HOME | DD

Description
Image 3 out of 4

Series Images:

Control: it's something that as humans, we like to do. We try to control our future's outcome, our children in the grocery store and even how another person behaves, but there is one thing we as humans do not enjoy: someone controlling us. It's a vicious cycle of wanting control but not wanting to be controlled. We take this into nature, controlling the landscape and even wildlife so it's safer and more convenient for ourselves. But what if nature doesn't want to be controlled? What then? Wild and big cat's have been a target for humans to control either for profit, as a pet or for entertainment. When a wild cat gets out of our control, it can be disastrous and result in death for either the human and/or animal. It's upsetting when an animal acts on its instinct and is killed because of their inability to act domestically.
There are still fur farms in America where Bobcats and Lynxes are being bread and raised only to be slaughtered for their fur. Tigers in America are on the black market where their bodies are worth more dead than alive. White tigers come from inbreeding and yet most people who pay to see a white tiger have no idea of the health issues that lay underneath their fur- they just look pretty. It's the same concept we do to ourselves: we will do anything unhealthy, like starve ourselves, just to fit into a pair of jeans. Unlike humans, animals do not connect through the same senses as we do. Once we smell, touch, watch or listen to someone, it's personal and can create a connection between two people. But it is not the same with animals. Most people think a domesticated cat is showing affection when it rubs it head on a person’s leg, but in reality the cat contains glands on the side of their mouth that they are using to mark their territory.
I myself am still researching and pondering the fine line that exists between preserving and educating ourselves about animal species versus controlling them. Being in an enclosure is not always the healthiest environment, nor are the animals truly free but programs in zoo's help people learn more about animals and how we can take part in conservation.

About DESIREE
Female-Serval
DOB unknown
Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 10/11/2009
Serval Rescue! An African Serval was limping along in the Arizona desert until she collapsed alongside a road.
She had almost completely given up the will to live. She was probably a pet or perhaps used in the hybrid breeding schemethat has become all the rage where Servals are bred to domestic house cats to produce Savannah Cat hybrids. The domestic cats are often killed in the process. The kittens sell for thousands of dollars, but when they mature they typically spray and bite and make awful pets. The hybrids are usually discarded by the time they are two or three years old.

This Serval was obviously abandoned and was placed by authorities at the Tucson Wildlife Center, a non-profit sanctuary dedicated to native wildlife. Lisa Bates-Lininger the founding president of the Tucson Wildlife Center said, "She was dehydrated and tired and just ready to give up. She may have died last night, but luckily we got her in. We got her emergency treatment, fluids for shock, and she's also missing a rear leg."
Despite 18 media posts including TV news in Tucson and a post on Craig's list looking for the owner no one admits to having abandoned this Serval to die in the desert. Thanks to some very generous supporters the serval was flown to her new permanent home at Big Cat Rescue where she is recovering well. Servals can live into their late teens and proper care is thousands of dollars each year. Her new 1,200 square foot Cat-a-tat had to be specially modified to accommodate her three legged hopping. It seems that she only recently lost her leg as she has a very difficult time keeping her balance. We are writing vets in the Tucson area to find out if any of them know what tragedy caused her to lose a limb and to see if there is any way to prosecute those who exposed her to such danger.

[link]

Prior permission from Jeff Kremer (the Director of Donor Appreciation at Big Cat Rescue) to use Desiree in my senior show and information.
Link to Original text: [link]

All other content is copyright under my name "Amanda McNeil" and my studio name "Amandas Sketches".

All done in "Photoshop CS5"

Special thank you to the following for their critique and support:

You can support and/or donate to Big Cat Rescue by sponsoring a cat! [link]

Description
Image 3 out of 4

Series Images:

Control: it's something that as humans, we like to do. We try to control our future's outcome, our children in the grocery store and even how another person behaves, but there is one thing we as humans do not enjoy: someone controlling us. It's a vicious cycle of wanting control but not wanting to be controlled. We take this into nature, controlling the landscape and even wildlife so it's safer and more convenient for ourselves. But what if nature doesn't want to be controlled? What then? Wild and big cat's have been a target for humans to control either for profit, as a pet or for entertainment. When a wild cat gets out of our control, it can be disastrous and result in death for either the human and/or animal. It's upsetting when an animal acts on its instinct and is killed because of their inability to act domestically.
There are still fur farms in America where Bobcats and Lynxes are being bread and raised only to be slaughtered for their fur. Tigers in America are on the black market where their bodies are worth more dead than alive. White tigers come from inbreeding and yet most people who pay to see a white tiger have no idea of the health issues that lay underneath their fur- they just look pretty. It's the same concept we do to ourselves: we will do anything unhealthy, like starve ourselves, just to fit into a pair of jeans. Unlike humans, animals do not connect through the same senses as we do. Once we smell, touch, watch or listen to someone, it's personal and can create a connection between two people. But it is not the same with animals. Most people think a domesticated cat is showing affection when it rubs it head on a person’s leg, but in reality the cat contains glands on the side of their mouth that they are using to mark their territory.
I myself am still researching and pondering the fine line that exists between preserving and educating ourselves about animal species versus controlling them. Being in an enclosure is not always the healthiest environment, nor are the animals truly free but programs in zoo's help people learn more about animals and how we can take part in conservation.

About DESIREE
Female-Serval
DOB unknown
Arrived at Big Cat Rescue 10/11/2009
Serval Rescue! An African Serval was limping along in the Arizona desert until she collapsed alongside a road.
She had almost completely given up the will to live. She was probably a pet or perhaps used in the hybrid breeding schemethat has become all the rage where Servals are bred to domestic house cats to produce Savannah Cat hybrids. The domestic cats are often killed in the process. The kittens sell for thousands of dollars, but when they mature they typically spray and bite and make awful pets. The hybrids are usually discarded by the time they are two or three years old.

This Serval was obviously abandoned and was placed by authorities at the Tucson Wildlife Center, a non-profit sanctuary dedicated to native wildlife. Lisa Bates-Lininger the founding president of the Tucson Wildlife Center said, "She was dehydrated and tired and just ready to give up. She may have died last night, but luckily we got her in. We got her emergency treatment, fluids for shock, and she's also missing a rear leg."
Despite 18 media posts including TV news in Tucson and a post on Craig's list looking for the owner no one admits to having abandoned this Serval to die in the desert. Thanks to some very generous supporters the serval was flown to her new permanent home at Big Cat Rescue where she is recovering well. Servals can live into their late teens and proper care is thousands of dollars each year. Her new 1,200 square foot Cat-a-tat had to be specially modified to accommodate her three legged hopping. It seems that she only recently lost her leg as she has a very difficult time keeping her balance. We are writing vets in the Tucson area to find out if any of them know what tragedy caused her to lose a limb and to see if there is any way to prosecute those who exposed her to such danger.

[link]

Prior permission from Jeff Kremer (the Director of Donor Appreciation at Big Cat Rescue) to use Desiree in my senior show and information.
Link to Original text: [link]

All other content is copyright under my name "Amanda McNeil" and my studio name "Amandas Sketches".

All done in "Photoshop CS5"

Special thank you to the following for their critique and support:

You can support and/or donate to Big Cat Rescue by sponsoring a cat! [link]