ROSAMOND, CA: Saturday, April 22nd, 2006, at 5:30 p.m.; EFBC’s Feline Conservation Center hosts the first of three Twilight Tour fund raising events during evening hours.  Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., and Admission is $15 per person (18 years and over – no exceptions).  Those prepaying ahead of time for their tickets may enter early at 5:00 p.m. and avoid the lines.

On January 3rd, a healthy Amur Leopard cub (Panthera pardus orientalis) was born to one of the center’s most successful feline mothers, "Aijka."  Amur Leopards are among the rarest animals in the world, with less than 30 left in the wild.  The EFBC is renowned as the top breeder of this rare and beautiful wild feline, with over 10 cubs born at the center since 1995.  Many have gone on to other zoos.  By late February, the young leopard began to venture out of the den area and cautiously explore the outside world, under the protective eye of its mother.  And at the time of the Spring 2006 Twilight Tour, mother and baby should provide amusing entertainment for all our guests.

In addition to the excitement of welcoming EFBC’s first cub of 2006, Twilight Tour guests are promised other fun surprises at this popular event.  Enrichment items, "toys," will be given to feline residents to pique their interest, as the evening is the most active time of the day for felines, as well as providing amusing entertainment for the center’s visitors.  Felines not ordinarily on exhibit to the general public are available for viewing, including rare African Sand Cats, margays and Pallas’s Cats.  Also included in the evening’s festivities is an opportunity to be photographed with one of the center’s feline residents (conditions permitting), a bake sale put on by the center’s volunteer staff, and a barbecue will be provided by the Lancaster Rotary Club, with all profits being donated to the center.  And, for those feeling lucky, they may also choose to enter the Twilight Tour Raffle and win great prizes.

The Twilight Tours are an integral part of the center’s public awareness and educational efforts.  Visitors are given a change to see one of the world’s largest collections of rare wild feline species during their most active period, and are witness to animal behaviors not ordinarily seen during normal zoo experiences.  EFBC will use all proceeds from the event to continue expansion of the center’s breeding areas, construction of new enclosures and landscaping needs.

Other ways people may contribute to the success of EFBC’s wild feline species preservation programs are by becoming a member, donating much needed funds or supplies in kind, or becoming part of the EFBC’s Adopt-a-Cat Program, where people support any of a variety of feline residents up for adoption through monetary donations, which provide for the care and feeding of their "kid" and maintenance of the center.  EFBC Members also receive a quarterly newsletter, free admission (based on member levels), and reciprocal benefits at other zoos around the country.

The EFBC-Feline Conservation Center is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and conservation of wild feline species from all over the world.  The facility houses rare species of exotic cats from the large and familiar tigers and leopards, to the smaller and lesser known margays and fishing cats.  Participating in worldwide captive breeding programs, the center works with other zoos and breeding facilities in an effort to repopulate endangered feline species.  For more information, directions and ticket purchases, please call (661) 256-3793 , or log on to www.wildcatzoo.org.