Comments on: Animal welfare vs conservation: the case of China’s tigers

By: JF

JF — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 14:18:18 +0000

The SPCA has a very narrow minded agenda and, hence, are completely off the deep end on this one. I think they need to revamp themselves and have a change of leadership as, obviously, they have stagnated idealogically and have not kept up with the realities of conservation today. I also hope the courts have evolved enough to realize the silliness of the SPCA’s argument.

By: PT Heng Siang Wei

PT Heng Siang Wei — Sun, 23 Mar 2008 10:44:09 +0000

I honestly think what NSPCA is saying isn’t valid at all. These antelopes are not thrown in small cages with some hungry captive tigers who don’t know how to kill them and take a long time to kill them. These antelopes are put in a huge 40ha camp with 1 or 2 tigers.

40 ha is really big, as big as some reserves in Africa, and thus the antelope actually have the space to run away from their predators(tigers), there is fair chance for both the prey and the predators. The tigers must learn how to stalk, ambush and kill their prey with 1 neck bite in order to successfully hunt 1 of these antelopes.

Remember it isn’t a small 4 x 4m cage, it is a huge 42ha grassland where prey can escape from their predators.

By: Deen in Beijing

Deen in Beijing — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:43:43 +0000

The evolutionary purpose is passed now. Nature is cruel.

By: matt

matt — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:19:22 +0000

in my point of view, it is not hopeless to save the south china tier. during world war II, there were only 40 siberian tigers. now there’s about 500 in the wild. those who think it’s too late to save the south china tiger need to know about the siberian tiger’s progress.

By: Vijay

Vijay — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:31:35 +0000

This is one other example to show that humans are interfering too much with the natural processes. We cannot go about protecting all species from carnivores. Carnivores preying on other animals and herbivores fighting to stay alive is the natural evolutionary procedure.

The captive tigers need to learn that for them to survive. Of course, it is unfortunate for these selected batches of herbivores that they are used for live killing by the tiger. But I don’t see how this can be avoided. Unfortunately we cannot have a predator simulation program for the carnivores to practice hunting just like how there are flight simulators for pilots.

By: UrbanCritter

UrbanCritter — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:59:52 +0000

The SPCA make a valid point that in captivity, live prey is unnecessary. They unfortunately overlook the point of the project, which is to eventually end said captivity and release these tigers into the wild.

In our zeal to uphold animal rights, are some of these activists not overlooking the right of a wild animal to learn and engage in natural predatory activities, albeit in a protected environment in the short term, to ensure the continuation of its species?