[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 32 (Tuesday, February 18, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Page 7762]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-3837]



[[Page 7762]]

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 03-010-1]


Big Cat Symposia; Animal Care

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of public meeting.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: This is a notice to animal exhibitors, dealers, transporters, 
researchers, animal protection groups, industry groups, and other 
interested persons that we are holding a series of educational symposia 
to present current information on the care and maintenance of exotic 
big cats. This notice provides the agenda for the symposia, information 
on the location and dates of the first two symposia, and general 
information on subsequent symposia.

DATES: The first symposium will be held in Fort Worth, TX, on 
Wednesday, March 26, 2003. The second symposium will be held in Las 
Vegas, NV, on Wednesday, April 30, 2003. Each symposium will be held 
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Preregistration is requested for both symposia. 
Parties wishing to attend may preregister by e-mailing 
[email protected] or by calling the Animal Care headquarters office at 
(301) 734-7833. The preregistration deadline for the Fort Worth meeting 
is March 1, 2003; for the Las Vegas meeting, the deadline is April 1, 
2003.
    On-site registration will take place from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on 
the day of each symposium.

ADDRESSES: The symposia will be held at the following locations:

1. Fort Worth, TX: Ramada Plaza Hotel, 1701 Commerce Street, Fort 
Worth, TX 76102, (817) 335-7000.
2. Las Vegas, NV: Sam's Town Hotel, 5111 Boulder Highway, Las Vegas, NV 
89122, (800) 897-8696.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information on the agenda 
of the symposia, contact Dr. Barbara Kohn, Senior Staff Veterinarian, 
Animal Care, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD 20737-1234; (301) 
734-7833. Dr. Kohn may be contacted by e-mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS) is announcing a series of educational symposia on the 
care and maintenance of exotic big cats. The symposia will give Animal 
Care an opportunity to disseminate information on various topics that 
are key to the successful management and handling of exotic big cats. 
The symposia will be held in various geographical locations to 
facilitate attendance by regulated parties that maintain these animals.
    The first symposium will be held on Wednesday, March 26, 2003, at 
the Ramada Plaza Hotel, Fort Worth, TX, and the second symposium will 
be at Sam's Town Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, on April 30, 2003. We plan to 
hold similar symposia at some time between October 2003 and January 
2004 in the Midwest, Washington, DC, and Florida.
    The symposia have been developed to provide current information and 
ideas on a variety of topics. Each symposium will follow the same 
agenda, with possible minor modifications. The symposia will start with 
general sessions, followed by breakout sessions allowing more 
interaction between speakers and attendees. The agenda for these 
symposia is:

7:30 a.m.-8:30 a.m.--Registration.
8:00 a.m.-11:30 a.m.--General Session.
    Welcome.
    Nutrition.
    Veterinary Care and Tranquilization.
    Transportation.
    New Training Methods.
11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.--Lunch Break.
1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m.--Concurrent Breakout Session 1.
    Explaining APHIS Regulations.
    Nutrition/Zootrition.
    Heat Budgets and Shade (avoiding overheating and overcooling).
2:45 p.m.-4:15 p.m.--Concurrent Breakout Session 2.
    Training.
    Transportation Issues.
    Fixed Exhibit Enclosure Design.
4:15 p.m.-5:00 p.m.--Questions and Answers; Closing.

    Notices of these symposia are being sent to current Animal Welfare 
Act licensees with exotic big cats. This notice is also available on 
the Internet at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac, the Animal Care web site. 
Copies of a brochure containing the information in this announcement 
can also be requested by calling the Animal Care headquarters office at 
(301) 734-7833 or by e-mailing a request to [email protected].
    Please note that these symposia are being held to provide and 
disseminate information on the care and maintenance of big exotic cats 
under the Animal Welfare Act. There will be no opportunity at these 
symposia to submit formal comments on proposed rules or other 
regulatory initiatives.

Preregistration

    Preregistration is requested by calling the Animal Care 
headquarters office at (301) 734-7833 or by e-mailing Animal Care at 
[email protected] and providing your name, number of attendees, phone 
number, and e-mail address or other contact address. This information 
is needed so we may inform registrants in a timely manner if any 
changes are made to the schedules of the symposia. Please preregister 
for the Fort Worth symposium by March 1, 2003, and for the Las Vegas 
symposium by April 1, 2003.

Travel and Lodging Information

    All attendees are responsible for their own travel and lodging. No 
rooms have been reserved for attendees at the symposium hotels or any 
other hotels.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 11th day of February, 2003.
Peter Fernandez,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
[FR Doc. 03-3837 Filed 2-14-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P