45. = @ 
help many animals ; for instance, the leopard and the cheetah are not 
on the endangered list. The Javan rhinoceros and the monkey-eating 
eagle from the Philippines are. It really will not affect the hunting 
industry or the commercial animal suppliers, whether for zoos or for 
pet shops. However, in the future it may be very, very useful. So we 
all thank you for sending us that letter. 
We are quite anxious to hear about the trapping expeditions. I am sure 
things are going along well, and I know that it takes time. But as I said 
in my previous letter I am sure that you will get action very soon, because 
Iam getting deeply enmeshed in the annual budget cycle. 
Thank you for the information on the supplier of animals to Van den 
Brink. I suspect that most of the European dealers buy from whomever 
they can without really asking very many questions, except if it is as 
cheap as they can possibly get it. 
The white tiger turned out to be not pregnant. Subsequent to the 
termination of the so-called false pregnancy she came into heat after 
120 days. This was instead of the pregnancy of 105 days. We did a big 
review on her heat cycle and find that she is cycling about every 12 to 15 
days. She is having most of her seasons in the fall, that is August to 
late November, with a shorter springtime period of heat. This all 
follows the natural pattern of the tigers in central India. Our main 
trouble, of course, is that the male is just too young. He has just barely 
turned five years old this past January. So we have been sending a boy 
out to do a man's work. He should get progressively more vigorous 
so we hope for a May or at the latest an August breeding with conception. 
been 
I guess I told you that Thelma the rhinoceros has/bred back and in 
due course of time we expect another rhino calf. Your second giraffe 
is pregnant. This will make the fourth calf sired by Michael-John and 
we will have to find a home for one of our calves because seven giraffes 
are just too much for our pens. 
We are beginning to see the first signs of spring here now. The 
crocuses are beginning to come up and I notice some of the weeping 
willow trees are turning the bright yellow-green, although today we have 
had about half an inch of snow. 
I had the opportunity to see the selection of pictures that the Geographic 
editor has culled from both my pictures and Nelson's. Nelson took some 
really good pictures, although I have not seen everything. Some day 
I'll have the opportunity to go through them and send you a bunch of 
pictures of Thelma and the children, as well as some of the tea parties 
we had in your back yard and pictures of you and Tony and Mike and 
Ellie. 
Best wishes to all of you, and keep us informed. 
Sincerely yours, 
TUR esa iris Theodore H. Reed, D.V.M. 
