Tuesday August 22, 2006, 11:52 am
Direct link to petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/vtmv8bte/petition.html

More info and contact details http://www.cannedlion.co.za/articles/frida.htm

Its evening in South Africa - I'll be calling them tomorrow to find out exactly what is going on.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 12:13 pm
I signed the petition. Let us know what happens, please . Canned hunting is barbaric and the representation of a sick individual.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 12:26 pm
Thank you, Karen and everyone who has signed so far. For once I am close enough to actually make a difference personally - and trust me, I WILL.
I will post in the morning after I have called them. This just makes me so upset!

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 12:48 pm
I noted, and signed the online petition. I will do my part in calling as well. This is horrible. Canned hunts need to stop as factory farming. I am a big orge when it comes to trophy hunts, factory farming and canned hunts. Too many of them in Montana. No factory farms here so far...but trophy is HUGE here in MT for those with money to burn. I hope we are able to save this precious cub.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 12:49 pm
Mandy, I signed the petition. Let us know how it goes.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 12:53 pm
This is horrible, what a bunch of cowards. Why dont you get a life. S.J.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 12:53 pm
Its signed Mandy!

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 1:04 pm
As in some of my other posts, if man was a bit dumber he would be a lot smarter. Only humans can think of bizarre ways of killing for pleasure.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 1:09 pm
You are all just the best... thank you SO MUCH for signing!! I'm fighting a losing battle with my dialup connection so in the morning - I'll take action and let you all know how it goes.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 2:03 pm
Just signed the petition. Please keep us up to date and let me know if there is anything I can do to help.
Lori Miller
~Founder~
Montana's Parrot & Exotic Bird Sanctuary
www.mpebs.com

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 2:12 pm
Mandy F-signed the petition, # 4814, thanks for the post and your
great work! This is horrible, have hope. Prayers for you and Frida.
Lola H in Maine, USA

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 2:17 pm
sorry for the typo error, I am Lola R, in Maine, USA

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 2:24 pm
I am once again appalled by the greed that motivates mankind. Mandy, please let me know if I can help in any way other than signing this petition, which I have done.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 2:51 pm
Der Mandy I signed the petition, Please let me know what can I do more other than signing the petition please. God Bless you and help all of us to save animals

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 3:15 pm
signed - thanks

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 3:29 pm
Signed. There is absolutely no excuse for trophy hunting.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 3:37 pm
why don't they canned criminals?Anjmals are innocent!!!

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 3:43 pm
you know, they tried this with teddy roosevelt once after an unsuccessful hunt, and he refused to shoot the poor critter (in this case, a bear.) thus was the teddy bear born. we can't expect any help from dubya on this one.....i signed some time ago; please tell us what else we can do!

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 4:25 pm
Signed the petition - I'm sure you can let any of us know if there is anything further that we can do to help! This is inhumane treatment!

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 6:06 pm
signed it, love, inge and mikkilino.dk.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 6:07 pm
signed it, love, inge and mikkilino.dk.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 6:07 pm
signed it, love, inge and mikkilino.dk.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 6:16 pm
Thanks Mandy, It's signed, keep up the good work

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 6:37 pm
Thank you Mandy for bringing the plight of Frida to our attention. You have a kind -caring heart, never lose that. I have signed the petition and am forwarding it to all my friends. Please keep us updated on how things are going for Frida.

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 7:34 pm
SIGNED! Thanks Mandy for this. I detest all animal cruelty and particularly hold this in great disdane. These are cowardly bastards who should all be in cages, in my humble opinion!

Tuesday August 22, 2006, 9:39 pm
Thanks Mandy for putting this here. There is a group here on Care2 against canned hunting, it is such a cruel and sadistic practice that is gaining popularity because these people are truly cowards and get much enjoyment out of destroying beautiful animals. This needs to be stopped!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 12:04 am
I'm overwhelmed by the response to this! And to give credit where credit is due, Simone D is the one who brought this to my attention, in the post in the canned hunting group. So THANK YOU SIMONE!!
It is now 9am, I will be calling these people in a few moments. Thank you all for signing this and for caring!!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 12:39 am
I'm number 4861 - please sign all, we need to reach higher numbers!!!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 12:41 am
Signed. I hope Frida will be saved from those greedy monsters.

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 12:54 am
Ok, phew - just had a LONG conversation with Tanya at Camorhi Lodge, where Frida lives.
It will take me a while to write up all of this - Tanya was very upset to hear all of this and she told me what she knows of the situation. I have directed her to the links, the petition and Frida's page etc. and will be hearing from her soon. First I NEED COFFEE!!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 1:15 am
Ok.
A week ago, the sale of Camorhi Lodge to Vier Pfoten went through. The place was started as a sanctuary and breeding program for white lions. The previous owners started the rehab program and they have 45 lions there at the moment. They do put the lions out for sale, but not to places that do canned hunting.
Frida is in an enclosure with a young male lion, Tanya says she plays with Frida every day and that Frida is well. Under present circumstances, Frida would live out her life like this - I assume.
I'm also not sure why Frida was removed from her first home, but there must be a story there as well - I have emailed the previous owners and will give them a call if I can find a number.
The current owners (or at least, up until a week ago) run the website http://www.ingulule.com/ - FOR HUNTERS. No mention is made of canned hunts or feline hunting.
Waiting for more information, and possibly some photos of Frida!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 2:17 am
Do you say "Vier Pfoten" runs a site for Hunters? This would be very irritating as It's a german animalist association, as far as I know - have a look at their newsletter here:
http://www.vier-pfoten.org/news/newsview_import2spr.php
It's in German, but there might be an english translation.
Please keep me updates on Frida's fate!
Hugs
Karin

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 2:28 am
Karin, no, Vier Pfoten bought this Lodge FROM the owners of that hunting site, a week ago. THANK YOU for this link, I was about to start looking for information about them!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 2:31 am
I have signed the petition with the comment,"The only shooting for pleasure in this day & age should be by camera"

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 2:41 am
I just don't know...
For anyone interested, quite detailed articles
http://www.ecotourdirectory.com/save-lions.htm
http://www.animalpeoplenews.org/06/03/watchdog03.06.htm

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 2:53 am
So it is Ok, if "Vier Pfoten" bought it, the animals there are safe.
I get their newsletter from time to time and they are active in protection. You find it in my ABAC group (the one with paw and hand shaking each other)
It's "Vier Pfoten-Four Paws".
Hugs and thanks for sharing the infos about Frida and for being active to all here!
Karin

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 3:13 am
Mandy, it would appear that she is safe then, unless I'm misunderstanding the protection of Vier Pfoten. I forwarded this to all my friends yesterday after signing. You have made a huge impact with this article. I'm so glad it made the front page and so many have taken action on Frida's behalf. As with all of you, I am SO against canned hunting. Again, I recall the Twilight Zone's episode where a trophy hunter winds up with HIS head mounted on his wall. Seems fitting.

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 3:20 am
From what I have read from the articles and the petition, they are blaming Vier Pfoten for a lot of this...but perhaps they felt that Vier Pfoten had just given Frida away, and now this will sort it out? I'll be hearing back from Tanya either way, so I'll be giving updates.
Thank you for the info Karin!!
Judy, thank you as always for your support!!!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 3:34 am
I'm now number 4868. This is my comment: I'm astonished that an organization I valued like "Vier Pfoten" is so superficial concerning the places they send their protegees!
It seems in Romania they are incredibly superficial. Before you send an animal to a new place you take informations about that place-at least WE check BEFORE not AFTERWARDS!
I really do hope those people will be fired and the newcomers will take care more-and get those lions back!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 4:03 am
Oh dear... I hadn't had my coffee yet when I wrote the last post. Thanks, Karin. I've got the particulars down now. That was a good comment you made on the petition. I had not heard of this organization before.

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 4:37 am
hi Mandy just checked video & signed petition i'll support you in anyway with fight against canned hunting, hope Frida will be safe. thanks for letting us know.

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 4:40 am
Thanks Eloise =)

Judy and Karin, like I said earlier, for once I'm close enough to actually DO something, and if that is what it takes, I'll go up there and check on Frida myself...

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 5:03 am
Great Mandy!
Tell me whatever you need (translations or else I can do from Italy - remember I'm a native german speaker, so if you need anything just nm me!) and I'll be here for you and this cause. Please keep us updated on Frida's fate (and the fate of the other 4 (!) lions that silly woman gave to that farm without checking out properly before!)
I'll keep my fingers crossed!
Thanks in advance for all you do!
Hugs
Karin

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 5:45 am
Thank you Karin! There was an English section on the link you gave, but if any communication needs to be done in German I'll ask you =)
Seems strange - they placed Frida this lodge, and now they have bought the lodge; perhaps negotiations were underway the entire time, and so they didn't actually just leave Frida.
I will wait to hear what all sides have to say!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 5:49 am
I'm here! Just keep me updated, I hope they bought that lodge and keep the animals there well-far from those fat bellied, moron and coward wannabe hunters unable to kill at first shot. Idiots!
I so despice them!

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 6:30 am
Thhnaks for the item Mandy...and will wait for an update. Am going mad with my life right now but had to respond to your mail and sign the petition. Hope Frida is well and continues to be well.
Hugs,
Damyanti

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 11:56 am
I totally agree with you Karin. I once met a group of wolf hunters when I was in Alaska. They were the most obnoxious and despicable "men" I've ever met (of course I've never met prairie dog/varmint or canned hunt killers either). Killers all of them! I really hate that...and I despise the greed driven promoters of this sort of thing as much or more. Maybe we will find that they bought the lodge to keep the animals safe. We can hope that's the case. Otherwise, Mandy will go down there and take care of the situation! I'd love to see THAT!!! :)

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 2:36 pm
I signed the petition after viewing movie and Fridas website. Such cruelty and cowardice. I hope I never get to know anyone like that in my lifetime.

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 8:22 pm
Thank you for the story, Mandy. Please keep us posted.

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 11:24 pm
Could it be they realized their mistake and as it was impossible to get the lions back from that Scrooge they had to buy the whole estate?
This would be the best solution! Then all of them would be safe! (I'd still fire that Romanian woman who sent the rescued animals to a place wthout checking first what kind of place it was...)
Keep me updated!
Go Mandy! In spirit we are all beside you!
Hugs
Karin

Wednesday August 23, 2006, 11:58 pm
MANDY, THANKS FOR BRINGING FRIDA TO MY ATTENTION. NOW THAT I HAVE READ EVERYTHING AND I ALSO SIGNED, I HAVE A REAL CONCERN THAT IT IS PERHAPS, IN THE AIR IF FRIDA IS EVEN OKAY????YOU ARE A GREAT LADY FOR PERSUING THIS AND POSTING FOR ALL TO HELP!!..PLEASE KEEP ME UPDATED!!! I HAVE SIGNED PETITIONS FOR NON- CANNED HUNTS & BAITED HUNTS TO TRY AND STOP THEM BUT NO ONE IS LISTENING AT THIS MOMENT, I WILL SIGN ANY, ANYONE HAS..COWARDS HUNT LIKE THIS-THERE IS NO TROPHY!!!! THEYJUST LEAVE A DEAD ANIMAL THAT WAS A CREATURE OF NATURE & GOD- JUST TO SHOW OFF, THE FACT THEY CAN KILL THEM!!..THANKS, MANDY-GOD BLESS!!

Thursday August 24, 2006, 12:34 am
Thanks everyone for support, messages, EVERYTHING!!! Its heartwarming to know that there is strong international backing on this.
I spoke to Tanya again this morning, gave her a call.
They are faxing me something now, and will be emailing some pics of Frida!! Marius Prinsloo's wife (the owner) put something together for me apparently.
Two sides to every story - it may be that Vier Pfoten confiscated Frida since they did have a lion cub living in an apartment?
SOMEBODY has done SOMETHING, I just don't know who or what! I DO think that Frida is being well looked after where she is, and that there is no immediate threat to her. Tanya was openly upset and comes across as extremely genuine.
Carol, when it comes to hunting it seems to fall on deaf ears no matter where you are! Its just so awful.
Quoting my email to you this morning Judy (easier than retyping LOL):
I also think that, from the correspondence I have received on the Romanian side, that either they are suspicious of me or are holding something back – either way, there is a thriving underground business in canned lion hunting and I need to do my part.
I'm sure a cub like Frida is a valuable commodity in a society that is willing to pay big bucks to place their bullets.

Thursday August 24, 2006, 12:35 am
....and without any danger! If you saw the video you'll notice they are TAME!
Cowards!

Thursday August 24, 2006, 12:39 am
Yeh, Karin =(
Response to my email from the previous Romanian owner:
"Well, apparently you did a great job for a single phone call ! I mean, they seem very open since they told you right away they were bought by VP...
Thanks again for your concern !"

Thursday August 24, 2006, 12:43 am
So ARE they actually owned by VP?
I don't get the meaning of her answer...
Keep strong!

Thursday August 24, 2006, 12:50 am
VP bought them out a week ago, Tanya says.
The previous owner seems to think that either they were too open with volunteering information which makes them suspicious, or that I myself am suspect!!!

Thursday August 24, 2006, 2:55 am
Sounds like something is not quite right here. Hope you can get to the bottom of it. You're doing a great job!

Thursday August 24, 2006, 2:58 am
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ...............

Thursday August 24, 2006, 3:53 am
I just wrote to the austrian center of Vier Pfoten-waiting for their answer about the text I sent. Will post it here as soon as it comes

Thursday August 24, 2006, 6:13 am
You are a STAR Karin!
Camorhi Lodge have been trying to fax something to me, but it keeps on cutting off and giving error messages :/

Thursday August 24, 2006, 9:11 am
How awful - I am spreading the word and demand that this behavior be immediately stopped. What next? Having kids just for organ replacements? Where do we draw the line on science and technology and honor and respect what is another life?

Thursday August 24, 2006, 9:25 am
Petition signed- Thanks Mandy. This is a cowardly sick pursuit.

Thursday August 24, 2006, 10:04 am
Signing it Mandy and also cposting and shares. Please keep us informed. Blessings and may this little baby be saved!

Thursday August 24, 2006, 10:48 am
Dear Mandy,

My name is Gabriela Savu. I raised Frida since she had two weeks till six months. I think you are doing a wonderful job by putting in attention Frida’s situation. Since you didn’t try to contact me, I need to clarify some aspects of the entire story. First of all: Frida was raised in a flat, because when we bought her from the zoo, she was two weeks old and was rejected by her mother. A two weeks lion cub needs special attention, because at that age they are blind, they don’t have the belly button healed yet, they only can be feed from a baby bottle and they can not do the physiological needs by themselves.
These are the reasons for rising Frida in a flat. Because she needed constant environment temperature, she needed to be feed every two hours (days and nights) from the bottle and I was rubbing her stomach with a puffy glove, trying to be a surrogate mother for her.
From the very beginning our intention was to find Frida a proper place for a lion. That is why WE contacted Vier Pfoten to help us finding the place, because they sent other four lions in the past from Romania to South Africa. Frida was raised six months in a flat because it took six months for Vier Pfoten to choose the place for Frida. All the arrangements for Frida’s new home in South Africa were made by Vier Pfoten, through its person contact, Ken Heuer. The place they choose is named Camorhi Game Lodge, owned by Marius and Maryn Prinsloo.
So, Frida was NOT a pet for us, we saved her from a certain death and we always wished (we still do and fight for that) a proper, decent life with dignity, as a beautiful lioness deserves.
I suggest you to check the following links to find more about the people who Vier Pfoten is dealing with: www.ingulule.com , http://www.dispatch.co.za/2002/12/12/editoria/LP.HTM , http://www.mg.co.za/articledirect.aspx?area=mg_flat&articleid=18431 (you can find more information on Frida’s official website, www.leulfrida.ro) .
I also suggest you to ask Vier Pfoten what exactly happened with the other four lions they sent in South Africa and why they choose a hunting / breeding farm for Frida, even if they were warned by other animal welfare organization about the suspicion regarding the place they choose to send Frida.

Regards for all of you, who shows interest and compassion for Frida!
Gabriela Savu

Thursday August 24, 2006, 10:52 am
Thank you! =)
Fax never came through - could be line problems due to a storm. Tomorrow we should know more, perhaps Karin will have a reply from Vier Pfoten about their position in this.

Thursday August 24, 2006, 11:04 am
GABRIELA!! Thank you so much for coming here! I hadn't seen your post as I was writing mine so I wasn't ignoring you.
Thank you for the links, I'm going to have a look now! We need to get answers from Vier Pfoten as well - in the meantime, I have been assured that Frida is absolutely fine, but if necessary I can go and see for myself.
Hugs,
Mandy

Thursday August 24, 2006, 11:16 am
Oh and Gabriela, I didn't know you were a member here - who was I emailing and getting from responses from at the radio station, do you know?

Thursday August 24, 2006, 11:51 am
I must get to bed soon, Gabriela I have sent you all my contact numbers, I have also read those articles :( In the morning I will get back onto the phone with Tanya again. Please feel free to call me any time, I really will do everything and anything I can to help.
Well done for raising Frida and giving her a chance for a healthy life. It must have been an unforgettable experience.
Goodnight everyone, you are all FANTASTIC!!!
Mandy

Thursday August 24, 2006, 11:11 pm
thank you Agnes and also thank you Mandy !!!
I love Lions and Frida ,,,break my heart !!!
Hugs,
Elizabeth

Friday August 25, 2006, 12:32 am
Vier Pfoten diod not answer yet-I'll post any answer I get here and translate it into english
Thanks Gabi and Mandy for keeping us updated!
And thanks to all who care!

Friday August 25, 2006, 2:15 am
Good morning!
Another couple of hours spent on this. I have a letter from the Free State Province Department of Tourism, Environment and Economic Affairs that Tanya from Camorhi faxed to me, stating that no hunting of lions takes place on the Ranch. From W.J.Boing, Head of Biodiversity Compliance and Monitoring.
I will call them in a while to find out who exactly they are.
I have emailed Chris Mercer, a campaigner for the ban of trophy hunting. Their website is www.cannedlion.co.za - I'll give them a call later too.

Friday August 25, 2006, 3:00 am
Anyone interested - this thread is getting pretty long! I'm carrying on with comments at the group here http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=3856&pst=491982
Thank you for signing Elizabeth, and Karin I hope you get a response soon!

Friday August 25, 2006, 3:04 am
Me, too. Nothing so far...
Still waiting for reply...

Friday August 25, 2006, 6:13 am
Vier Pfoten just replied - here you are:
From: Office VIER PFOTEN International [mailto:office@vier-pfoten.org]
Sent: Friday, 25 August, 2006 3:09 PM
To: Bertagnolli Karin
Subject: AW: Frida, das Löwenbaby


Dear Ms. Bertagnolli,



thank you for your e-mail concerning the little lioness Frida. Frida is now in a temporary accommodation, absolutely safe and in good health. Here, in this temporary place, Frida has recovered from her former life when she was kept alone without other lions in the first months of her life. This is why Frida is now together with another lion of the same age which is absolutely necessary for her development. For us it is very important to find a place for both animals, so that they can stay together, and thus ensure that they can grow up together. For Frida it would be a traumatic experience to be separated from her companion with whom she is together since she arrived in South Africa.

However, for us as an animal welfare organisation the well-being of Frida and her companion is our most important focus. This is why we did researches in the last weeks to find a good place for these two animals. As we informed you we cooperated with various different and autonomous international wildlife and lion experts to get an overview of possible areas in South Africa. The experts evaluated, for example, the possible accommodations in the various areas, enrichment factors, feeding, external influences, safety, socialising and management. With the help of this evaluation we are going to make a ranking of the possible areas in South Africa and we will decide in terms of animal welfare to find the best place for Frida and her companion.

Your doubts in the safety of Frida and her well-being are not necessary. We can assure she is safe and healthy and we will find a place for her very soon. The area where Frida and her companion will live in future has to be perfect and optimal for lions and this has to be secured before these animals get transferred.



For VIER PFOTEN only animal welfare aspects as well as established scientific expertises are relevant.

Concerning your questions regarding the CITES documents of Frida - I do not understand your questions as there is nothing mentioned about releasing Frida into the wild. Maybe you can explain what you mean.



My best regards,

Johanna Jirka


Head of International Marketing and Communication
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

VIER PFOTEN International

Schoenbrunner Strasse 131

A-1050 Wien

Austria

Phone: + 43 1 545 50 20-0

Fax.: + 43 1 545 50 20-99

Friday August 25, 2006, 6:15 am
But as I'm not really satisfied with the answer as nothing is mentioned about the fact of canned hunting nor a new address of Frida and her companion, I wrote back the following:
Dear Miss Jirka,

I thank you for your kind reply.
Our concern was raised becouse of the sites that denounce thise place called Camorhi Game Lodge to be a location suspected of canned hunting. The lions there are NOT released into the wild, but stay there in that ground where canned hunters are allowed to shoot them.

I'm sure this fact makes it understandable that animalists all over the world express their concern. What I'd like to know is whether this place has been bought by Vier Pfoten now and is therefor no longer available for canned hunting or whether the lions have been removed from there and will be sent to a better place.

I thank you in advance for your answer and send you my kindest regards

Karin Bertagnolli

P.S. Please have a look at this video that explains the reason for the concern all over the world:
http://www.leulfrida.ro/img/th-home.jpg


Thanks!

Karin Bertagnolli

Friday August 25, 2006, 6:24 am
WELL DONE KARIN!!!!!

Friday August 25, 2006, 6:26 am
In their answer you can see e-mail and snail mail address-maybe if more people wrote we could all get an answer which is more satisfying?

Friday August 25, 2006, 6:26 am
From my side, and as posted at http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=3856&pst=491982

http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:Ki9OYSSX5RUJ:www.ingulule.com/lions.htm+ingulule+lion&hl=en&gl=za&ct=clnk&cd=2

The website run by Marius and Maryn Prinsloo - I asked Tanya, after finding a cached version of this site ie. it still had the part about lion hunting in it

Tanya says they had someone working there who is saying these things, who has probably put up this website to smear their name.

I've sent her this link and have asked her to respond.

I wish I could get up there to check it out.

Friday August 25, 2006, 6:27 am
Thanks Mandy!
;-)
Hope Frida is well and safe-and the others, too!

Friday August 25, 2006, 7:39 am
If anyone would write to Vier Pfoten, that would be great.
Its office@vier-pfoten.org For Attention - Johanna Jirka
I will post a copy of the letter I am sending here http://www.care2.com/c2c/groups/disc.html?gpp=3856&pst=491982

Friday August 25, 2006, 10:14 am
Thanks for posting that, Mandy, and Karin, thanks for the snail mail address. I will send them an e-mail and depending on what I feel about what they say I shall start a signature campaign and send copies of that to their office address. I feel like someone is hushing something up somewhere; I am just not sure WHERE. I shall post copies here.

Friday August 25, 2006, 12:55 pm
Thanks Awanthi!

Here is a 'template'


To
-Vier Pfoten
email: office@vier-pfoten.at
email: office@vier-pfoten.org

-Helmut Dungler, Executive Director of Vier Pfoten International
email: helmut.dungler@vier-pfoten.org
email: heli@dungler.at

Dear Sirs,

We remain astonished and disgusted that an apparently respectable animal welfare organisation which is maintained from funds donated by animal lovers can send the lioness Frida to a captive breeding facility for canned lion hunting in South Africa. Captive lion breeders have been described by the South African Minister for the Environment as “environmental thugs”.

Please answer the following questions:

Why was Frida sent to a canned hunting facility in South Africa?
Why have you refused to answer or comply with Frida’s owner’s instruction to you to remove her immediately to a place of safety?
Why does the CITES permit for Frida state that she was going to be released back into the wild?
For the sake of Vier Pfoten’s reputation in animal welfare circles we require not only answers but immediate action to remove Frida to the place of safety specified by Frida’s owner in Romania.

Yours truly,
Name/Address

Friday August 25, 2006, 1:12 pm
Can I suggest that we make 'Dear Sirs' 'Dear Sir/Madam'?

Friday August 25, 2006, 2:40 pm
wats happening yu know i think animals are more faithfull and trusting than some humans! i wonder wat would happen if the boot was on the other foot! yes i agree with yu and that is why i am joining yur'e petition wish i could do more Vee from London

Friday August 25, 2006, 3:00 pm
E-mail sent, hard copy signature campaign started.

Friday August 25, 2006, 3:07 pm
Thanks for the info. Signed the petiton.

Friday August 25, 2006, 6:52 pm
I must be suffering from a brain fart - I use to live just a few miles from Lion Country in West Palm Beach Florida and also near where a former Tarzan lives (if anyone can remember one of the lions of his got out of the compound and was shot by a local officer last year) that cares for these lions and big cats on 15 acres of a fenced in habitat. I will attempt to see if there is any way a local organization and zoological society could help save Frieda in any way possible. Here in the states, I can only hope that someone out there hears the plea of this forsaken magnificant creature so that she can not only survive, but live!

Friday August 25, 2006, 9:48 pm
What ever happened to hunting just for food like our ancestors did? Hunting is not a sport nor should be treaeted as one and canned hunts are even worse, at least in the wild the animal has somewhat of a chance, maybe we should put the shoe on the other foot of some of these greedy humans; put them in an enclosure and release a pride of lions to "hunt" them.... just a thought! Keep up the great work!!

Friday August 25, 2006, 11:05 pm
This is so sick!!! It reminds me of when I heard Kurt Russel had canned hunts on his property!!!!!!!!! Disgusting, rich, pampered, idiots!!!!!!!!!!

Friday August 25, 2006, 11:16 pm
Just signed. Keep up the good work. These people are cowards.

Saturday August 26, 2006, 5:33 am
Victoria, what a great idea. Tippi Hendren, the actress from Hitchcock's "The Birds" runs a lion sanctuary somewhere in CA, I think. She's Melodie Griffith's mom for those of you too young to remember her.
She's still active I believe. I just saw her on a tribute to Sean Connery. If anyone knows a way to contact her, she might help.

Saturday August 26, 2006, 3:57 pm
This is Tippi Hedren's animal preserve website - http://www.shambala.org/

Sunday August 27, 2006, 4:28 pm
Thank you Mandy. I signed the petition and hope someday these canned hunts will be just a bad memory.

Sunday August 27, 2006, 8:19 pm
Thank you, Mandy, for the link! I was signer #5022. I hope she can be saved, and sent to a sanctuary. It would be even better if they could teach her how to hunt and survive in the wild and set her free!

Monday August 28, 2006, 1:44 am
Morning everyone...thanx to all of you for continuing to sign this petition - Awanthi a special thank you to you!!!
I'm going to start a hard copy petition too, get some good old South African signatures and raise local awareness.

Wednesday August 30, 2006, 3:08 am
Well, I had a response, although it sounds agonizingly familiar, and manages to avoid actually answering any questions. It sounds like they have a template too. Here it is.



To: "'Awanthi Vardaraj'"
Subject: AW:
From: "Office VIER PFOTEN International" Add to Contacts
Date: Wed, Aug 30 2006 11:43:36 AM +0200
Full Headers Printable View

Dear Awanthi Vardaraj,

thank you for your e-mail concerning the little lioness Frida. Frida is now
in a temporary accommodation, absolutely safe and in good health. Here, in
this temporary place, Frida has recovered from her former life when she was
kept alone without other lions in the first months of her life. This is why
Frida is now together with another lion of the same age which is absolutely
necessary for her development. For us it is very important to find a place
for both animals, so that they can stay together, and thus ensure that they
can grow up together. For Frida it would be a traumatic experience to be
separated from her companion with whom she is together since she arrived in
South Africa.

However, for us as an animal welfare organisation the well-being of Frida
and her companion is our most important focus. This is why we did researches
in the last weeks to find a good place for these two animals. As we informed
you we cooperated with various different and autonomous international
wildlife and lion experts to get an overview of possible areas in South
Africa. The experts evaluated, for example, the possible accommodations in
the various areas, enrichment factors, feeding, external influences, safety,
socialising and management. With the help of this evaluation we are going to
make a ranking of the possible areas in South Africa and we will decide in
terms of animal welfare to find the best place for Frida and her companion.

Your doubts in the safety of Frida and her well-being are not necessary. We
can assure she is safe and healthy and we will find a place for her very
soon. The area where Frida and her companion will live in future has to be
perfect and optimal for lions and this has to be secured before these
animals get transferred.

For VIER PFOTEN only animal welfare aspects as well as established
scientific expertises are relevant.

Concerning your questions regarding the CITES documents of Frida - I do not
understand your questions as there is nothing mentioned about releasing
Frida into the wild. Maybe you can explain what you mean.

My best regards,
Johanna Jirka


Head of International Marketing and Communication
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VIER PFOTEN International
Schoenbrunner Strasse 131
A-1050 Wien
Austria
Phone: + 43 1 545 50 20-0
Fax.: + 43 1 545 50 20-99


-----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
Von: Awanthi Vardaraj [mailto:awanthi@care2.com]
Gesendet: Freitag, 25. August 2006 22:19
An: office@vier-pfoten.org
Cc: office@vier-pfoten.at; helmut.dungler@vier-pfoten.org;
heli@dungler.at
Betreff:


To
-Vier Pfoten
email: office@vier-pfoten.at
email: office@vier-pfoten.org

-Helmut Dungler, Executive Director of Vier Pfoten International
email: helmut.dungler@vier-pfoten.org
email: heli@dungler.at

Dear Sir/Madam,

We remain astonished and disgusted that an apparently respectable animal
welfare organization which is maintained from funds donated by animal lovers
can send the lioness Frida to a captive breeding facility for canned lion
hunting in South Africa. Captive lion breeders have been described by the
South African Minister for the Environment as “environmental thugs”.

Please answer the following questions:

Why was Frida sent to a canned hunting facility in South Africa?
Why have you refused to answer or comply with Frida’s owner’s instruction to
you to remove her immediately to a place of safety?
Why does the CITES permit for Frida state that she was going to be released
back into the wild?

For the sake of Vier Pfoten’s reputation in animal welfare circles we
require not only answers but immediate action to remove Frida to the place
of safety specified by Frida’s owner in Romania.

Yours truly,

Awanthi Vardaraj

Wednesday August 30, 2006, 11:22 pm
It's exactly the same answer I got from them! Ok then let's all of us use the same tem,plate to respond asking for details-this is what I sent (I am still waiting for a reply to this!):
Dear Miss Jirka,

I thank you for your kind reply.
Our concern was raised becouse of the sites that denounce thise place called Camorhi Game Lodge to be a location suspected of canned hunting. The lions there are NOT released into the wild, but stay there in that ground where canned hunters are allowed to shoot them.

I'm sure this fact makes it understandable that animalists all over the world express their concern. What I'd like to know is whether this place has been bought by Vier Pfoten now and is therefor no longer available for canned hunting or whether the lions have been removed from there and will be sent to a better place.

I thank you in advance for your answer and send you my kindest regards

Karin Bertagnolli

P.S. Please have a look at this video that explains the reason for the concern all over the world:
http://www.leulfrida.ro/img/th-home.jpg


Thanks!

Thursday August 31, 2006, 12:31 am
Its identical!! They obviously just send out the same answer to everyone :s
Great idea Karin, lets all send the same message!
I wonder what they would say if someone called them.

Saturday September 2, 2006, 10:39 am
Canned hunts are just plain sick & stupid! These hunts are obviously for poeple that have nothing better to do & that are VERY POOR SHOTS!! They are cowards!
Now I admit that I have done some stupid things to put my life on the line to save an animal. Running into busy streets to save a stunned, confused, scared or hurt animal isn't smart. But no one else was stopping to help. These poor creatures need us. And I will continue to do WHATEVER it takes to help them.
Thank you Mandy for letting us know about this one. You really are a wonderul one-of-a-kind person! God Bless!

Thursday September 7, 2006, 7:57 am
Does this look familiar?

From: Office VIER PFOTEN International [mailto:office@vier-pfoten.org]
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 1:02 PM
To: 'Mandy'
Subject: AW:

Dear Mandy,

thank you for your e-mail concerning the little lioness Frida. Frida is now in a temporary accommodation, absolutely safe and in good health. Here, in this temporary place, Frida has recovered from her former life when she was kept alone without other lions in the first months of her life. This is why Frida is now together with another lion of the same age which is absolutely necessary for her development. For us it is very important to find a place for both animals, so that they can stay together, and thus ensure that they can grow up together. For Frida it would be a traumatic experience to be separated from her companion with whom she is together since she arrived in South Africa.

However, for us as an animal welfare organisation the well-being of Frida and her companion is our most important focus. This is why we did researches in the last weeks to find a good place for these two animals. We cooperated with various different and autonomous international wildlife and lion experts to get an overview of possible areas in South Africa. The experts evaluated, for example, the possible accommodations in the various areas, enrichment factors, feeding, external influences, safety, socialising and management. With the help of this evaluation we are going to make a ranking of the possible areas in South Africa and we will decide in terms of animal welfare to find the best place for Frida and her companion.

Your doubts in the safety of Frida and her well-being are not necessary. We can assure she is safe and healthy and we will find a place for her very soon. The area where Frida and her companion will live in future has to be perfect and optimal for lions and this has to be secured before these animals get transferred.

For VIER PFOTEN only animal welfare aspects as well as established scientific expertises are relevant.


My best regards,
Johanna Jirka

Head of International Marketing and Communication
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
VIER PFOTEN International
Schoenbrunner Strasse 131
A-1050 Wien
Austria
Phone: + 43 1 545 50 20-0
Fax.: + 43 1 545 50 20-99

*sigh* off home I go...

Sunday September 10, 2006, 9:32 am
I am so sad about this lion. What a terrible thing!!! And to know we also have these in America makes me sick. Please keep us posted on this.

Monday September 11, 2006, 11:41 pm
Mandy, Awanthi and I got exactly teh same answer. I put a reply (Scroll up to find it) but THAT was never answered....
Let's keep it tracked!

Friday September 15, 2006, 7:32 am
Anyone else send emails?
Its been a crazy week, next week I'll go back into action on this! BIG HUGS to you all for caring and helping!

Wednesday September 20, 2006, 7:53 am
Lets keep the pressure going on this, one thing that suprised me was that there are more than one of these in countries around Europe.

Tuesday October 3, 2006, 12:15 am
Anyone heard anything further?
I still have had no response from ANYONE.

Tuesday October 3, 2006, 2:26 am
Still waiting for further response of VP.