[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 184 (Thursday, September 23, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56993-56994]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E4-2343]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket 04-095-1]


Big Cat Symposia; Animal Care

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of informational meetings.

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[[Page 56994]]

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 and 
information on the location and dates of the final two symposia.

DATES: The next symposium will be held in Bridgeton, MO, on Wednesday, 
October 27, 2004. The following symposium will be held in Riverdale, 
MD, on Wednesday, December 8, 2004. Each symposium will be held from 8 
a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration information is provided in the 
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

ADDRESSES: The symposia will be held at the following locations:
    1. Bridgeton, MO: Crowne Plaza St. Louis Airport Hotel, 11228 Lone 
Eagle Drive, Bridgeton, MO 63044, (314) 291-6700.
    2. Riverdale, MD: USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, 
Riverdale, MD 20737, (301) 734-7833.

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.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
Service (APHIS), Animal Care, has been hosting a series of educational 
symposia on the care and maintenance of exotic big cats. The symposia 
are designed to provide a forum for information dissemination on 
various topics that are key to the successful management and handling 
of exotic big cats. These symposia have been held in locations across 
the country to facilitate attendance by most of our regulated parties 
that maintain these animals.
    The first of these meetings was held on March 26, 2003, in Fort 
Worth, TX. On April 30, 2003, the second meeting was held in Las Vegas, 
NV. The third meeting was held November 19, 2003, in Columbus, OH, and 
the fourth on January 7, 2004, in Sarasota, FL. The final two symposia 
of this series will be held at the Crowne Plaza St. Louis Airport 
Hotel, 11228 Lone Eagle Drive, Bridgeton, MO, on October 27, 2004, and 
at the USDA Center at Riverside, 4700 River Road, Riverdale, MD, on 
December 8, 2004.
    The symposia have been developed to provide current information and 
ideas on a variety of topics. Each symposium will, with the exception 
of possible minor modifications, follow the same agenda. The symposia 
will start with general session, followed by breakout sessions allowing 
more interaction between speakers and attendees. The agenda for these 
symposia is:

7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.--Registration.
8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.--General Session:
    Welcome.
    Nutrition.
    Veterinary Care and Tranquilization.
    Transportation.
    New Training Methods.
11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.--Lunch (on own).
1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.--Concurrent Breakout Session 1:
    Explaining APHIS Regulations.
    Nutrition.
    Training.
2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.--Concurrent Breakout Session 2:
    Transportation/Good and Not so Good.
    Veterinary Care Issues.
    Heat Budgets and Shade (avoiding overheating and overcooling).
4:15 p.m. to 5 p.m.--Questions and Answers and Closing.

    Notice of these symposia is being sent to current Animal Welfare 
Act licensees with exotic big cats and may be viewed on the Animal Care 
Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/ac. Copies of the brochure 
prepared for the symposia can be requested by calling our headquarters 
at (301) 734-7833 or by e-mailing the 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.

Registration

    As seating for each symposium is limited, we request that you 
preregister by calling (301) 734-7833 or by e-mailing Animal Care at 
[email protected]. Please identify the symposium you will be attending 
and provide your name, number of attendees, phone number, e-mail 
address, or other contact address. This information is needed so that 
we may inform registrants in a timely manner in the event of any 
changes to the meeting schedule. The deadline for preregistration is 
October 1, 2004, for the Bridgeton symposium, and December 1, 2004, for 
the Riverdale symposium. On-site registration will take place from 7:30 
a.m. to 8:30 a.m. on the date of each symposium.

Travel and Lodging Information

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

Parking and Security Procedures for Riverdale Symposium

    Please note that a fee of $2.25 is required to enter the parking 
lot at the USDA Center at Riverside. The machine accepts $1 bills or 
quarters.
    Picture identification is required to be admitted into the 
building. Upon entering the building, visitors should inform security 
personnel that they are attending the Big Cat symposium.

    Done in Washington, DC, this 17th day of September 2004.
Kevin Shea,
Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.
 [FR Doc. E4-2343 Filed 9-22-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-34-P