| | |  News from Around Banderas Bay 
Riviera Nayarit Welcomes Birth of Bengal Tigers
 RivieraNayarit.com
September 20, 2010
| | After a lot of hard work and commitment from the specialists at Paradise Village, they are proud to welcome the birth of two baby Bengal Tigers, Faith and Hope. | |
The environmental commitment of Paradise Village has paid off with the birth of their newest animal members, two baby Bengal Tigers. The group of specialists making this possible are commended because it is not only an important accomplishment for Latin America, but as one of the most successful in the world.
In addition to welcoming the births of Faith and Hope, the newest members of the cat families, Riviera Nayarit also applauds that it adds that special stamp to the name of the Paradise Village Golf Course, El Tigre.
Jesús Carmona, Director of El Tigre Golf & Country Club, who is also the leader of the project with Bengal Tigers, recounts how it is that Paradise Village became almost accidentally involved with the conservation of this species and to later achieve one of the most productive breeding programs worldwide.
The story starts in 1996 with a gift of the then Governor of Nayarit, Rigoberto Ochoa Zaragoza, to Graziano Sovernigo. The authorities had seized the tigers from tiger traffickers and the representative had learned that the owner of Paradise Village sought an exotic species for use in a development that was under construction.
Soon, Sovernigo ordered everything that was needed to achieve the captivity permissions, built the cage homes and obtained handling specialists. The male was loaned by the authorities, and then a female was acquired for breeding purposes.
Leoncio and Casimira, the original Bengal Tiger couple, had their first litter in 1998. Four baby tigers were born, three females and a male, however, they were rejected by the parents, a common attitude in this species with the first litter when they are born in captivity.
Not to be discouraged, Gonzalo Calderón, who was the veterinarian and Jesús Carmona were involved to the extent that led to the baby tigers living in their homes. This posed a new commitment and Jesus began to travel for training in the management and breeding of this species to the San Diego Zoo, Houston Zoo, and even the Cincinnati Zoo.
"We have recently established a very close relationship with the Cincinnati Zoo. Why? Because this zoo has the largest number of successful births of Bengal Tigers in the world. There were 160 already born from approximately 15 different females", explains Jesús Carmona.
Paradise Village receives the honor of the most productive Tiger program in Mexico and also one of the most productive in the world. With the birth of Faith and Hope, 82 baby tigers have been born in the complex in the past 14 years, with 76 survivors - few programs can achieve this fantastic success rate.
"People from other zoos in Mexico have acknowledged us by this work, many of them can't believe our birth success rate." This is very important, because Mexico is the country in which more Bengal Tigers were born in captivity, and were born from seven different females. "We have even raised them at home - making the baby tigers that were rejected by their mothers a part of our family. From the first litter, we were determined not to lose them and learned how to care for them, and that has made this program very successful", Jesús explains.
That almost paternal relationship of Jesús Carmona with cats means that it is not rare that some of them, even large specimens, are still his pets and you will see them accompanying him in the golf cart touring the golf course and even allowing him close proximity with their offspring.
Paradise Village has sought with professionalism to fulfill their role as protectors of the species. They have all the certifications of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, and also work with Unity Management (UMA) for the program to operate in accordance with the law. Even after the baby tigers are born, the commitment continues. They have established alliances with a company that specializes in getting homes for cats in zoos in Latin America, the United States and Canada.
"We look for prospective homes, but verify that the conditions are acceptable before they are delivered. Two very important things rule: Tigers will not be sold to any individuals and they will not be sold as just Zoo Tigers", insists Jesús Carmona.
Committed to the Maximum
The adventure involved in a Bengal Tiger Breeding Program is not the only unique quality attributed to Paradise Village. They also consider the environment a number one priority and proof of this is that they have recently inaugurated a sewage treatment plant.
Riviera Nayarit (OVC) Convention and Visitors Office applauds the strong momentum by Graziano Sovernigo, Jesús Carmona and the entire Paradise Village team in performing and supporting the promotion of their ongoing programs and the commitment to conserve one of the main attractions of the Pacific Treasure: its environment.
About Riviera Nayarit: Mexico’s newest destination, Riviera Nayarit, stretches along 192 miles of pristine Pacific coast framed by the majestic Sierra Madre Mountains just ten minutes north of accessible Puerto Vallarta International Airport. The region extends along the entire coast of the Pacific state of Nayarit including the resorts of Nuevo Vallarta, the historic colonial town of San Blas, exclusive Punta Mita, picturesque fishing villages, miles of serene beaches and spectacular Banderas Bay. Riviera Nayarit offers countless activities, all pleasantly affordable, such as: PGA golf courses, luxury spas, whale watching, turtle release, zip lining, surfing, record deep sea fishing, bird watching, international cuisine, and shopping for local artwork and traditional Huichol handicrafts. The region attracts and satisfies vacationers of all tastes and budgets with its wide range of accommodations including chic luxury resorts, eco-tourism boutique hotels and quaint B&B inns. Visit the website at RivieraNayarit.com
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