Posted on 02/02/2006 10:02:21 AM PST by afraidfortherepublic
SAN PASQUAL VALLEY – They don't act like best friends quite yet, more like neighbors who find each other only mildly interesting, and occasionally annoying.
But since lion cubs are hard to come by in these parts, it's a match that workers at the San Diego Wild Animal Park are trying to make work.
DAN TREVAN / Union-Tribune photos Cairo,
an Italian mastiff puppy, was introduced as a
playmate to 10-week-old Koza, a lion cub whose
twin died, at the San Diego Wild Animal Park.
Playtime included sharing a bit of food,
Cairo nipping on Koza's ear, some frolicking
and some quiet time.
Koza, a 10-week-old lion cub, and Cairo, a slightly younger but at the moment larger Italian mastiff, are being housed together for one or two hours at a time in Koza's room in the park's nursery.
Tuesday morning, when the two were allowed to mingle, the energetic puppy sniffed and then jumped all over the lion cub for about a minute, then spent the next hour far more interested in a stick he busily gnawed.
But yesterday, the two frolicked for more than 15 minutes, with Cairo nibbling on Koza's ears, which the cub seemed not terribly happy about.
They even shared a bit of dog food out of Cairo's bowl.
“They're becoming more comfortable with each other each day,” said Marcia Diehl, senior mammal keeper at the park.
The idea, Diehl said, is that lions are social animals, but there are no other lion cubs at the park for Koza to interact with.
Cairo is the next best thing – a canine companion. Koza was born by Caesarean section from a mother pregnant with twins, the other of which died. The mother is at the park, but it was a difficult birth involving anesthesia. Because of her condition “mom would not be able to take care of the cub,” said park spokesman Andrew Circo, so the decision was made to take Koza from her.
Koza's stay at the park may not be for too long. Since her mother was a wild lion, from a South African preserve, Koza's genes will be of great value to lion breeders at other zoos as they try to avoid inbreeding among captive animals.
But both dog and lion will be on display at the park's Animal Care Center near the entrance for the next month or two, Diehl said.
After that, Cairo – whose mom was rescued from Hurricane Katrina and brought to San Diego where she had Cairo – will either be placed with another young animal or be adopted by one of the park's employees. “They're already lining up to adopt him,” said park spokeswoman Yadira Galindo.
When fully grown, Koza will weigh about 400 pounds, while the mastiff should top out at about 90.
Meanwhile, the dog and the lion, it is hoped, will become best friends, teething on various stuffed animals in their enclosure, not to mention on each other.
Rottis are amazing dogs with a bad reputation. When raised normally, with their intelligence and strength, they make fantastic pets and babysitters.
That's an English Mastiff, the largest of the Mastiff breeds. ....and look at the size of that head! .....about four times the size of his owner's dome. Must be over 300 lbs.
I am a total Rotti fan. If ever I get another dog it will be a Rotti. (I don't want one now because my grumpy JRT would bully the poor thing!)
It's not nice to fool with Mother Nature.
Yeah? Well last night when I went to crawl into bed, I had to share it with two German Shepherds and a number of slobbery dog toys...
I would expect the car to be leaning wildly to the left if that photo is real.
You have a JRT? You'll need a Mastiff after that! Although, if you got a Mastiff puppy now, it would be bigger than any JRT, and wouldn't it be funny to watch Grumpy see the Mastiff grow.
I don't see where you get that idea. On the other hand a car has better suspension than a human and this girl is leaning only slightly to the left...
bump
I don't know what an Italian Mastiff is. His projected weight seems small for the Mastiff breed, as I have known them. I was in a dog training class witha Bull-Mastiff once. He was a really sweet dog and very tolerant of all the other dogs, but he had a mind of his own.
Different times of the day, he worked with different handlers -- Mom, Pop, child. One night class he was there with the wife of the family and the little boy. The woman was having a hard time getting the dog to sit straight after his "finish" where he is supposed to walk in a circle around his handler and then sit down facing front. He'd sit crooked, and you just couldn't move him after he was down.
The little boy called out to his mom across the room full of students and dogs, "Mom, just spit into your hand, and he'll follow you wherever you want him to go!"
We all got a good laugh out of that. But, you know that really works, as disgusting as it sounds! Out of the mouths of babes!
This Italian Mastiff, is characterised by the excessive loose skin and wrinkling on its head and face. Saved from oblivion by the Italian Piero Scanziani, it is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. But it is a large dog which needs plenty of food and early socialisation and training maybe necessary. It is also a drooler. The ears are cropped for cosmetic purposes only. It is an excellent guard of family and property. It does not demand heavy exercise.They may be grey, blue, tawny or black in colour. Brindling may also be present. It weighs 50-75 kgs and is 65-75 cms tall.
Sorry! I can't translate the kgs and cms into standard American measurements.
h-o-l-y-c-o-w
All European mastiffs are descended from the Tibetan Mastiff, the most ancient member of the canine species. The first Asian mastiffs were probably brought to Greece from India by Alexander the Great around 300 B.C. The Greeks introduced the dogs to the Romans, who adopted them enthusiastically and used them in circus combats.
The word "Mastiff" derives from the Latin word: masssivus, meaning massive. English experts, however, have another theory. They contend that the mastiff was brought to Britain by the Phoenicians in about 500 B.C. and spread from there to the rest of Europe. In any case the Neapolitan Mastiff is a direct descendant of the Roman Molossus.
While the breed became extinct throughout the rest of Europe, it continued to survive in Campania despite the perils of weather and war. One can therefore say that the Neapolitan Mastiff has existed in Campania for two thousand years, even though it was not officially recognized until 1946, and its standard was not set until 1949.
The Neapolitan Mastiff was bred for use in war and in bloody Roman arena spectacles. Today this powerful breed has a well-deserved reputation as a formidable guard dog. Neos have been used by the Italian police and army and by that country's farmers, business establishment, and estate owners to protect people and property. Though the Neapolitan Mastiff was first shown in Italy in 1946, the breed is still quite rare in the United States.
Height: Dogs 26-30 inches (65-75 cm.)
Bitches 24-28 inches (60-70 cm.)
Weight: Up to 165 pounds (74 kg.)
The largest male Neapolitans may be nearly 200 pounds (90 kg.)
That last picture is too cute.
My son adopted a 3/4 Rotti & 1/4 Irish Setter mix. Lance looked just like a Rotti, but his head was not quite so blocky. I was worried because they were expecting their first child. I remember saying, "Good Grief! You've taken in a dog that is a mix of a mean breed and a stupid breed. YOu're going to have nothing but trouble."
Well, it is not the first time that mom was proven wrong. Lance was a wonderful dog and a great companion to my grandchildren. The only thing that was a negative about that adoption is that Lance died way too young -- 12 -- of cancer. Of course, it might not have worked out. Lance's litter mate was a terrible dog -- mean and unpredictable. However, I credit my daughter in law for being a terrific animal trainer (she trains horses too) and that is why Lance was such a good canine companion. His litter mate brother might have turned out just as good, had he lived with my son and his family.
That's the biggest dog I've ever seen!
This is my "puppy" and he's almost 90 lbs. I think the folks that wrote about this Italian Mastiff are misinformed about his eventual weight!
With long scary claws ans teeth.
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