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FL idiocy
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by tigers9 on November 15, 2008
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OK, media is pissing me off now, they r reporting it as escaped cougar, it was obviously not escaped, this happened on owner’s property....it was girlfriend visiting/trespassing with her boyfriend at cougar’s owner property, while the friend of owner was not supposed to be there in the 1st place while owner was away, bad friendships?...be VERY picky about your friends people...
Z
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http://www.nbc6.net/news/17990004/detail.html
nbc6.net
Miami Gardens Girl, 16, Bit By Cougar
Man In Custody In Connection With Incident
POSTED: 9:04 pm EST November 15, 2008
UPDATED: 10:02 pm EST November 15, 2008
MIAMI -- A girl was attacked by a cougar that had escaped from in another home in her Miami Gardens neighborhood, officials said Saturday.
At about 1:15 p.m., Miami-Dade Fire Rescue units responded to 17900 NW 84 Ave. for a reported animal bite, according to a MDFR news release.
Upon arrival, authorities found a 16-year-old female being attended to by her mother and neighbors, who told them she had been attacked by a captive cougar
According to MDFR, the cougar had escaped its cage and went after the teenager. Following the attack, friends moved the girl to safety at a neighbor's house, and contacted the authorities.
Firefighters and paramedics, according to MDFR, assessed the girl and rendered treatment, and transported the girl to a local trauma center. Officials said her injuries did not appear to be immediately life-threatening.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission spokesman Jorge Pino told the Miami Herald that the owner of the home, Alan Rigerman, has the necessary permits to keep the animal on premises; Rigerman also has a menagerie includes exotic snakes, small alligators and other animals he shows.
Pino told the paper that a man was arrested on burglary charges in connection with the incident.
According to the newspaper, neighbors identified the man in custody as Anthony Zitnick, 21, who they said helps Rigerman with his animal collection.
The police will continue investigating the incident, Pino told the paper.
''We want to know why it occurred and were there any rules or regulations that were violated. That's what we're in the midst of doing as we speak,'' Pino said. "The cougar is still at the house -- in a cage -- and that's where he'll stay, for now.
--
http://www.rexano.org/
http://www.youtube.com/user/REXANOEXOTICS
http://www.exoticanimalforums.com/
http://www.cafepress.com/rexano
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RE: FL idiocy
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by pitbulllady on November 16, 2008
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Yeah, at LEAST the authorities didn't immediately seize and kill the cougar, which would have happened in most states, and the report DID mention that the cat's "escape" was connected with a burglary attempt and the arrest of a person who was not supposed to be there at that time, instead of simply shoving "another escaped exotic mauls innocent person" down everyone's throat. I'm wondering if FL has a similar law to SC, where, if you get attacked by any "canine" or "feline" while you are committing a crime, that's just your tough luck. Nothing is done with the animal, and you can't sue for compensation.
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RE: FL idiocy
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by tigers9 on November 16, 2008
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More here, seems liek the owner was away at Repticon, he has reptiels too, thanks god the intruders didnt mess with them as well
Z
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/773514.html
Posted on Saturday, 11.15.08 Recommend (1)share email print comment reprint
NORTH MIAMI-DADE
Cougar mauls 16-year-old girl
A teen was attacked by a cougar when she and her boyfriend illegally entered a wildlife collector's home.
Photos BY JOSE PAGLIERY, JENNIFER LEBOVICH AND KIRSTEN MAGUIRE
jpagliery@MiamiHerald.com
A young man's irresponsible bravado nearly cost a young girl her life Saturday afternoon.
The 16-year-old girl was mauled by a cougar and rushed to the hospital after she and 21-year-old Anthony Zitnick illegally entered a wildlife collector's home about 1:30 p.m. Neighbors believe Zitnick was trying to impress the younger girl.
Alan Rigerman, who legally keeps two cougars and several snakes, tortoises and alligators at his North Miami-Dade home, was out for the weekend at a reptile show in Central Florida.
Wildlife officials said the retired Miami-Dade school science teacher had permits for the animals.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Eddy Ballester said the girl sustained some significant wounds that warranted taking her to a local hospital.
Miami-Dade police arrested Zitnick for his unauthorized entry into the Rigerman's home. Neighbors said paramedics also treated Zitnick, who was in shock after Chaos, a 150-pound male cougar, attacked the girl he brought inside the home.
Dried blood covered Rigerman's concrete floor at the spot where the 4-year-old cougar pounced on the girl and clenched his jaws around her head.
Richard Miralles, a neighbor familiar with Rigerman's large cats, heard the girl's piercing scream from next door.
'I heard her scream, `I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die,' '' he said, hours after paramedics had left.
Miralles said he immediately dropped what he was doing, jumped his six-foot fence, and barged into Rigerman's back room -- only to find the girl pinned beneath Chaos, her head in his mouth and his large declawed paw on her face. Zitnick was standing nearby in shock, Miralles said.
At first, Miralles said, he tried to push Chaos off, but he wouldn't budge. He then resorted to punching and kicking the cougar, who quickly balled up in a corner, he said.
Miralles then picked up the girl, who was bleeding profusely from her head and thigh, and ran outside to wait for an ambulance.
Rigerman left the area Friday and put his neighbor, Jason Medina, in charge of feeding the animals while he was away at Repticon, a two-day international reptile show in the Tampa Bay area.
The retired Hialeah-Miami Lakes High teacher said he was shocked to hear that ''A.J.'' Zitnick, whom he said was his young friend, had entered his home without permission. Rigerman said Zitnick entered with a key he'd given him soon after Hurricane Wilma in 2005, when the teenager did yard work for the older man.
''And he helped me with my cats under my supervision,'' he said. ``But never, never, never alone.''
Zitnick's family could not be reached for comment.
Rigerman said he's worried for the young girl and is sorry that Zitnick got arrested, adding, ``they had no right to be in my home.''
''I'm worried about my absolutely spotless reputation with what I do with these animals,'' he said.
Neighbors said Zitnick most likely entered the home simply to show the girl the cougars.
''He took it upon himself to bring his girlfriend here,'' Miralles said.
''And show off,'' Medina added.
According to Rigerman, his place was last inspected by wildlife officials on Thursday -- he passed with flying colors, he said. He owns a captive-wildlife permit that allows him to keep the animals at his home.
Hours after the incident, Chaos and his cougar mother, Chantelle, lay quietly on the concrete floor of their large indoor cages. Chaos seemed calm, his breathing steady. His eyes were focused and narrow, and his muscles flexed beneath his skin.
''Honestly, he's like a kid,'' Medina said, sighing. ``He likes to play.''
Chaos is still at the house -- in a cage -- and that's where he'll stay for now, said Jorge Pino, spokesman for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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RE: FL idiocy
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by Cro on November 16, 2008
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"Chaos is still at the house -- in a cage -- and that's where he'll stay for now, said Jorge Pino, spokesman for Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission."
Sounds like the big kitty cat was not in it's cage when the folks illegally went into the house. Serves them right getting chewed on, although it should have been the guy, and not the girl who got munched.
While a lose cougar in the house does make a pretty cool burglar alarm, it would also seem that the only thing keeping the kitty from roaming the neighborhood would be the glass windows of the house ?
Probably would not take much effort for a big kitty cat like that to break a window, and excape. If kitty was willing to chew on the teen age girls head, I wonder what it would do if it found a child to play with ?
I know that Z will not like hearing this, but she lives in the middle of a Nevada desert. If a big cat excapes, it is not likely to eat the neighbors.
However, the idea of people keeping big cats in Florida neighborhoods still bothers me. Having worked at a zoo, I know just how big and powerfull those big cats are. They are spooky big..........
I know it is a freedom thing, but still...........
Best Regards John Z
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RE: FL idiocy
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by tigers9 on November 16, 2008
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There were other articles and industry reports. That cougar is not a guard cougar and was NOT loose in the house. The young idiot apparently took the cougar out of the cage to impress the girl.
Major zoos are in the populated cities and idiots sometimes let zoo animals out as well. If u r not comfortable with private individuals keeping the cougars, then should that apply to zoos too? Also, FL has wild cougars too. Wild cougars occasionally kill people; I can not find any documented case, at least since 1990 of a captive cougar ever killing a person in the USA.
If u follow news reports, FL has many more serious dog attacks and wild venomous snake bites than captive cat attacks.
Z
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RE: FL idiocy
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by tigers9 on November 16, 2008
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PS: FL has cage requirements for cougars, this guy was licensed, i don't think FWC would approve house with no window bars as a licensed registered cage/facility.
This was a proeprly caged cougar set free, this can happen to any of you, u r gone, somebody comes to your house and lets the snakes out.
Z
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RE: FL idiocy
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by Cro on November 16, 2008
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If the kid let the cat out of a cage, that would be a different thing entirely, and he would deserve to be munched on by it.
If the house had bars on the windows, that would be secure, and would be no problem if that is the case. If the glass windows do not have bars, then I would not consider that secure enough to keep in a big cat.
Trying to compare a captive cougar with a wild one makes no sense at all, as the captive one will not have any fear of humans, while the wild one will.
While it is true that big cats sometimes get loose from zoos, I think that most zoos have a higher standard of security than individuals have. We rarely hear of venomous snakes excaping from zoos, however, it is fairly common for individuals to have venomous snakes excape.
I guess I just don't trust many poeple to have the attention to detail that is needed to correctly keep venomous snakes, or big kitty cats. If a venomous snake does get out, it would easily be avoided by people, as the snake is not going to go looking for someone to bite.
A big cat, on the other hand, would be something that would be difficult for people to avoid, if the durn thing decided it wanted to attack them.
Best Regards John Z
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RE: FL idiocy
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by tigers9 on November 16, 2008
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Hmmm, the latest venomous escape was that viper that kept escaping in some TX AZA zoo few times in a row few months ago. The latest really big cat thing was 1 year ago in SF AZA zoo, one guy killed by escaped tiger, 2 injured, and these were visitors, so you might reconsider your statement ;-)
Anyway, captive ‘pet’ cats are different than AZA zoo cats. Zoo cats don’t fear people but don’t have emotional attachment to them either. Pet cats don’t fear people but they are emotionally attached to their owners, spoiled rotten, zoo NON hands on cats are much more dangerous. So cats u worked with at the AZA zoo are totally different than our socialized cats, there is NOT comparison.You couldn't pay me enought to go to the cage with full grown AZA tiger;-)
Z
cro wrote:
<<While it is true that big cats sometimes get loose from zoos, I think that most
zoos have a higher standard of security than individuals have. We rarely hear of
venomous snakes excaping from zoos, however, it is fairly common for individuals
to have venomous snakes excape.
>>
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RE: FL idiocy
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by Cro on November 16, 2008
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Z, that viper that kept excaping in the Texas Zoo had human help, LOL.
I agree that a pet big cat probably will be spoiled by the owners. But, how will it react when it encounters people that it does not know and trust ? And how will it react if it encounters a child ? Will it think of the child as a plaything, just as my neighbors cat does when it finds a lizard or mouse or even a grass hopper ?
What I wonder, is say a pet big cat does get loose, and someone sees it, and runs from it, if that will trigger the instinct for the cat to chase that person? I assume that big cats enjoy playing as much as domestic cats do ?
Perhaps I would change my mind some, If I had a chance to meet a tame big cat in person. The wild ones at the zoo were just plain scary and evil. You could tell they hated people, and would not hesitate to attack if they were ever had the chance.
Best Regards John Z
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