Felid TAG Mid-Year Meeting

The AZA Felid TAG Mid-year Meeting will be held from Friday, April 11th through the morning of Sunday, April 13th, 2008 and will be hosted by the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden. This year’s meeting emphasizes Felids of the Americas (jaguar, puma, ocelot, Canada lynx) and will include presentations by field biologists and veterinarians leading in situ conservation efforts with these species. SSP meetings will be held prior to the TAG meeting on Wednesday, April 9th and Thursday, April 10th.

Meeting Registration: $70.00 if received by March 1st, 2008 and $85.00 if received after March 1st. Click here to downloard registration form. Please direct all registration questions to Lynn Blattman, CREW Administrative Assistant, (513) 569-8202 or lynn.blattman@cincinnatizoo.org.

Husbandry Courses: This year the Felid TAG will be conducting two Husbandry Workshops, one focused on large cats and one focused on small cats, just prior to the mid-year TAG meeting. This course is designed to assist in the training of keepers, leads and front-line supervisors involved in the daily care of felids. The Felid TAG Husbandry Courses will be held from Monday evening (6:00 pm), April 7th, through Thursday, April 10th at the Cincinnati Zoo. Enrollment in each course is limited to 30 participants and there will be a separate registration fee ($70, Large Cat; $50, Small Cat) for each course. For details on the Large Cat Course, please contact Hollie Colahan, Houston Zoo, (713)-533-6528, hcolahan@houstonzoo.org, and for the Small Cat Course, please contact Cheryl Dikeman, Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo, cheryld@omahazoo.com, (402) 733-4415.

Program Managers: please contact: Bonnie Breitbeil, Central Florida Zoo, (407) 323-4450 ext. 144, bonnieb@centralfloridazoo.org by February 1st, 2008 to schedule your SSP meeting dates and times.

Potential Speakers: please contact: Bill Swanson, Cincinnati Zoo, (513) 569-8227, william.swanson@cincinnatizoo.org or Norah Fletchall, John Ball Zoo, (616) 336-4314, norah.fletchall@kentcountymi.gov by March 1st, 2008.

Hotel: The Vernon Manor Hotel, 400 Oak Street, Cincinnati OH, www.vernonmanorhotel.com, is an historic hotel located approximately one mile from the Cincinnati Zoo. The Felid TAG meeting and SSP meetings will be held at the hotel. Attendees should make reservations with the hotel directly by calling the Vernon Manor at (513) 281-3300 or (800) 543-3999. Please reference the group code of Felid TAG when making reservations. Room rates are $79.00 -89.00/night for singles and $99.00/night for doubles plus 17% hotel sales and occupancy tax. Complementary services include wireless internet access in all guest rooms, daily newspapers, coffee in the lobby and parking. Reservations must be made by Monday, March 24th to receive the guaranteed rate.

Dining: The Vernon Manor has an in-house restaurant, the Forum Grill, which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and an English pub, the Club 400, for late-night refreshments. The hotel also will provide free shuttle service (within reason) to nearby restaurant areas. Dining options within walking distance of the hotel are limited. During the TAG meeting, continental breakfasts (Fri.-Sun.) and box lunches (Fri. & Sat.) will be provided to attendees included with the cost of registration. Please note vegetarian preferences on the registration form. During the SSP meetings (Wed. & Thur.), continental breakfast and lunch will be available for an extra charge. SSP meeting attendees are strongly encouraged to pre-order breakfasts and lunch on the meeting registration form.

Social Events: The Icebreaker will be held on the evening of Thursday, April 10th with food and refreshments provided. Zoo Day will be held on the afternoon and evening of Saturday, April 12th and will include lunch, behind the scene tours, a cocktail hour, silent auction and dinner.

Airport transportation: Executive Transportation (859-261-8841) offers daily shuttle service round trip (~20 miles) from the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky International Airport to the Vernon Manor Hotel. The Executive Transportation desk is located in the baggage claim area in main Terminal C. Cost is $30 per person round trip and $20 per person one-way.

Post-Meeting Tour –
Mast Farm Cheetah Breeding Center
Sunday, April 13th – 2 pm to 4 pm

The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden manages one of the AZA’s five regional breeding centers for cheetahs in collaboration with the Cheetah SSP. Breeding efforts at the Cincinnati Zoo’s Mast Farm facility over the past five years have resulted in six pregnancies and the birth of ~20 cubs. At present, a total of nine cheetahs are housed at the offsite facility. Attendees at the 2008 Felid TAG meeting have the opportunity to tour the Mast Farm facility and talk with Cheetah Keeper Tom Tenhundfeld who is responsible for cheetah husbandry and breeding activities. Transportation will be provided for the ~30 minute trip, leaving from the Vernon Manor Hotel at 2 pm and returning at 4 pm on Sunday, April 13th. A small additional fee ($10/person) may be charged to help cover transportation costs, depending on the number of participating individuals. Please contact Bill Swanson (william.swanson@cincinnatizoo.org) by March 31st if you would like to sign up to visit the cheetah facility.