma.
FCF launched its Wildlife Conservation Educators
Course in July 2009. It aids experienced and novice educators. Teaching techniques that improve their delivery and
impact before audiences from children to adult. The course
teaches how to develope creative, fun, and interactive wildlife programs that bring about attitude and societal change
needed to conserves wildlife and habitat. Special emphasis is placed upon licensing, ambassador feline training
and handling, safety in presentations, contingency plans
and retirement of ambassador animals.
The FCF Registered Feline Handler program identifies members qualified to serve as experienced mentors
for our novice members, insuring that quality captive husbandry continues into the future.
The FCF bimonthly Journal educates members on feline conservation and hands-on husbandry.
FCF reaches out to the public and talks about cats
2009 Highlights:
FCF staffed two educational
booths in 2009 to bring awareness
of small cats, and especially the
plight of the Andean cat and the
need for research and protection for
this endangered feline species.
FCF directed its attention to reach
pet lovers at the Orange County
Family Pet Expo. To complement
the Expo’s family pet theme without
suggesting that exotic cats are part
of it, FCF titled its exhibit “Your Cat
is Your Connection to the Wild.” The
theme struck the right chord. In talking to Expo visitors, FCF members
staffing the booth found that people
who care for a domestic cat also
care deeply about all cats. They
were receptive to the conservation
message that exotic cats are deserving of protection in the face of
declining habitats and human encroachment.
FCF was present at the Wildlife
Conservation Expo in San Francisco, California. WCN partners with
independent, community-based
conservationists around the world,
providing the capital and tools they
need to develop solutions for human/
wildlife coexistence. At the WCN
Expo the schedule of presenters
was a “who’s who” list of global
heavyweights in the conservation
world. Along with speakers, individual booths represented conservation messages from around the
world. Four members set up shop
and hosted the FCF booth to share
information with conservationists
and the visiting public.
In April the FCF booth educated nearly 60,000
visitors at the Family Pet Expo held in Orange
County, California.
Members worked the FCF booth at the Wildlife
Conservation Expo in October, meeting and
speaking with over 20,000 conservation-minded
visitors.
FCF Conservation Grants and Rare Species Fund help cats
FCF and its members
cooperate with researchers
and wildlife managers
around the globe to provide
financial aid that supports
habitat protection, feline rehabilitation, reintroduction,
eco-system monitoring, and
in-depth studies of wild cats.
This commitment is reflected in the FCF Conservation Grants Committee,
advised by Dr. Jim
Sanderson, PhD. that reviews applications and
awards funding.
Survival of all feline species in nature is supported
by FCF in parallel with its
managed captive programs. Species of special
interest to the grants committee include the Andean
cat, bay cat, clouded leopard, fishing cat, flat-headed
cat, geoffroy’s cat, guiña,
pampas cat, margay, and
marbled cat.
FCF has partnered with
T.I.G.E.R.S., The Institute of
Greatly Endangered and
Rare Species to manage
the Rare Species Fund for
feline conservation. Operated independently from the
Conservation Grants committee, the RSF shares the
same feline conservation interests and has focused
support to Andean cat,
clouded leopard, tiger,
cheetah, leopard, and
black-footed cats in 2009.
2009 Highlights:
FCF members raised more than $10,000 for the Andean
Cat Conservation and Monitoring Center, proposed by Dr.
Jim Sanderson to create a research and monitoring base
for Andean Cats and the fragile eco-system that supports
this feline. The FCF managed Rare Species Fund (RSF)
donated $5,000 for development of the andean cat center.
The Conservation Grants committee awarded $1,400 to
support Javier Pereira’s study of habitat fragmentation and
effects on genetic diversity of geoffroy’s cats in Argentina.
The Conservation Grants committee approved $1,200 to
purchase a computer and multimedia projector to aid in
school educational programs presented by Marion Holmes
and the Cat Conservation Trust. FCF director Robert
Johnson flew to South Africa to deliver this hardware and
also donated camera traps and a trailer purchased with
funds from the Rare Species Fund to monitor and research
black-footed cats in the Karoo of South Africa.
The RSF provided $2,000 to the Matabeleland Leopard
and Cheetah project in Zimbabwe. Radio transmitter collars on leopards and cheetahs provide important information about behavior and territories. The group also live traps
problem predators on private lands and safely relocates
them into protected wildlife parks.
The RSF gave $1,000 in ongoing support to the Carnivore
Conservation Project in Northern Thailand. This RSF support to in-country teams is for the purchase of anti-poaching equipment to secure the wild population of tigers in the
Khao Yai National Park.
Facility accreditation is legitimate peer review of husbandry
The FCF facility accreditation is
the only accrediting board that examines all forms of captive habitat, from
private collection to public exhibit, and
evaluates all types of facilities for their
safety, structure, design, management, and professionalism of operation.
FCF accreditation distinguishes
establishments from substandard facilities. Feline owners, conservation
breeders, zoos, exhibitors, and refuges have achieved this honor. FCF
accreditation is the assurance that the
highest level of husbandry and management are being practiced.
The FCF accreditation board is
appointed for their knowledge and
experience and operated independently from the FCF board.
2009 Highlights:
Three more facilities
achieved FCF accreditation
in 2009.
Bucks County Zoo, a diverse wildlife collection consisting of reptiles, birds, and mammals including small cats, gained FCF accreditation for its enclosures, enrichments
and educational programs.
Zuzana Kukol and Scott Shoemaker, state licensed private owners of both large and small
cats was found by the committee to be outstanding in both owner knowledge and facility design.
A1 Savannahs, a USDA licensed breeding
facility for servals was also accredited.
Captive populations will protect against extinction
Habitat loss threatens all populations of felines. Not only those in nature, but just as ominously, populations
managed in captivity are also experiencing a catastrophic loss of available
habitat. Economics and recent trends
in legislation are both conspiring to
hinder dispersal options, stop conservation and displace felines.
Responsible breeding and captive
husbandry of non-domestic felines is
vital to the survival of these threatened
populations. FCF is working to protect
captive habitat from these threats by
educating legislators and community
leaders on the need for a legislative
and regulatory climate that is favorable
to captive conservation.
2009 Highlights:
Over 193 member facilities provide captive
habitat for cats.
The FCF feline census documented 2150
cats held.
FCF feline census lists the following species held by FCF members: cougar, lion,
tiger, leopard, amur leopard, jaguar, cheetah, Canada lynx, bobcat, caracal, serval,
leopard cats, geoffroy’s cat, fishing cat,
clouded leopard, ocelot, Siberian lynx, Eurasian lynx, Gordon’s wildcat, jungle cat,
pallas’ cat, sand cat, amur leopard cat,
black-footed cat, and jaguarundi.
Annual Financial Report January - December 2009
Income
Accreditation Fees
Advertising
Convention
Donations
FCF Store Sales
Husbandry Course
Wildlife Educators Course
Interest
Membership Dues
Miscellaneous
Registered Exotic Feline Handler Fees
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
120.00
2,675.00
17,318.31
34,617.27
558.00
2,712.21
1,425.00
917.42
18,992.42
982.77
1,500.00
Total Income
$
81,818.40
Expenses
Accreditation
Advertising/Promotional
Conferences
Conservation Grants
Convention
FCF Corporation
FCF Contract Labor
FCF Store
FCF Journal
Husbandry Course
Legislation
Membership
Wildlife Educator Course
Husbandry Course
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
142.40
2,643.29
375.41
10,741.19
14,645.35
7,655.10
11,223.06
500.62
14,405.23
1,696.20
1,504.23
1,485.44
1,356.64
1,696.20
Total Expenses
Net Income
$
$
70,070.36
11,748.04
Total Assets end of 2009
$98,856.59