I have some catching up to do....and "Toonies for Tigers!"

This has probably been one of the busiest weeks.....and I haven't had the energy to write at night...Yes, I know that is just an excuse, but it's true....Sometimes catching up on sleep is more important....So, my apologies to those who have been following my blog and have noticed that I haven't written in over a week....Guess that defeats the 365 thing.....but at this point, I'm thinking, it's the effort that counts...and I still think I've done pretty well with my blog, even if I haven't updated each and every day...

So, where to start....The day after the Easter Eggstravaganza I guess....My daughter was inspired by an event at the Zoo, which I have already posted pictures of..  On the back of the Map, the zoo is advertising a fundraiser they are doing, called "Toonies for Tigers."    There currently are no tigers at the Magnetic Hill Zoo..Back on December 7th, 2007, this story was published in the Charlottetown Guardian(courtesy of the Canadian Press)  This explains what happened to their tiger....It was a sad day indeed...

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Living/Health/2007-12-07/article-1284360/NEWS-ALERT%3A-Tomar-the-tiger,-mascot-of-N.B.-zoo,-euthanized-after-battle-with-illness/1

MONCTON, N.B. - Tomar the tiger is dead.
The Siberian tiger and beloved mascot of the Magnetic Hill Zoo in Moncton was euthanized Friday after he suffered a dramatic deterioration in his year-long battle with renal failure.
Zoo officials put the cat down because it had become clear he was suffering.
Tomar turned 19 on Nov. 14, an advanced age that's rare for Siberian tigers in captivity - and unheard of for the cats in the wild.
He also defied expectations several times over the course of the past year, when he appeared to bounce back to reasonably good health.
A rapid loss of weight led to his diagnosis last December.
The recent cold of another winter appeared to weaken the tiger.
"He was doing really well until about two days ago," zoo official Bruce Dougan said Friday. "Then he started to go downhill very quickly."
Veterinarian Dr. Andre Saindon said another bout of weight loss and the increasingly cold conditions made it harder for Tomar to fight his illness.
The tiger's playful personality had made him a favourite with zoo visitors, and his struggle of the past year struck a chord with people around the world. International news organizations spread the story of the love the community felt for the majestic creature.

This is Tomar

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That is when it all began....The Zoo decided it wanted to raise the money to buy another tiger for the Zoo....

This story was published on March 4th, 2008...

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2008/03/04/new-tomar.html

Moncton's Magnetic Hill Zoo is launching a fundraising campaign to find a replacement for its deceased mascot Tomar.

Zookeeper Bruce Dougan said about $1 million will need to be raised to help cover the cost of upgrading the large cat exhibit before a new animal can be acquired.

"You know the exhibit Tomar lived in his entire life was adequate 20 years ago, but it's no longer adequate for those types of species," Dougan said.

Dougan said the new area will include four sleeping spaces as well as an outdoor exhibit.

The new facility would be able to accommodate several animals, Dougan said, and the zoo won't likely just be purchasing a new tiger.

The zoo is also considering the endangered Amur leopard, Dougan said. The animal is considered the rarest subspecies of leopard in the world with less than 40 currently in existence.

It will take about three years to raise the money and build the new facility, Dougan said.

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The construction of that large cat exhibit is near completion, but there is still the cost involved to purchase a new tiger....So this brings me back to "Toonies for Tigers" campaign I had mentioned earlier....My daughter saw an advertisement at the Zoo for the campaign and she has decided that since pennies will soon be a thing of the past in Canada, she is going to take the pennies from her piggy bank, roll them up and make as many twoonies as she can, and donate them to the Zoo so they can get a new tiger.....She wants everyone to do the same...If you have any pennies to donate, send them along! She'd be happy to include them with her donation!  The more money we raise, the quicker is will be that the Zoo can get its new tiger...She has been collecting pennies since birth, so there is bound to be a few toonies in her bank...

This is my daughter showing her love for "cats" in general...Unfortunately, she can't hold a tiger or a cheetah, leopard or a jaguar like this...although I know she would love to.....I have a big feeling she is going to work with animals when she gets older.   She borrows books from the library about cats, and reads about them..Most recently, she is reading about the lynx and the lion....

She was also inspired by our recent viewing of the movie "We Bought a Zoo"  It also featured a tiger who was getting older, and the time was coming to say "good-bye" 

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/we-bought-a-zoo/       (click on this link for more details and the trailer.....The picture below of Matt Damon with the tiger "Spar"

A fabulous movie, based on a true story..I highly recommend it!