Wildlife Heritage Foundation Summer Charity Ball

Last Saturday I attented the Wildlife Heritage Foundation Summer Charity Ball. It was fabulous!

Despite being a bit cold, we walked around the park looking at the animals for about an hour in the evening. Then we were treated to a champagne reception with live African music and a chance to meet some animals close up! There was a beautiful corn snake and a lively skunk (called 'Pepe'!) which we were allowed to hold and also a gorgeous owl (which we couldn't hold!).

Dinner was served in a lovely marquee, beautifully decorated. The food was delicious! Again we were treated to some more African music and dancing too. Dinner was followed by speeches and a raffle and auction to raise money for Wildlife Heritage Foundation (WHF).

WHF is a specialist conservation charity based in Kent, UK. WHF works closely with Paradise Wildlife Park. The main aims of WHF are to educate people in the protection and preservation of Big Cats and the environments in which they live. They also run a breeding centre to maintain genetic diversity of Big Cats which are endangered. The hope is to be able to release these cats back into the wild when their habitats are safe.....

You can find out more about WHF by visiting their website.

Michelle will 'Bare All' for Elliot Kay on the Radio...!

Inspire A Nation On playvybz.com
'live interview, radio show, life coaching, coaching, buisness advice'

Inspire A Nation is hosted by Elliot Kay on Saturday evenings and I will be this week's guest! Exciting!
click here for more information!
I'll let you know how it goes....

Meet Veterinary Blonde at Paradise Wildlife Park!

If you want a wonderful day out come and join me in paradise!!!
Paradise Wildlife Park is in Hertfordshire and I'll be there to answer all your pet questions on the following dates-

• 26th July,
• 2nd August,
  
• 16th August
  
• and 30th August

click here for information on the park and directions!

SEE YOU THERE !!!
Lots of love Michelle Shanson, your favourite Veterinary Blonde!
xxx

MAWS Trip CANCELLED

I'm very disappointed because the trip to Botswana to work for the Mawn Animal Welfare Society has been cancelled. There is a trip going in September which I can't make because it clashes with prior arrangements. I still want to go, so will look at trips next year..... and of course keep you informed!....

Another Pet Talk Radio Show- this one will make you laugh!

Various content in this one, lots of laughs! Just click here to listen!

Big Cats at Paradise Wildlife Park

On Tuesday 10th June, I had the great pleasure of attending the Big Cat Talk and Twilight Tour at Paradise Wildlife Park in Hertfordshire ( visit www.pwpark.com ).
We were extremely lucky with the weather which added to the magic of the park.
Our guides took us to one of the big cat enclosures to meet Rocky and Narnia. Rocky is a ten year old gorgeous male cat, 80% Siberian tiger with 20% Bengal tiger. Narnia is a beautiful two year old female Bengal tiger. Both of these magnificent animals were rescued from appalling conditions in French circuses. Fortunately they are now safe and clearly very good friends! As Rocky is not a pure bred Siberian tiger he has actually been castrated.
Because it is very important to provide stimulation for the animals, we watched as the keepers fed Rocky and Narnia using 'enrichment feeding' techniques. This involved hiding small pieces of food around their enclosure so that they would have to seek it out, using all their senses, to get a full meal. This way of feeding provides the cats with mental stimulation and encourages them to move about and exercise. Rocky is a bit greedy and the keepers ensure that Narnia does get a full share!
Whilst the cats were waiting to be let back into the enclosure and find their food, they were pacing up and down. This behaviour was only an indication of excitement and anticipation. This pacing is not to be confused with 'stereotypical behaviour' which is a repetitive motion causing a release of 'happy' hormones into the brain and almost a kind of sedation- animals exhibiting this are generally very bored and have not been provided with adequate stimulation in their environment.
After some time watching Rocky and Narnia find their food, we went to listen to a talk about the plight of Big Cats in the wild.
The numbers of Big Cats remaining in the wild is plummeting. The Fur Industry is the main persecutor of Big Cats. Also Big Cat bones are used in Chinese medicine to provide 'magical cures'. The demands for these products is pushing these amazing animals onto the verge of extinction.
Did you know that 'one' fur coat actually takes multiple numbers of animals to make? For example, to make one fur coat it would take 5 Snow leopards, 15 ocelots, 80 Pallas cats or 110 Geoffroys Cats- all this death in the name of fashion is completely unnecessary and morally disgusting.
The only way to ensure that these cats actually survive extinction is for zoos like Paradise Wildlife Park to focus on the pure breeding of individual species in the hope that they may one day be safely returned to the wild.
Paradise Wildlife Park works in conjunction with Wildlife Heritage Foundation ( visit www.whf.org.uk ) which is a UK based charity working hard to ensure that the big cat species of the world are protected from extinction.
All the money raised from the Twilight Tour and raffle went directly to the Wildlife Heritage Foundation.
I had an amazing evening in the beautiful Park with the wonderful animals. It is indeed a paradise there!
Remember, zoo animals are representatives of their wild relatives. Allow yourself to open your hearts to them and be inspired to make a difference and guarantee their survival. Learn what you can and help spread the word of their plight. Together we CAN make a difference and ensure survival of these magnificent creatures.'

'compassion for animals, passion for nature'

Maun Animal Welfare Society

I've signed up to go to Botswana in August to work for the Maun Animal Welfare Society for two weeks. This is a charity aimed at developing the welfare of animals in Botswana and in particular, those of the poor. I will be working as a vet, mainly concentrating on neutering the dogs and cats there and any other surgical procedures they may require. We will also provide medical care for the animals and education for the local children about animal health and welfare.
I am waiting to find out about working visas etc and will let you know if the trip goes ahead.......