| Free the white tigers
Animals Are Not Actors
from People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
Roy Horn of the Siegfried & Roy nightclub act was attacked by a tiger
during a performance in Las Vegas in October. Horn was critically
injured while attempting to force the tiger to do a trick. The tiger bit
Horn on the right arm--at which point Horn tried to free himself by
beating the tiger on the head with a microphone--and then lunged at
Horn's neck and dragged him off the stage, where coworkers continued to
beat the tiger in an effort to get him to release his hold on Horn. The
animal was finally blasted with a fire extinguisher, which distracted
him from the attack. This tiger could easily have leaped off the stage
and attacked members of the audience.
Big cats used in performances present a danger to the public as well as
to trainers and handlers. It is not uncommon for frustrated captive
animals to lash out at their "jailers" and attempt to escape. Although
the Animal Welfare Act require exhibitors to ensure the animals' and the
public's safety and to keep dangerous animals under control, these
powerful and unpredictable animals often perform without any physical
barrier between them and the audience.
In recent years there have been a number of incidents involving big
cats. People have suffered death, loss of limbs, and other injuries as a
result. This latest attack is just further evidence that no amount of
training or experience can stop a tiger from acting like a tiger. The
animals involved are victims, too--many big cats have been killed because
of these incidents.
The use of big cats in performances is inappropriate and harmful for the
animals. They are typically separated from their mothers before they are
weaned, abused during training, subjected to overwhelming noise and
confusion during performances, and forced to live in cramped, unnatural
environments. During and after attacks, these animals are often beaten
or even killed. Such displays and performances also perpetuate the
notion that dangerous and exotic animals are suitable "pets."
For more info see www.peta.org.
Please write letters to the following, urging a stop to the use of big
cats in performances: The Honorable Ann Veneman, Secretary of
Agriculture, US Dept of Agriculture, 14th and Independence Avenue SW,
Washington, DC 20250; Siegfried & Roy, c/o MGM Mirage, 3400 S. Las Vegas
Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109; Bill McBeath, President, MGM Mirage Hotel,
3400 S. Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109.
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