'Skeleton' Tigers Forced To Perform For Shocked Audience

[BainsBane]

Truly horrific. See pictures at the link.

Thousands of people flooded to the Missouri State Fair this week to get a glimpse of one of the main attractions: a group of performing tigers. They were shocked by what they saw.

Photos show tigers who appear severely emaciated, with prominent spines and hip bones. Some fair visitors have said that the cats also appeared lethargic, or even drugged. One described them as "skeletons."

"I stare at tiger pictures all day long and a lot of them are in bad situations," Susan Bass, public relations rep for the Florida-based Big Cat Rescue, told The Dodo. "[But] it's been awhile since I've seen animals in such bad shape."

Julie Hanan, of the Minnesota-based Wildcat Sanctuary, told The Dodo that her group has been flooded with "desperate pleas" from people who've visited the fair and were shocked by the state of the animals.

Abbie Knudsen, a biologist with Missouri's National Tiger Sanctuary, has heard similar concerns from the public. "I have heard tons of accounts from people that have seen the animals, and visited the animals firsthand, that they do not look in good body condition," she said.

https://www.thedodo.com/emaciated-tigers-missouri-state-fair-1304464785.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[shenmue]

1. Not cool!

[Mnemosyne]

2. Sometimes I could hurt someone, never have, but people like these pull me a bit out of

my pacifist zone.

Heinous...

[IVoteDFL]

3. The handler clearly has had enough to eat

here's to hoping the Tiger feasts on him after a show.

[RKP5637]

4. "Missouri State Fair said that the tigers were being regularly inspected, implying that the animals

were in satisfactory condition:"

BULLSHIT!!!

[LiberalElite]

12. Maybe more accurate to say the inspectors were regularly paid off -

but what do I know?

[AuntPatsy]

14. Seems more likely, horrifying

[4lbs]

13. "Are they still alive?" "Yes." "Well, then, they are in satisfactory condition." nt

[City Lights]

5. Ugh, this makes me sick. nt

[hifiguy]

6. That is just heartrending.

Why weren't these asswipes arrested on the spot and the tigers turned over to a wildlife sanctuary?

[Live and Learn]

7. Inexcusable! nt

[secondwind]

8. I did not look at the pictures.. but I can only imagine............. :-(

[SunSeeker]

9. K & R for exposure. nt

[Omaha Steve]

10. WTF?

Where is the oversight?

K&R!

OS

[ryan_cats]

11. I wish that cougar had gotten his meal from that guy who dragged him

I wish that cougar had gotten his meal from that guy who dragged him.
Did they not take into account how many pounds of meat a big cat needs a day?

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. ugh. please help these animals

[BlancheSplanchnik]

16. So IS ANYONE GOING TO DO SOMETHING????

These "Oh My God, it's terrible" articles, and press reports featuring quotes from horrified citizens amount to jack shit if no one there DID anything.

[BainsBane]

18. I guess it depends if it's actually illegal

The horrible thing is that it might not be.

I would think animal cruelty statutes would apply, but that would require a local Missouri official stepping in.

[BlancheSplanchnik]

20. So, did anyone call a Missouri state official?

Or did they just stand around and pray for God to do something?

[ismnotwasm]

17. Good God

What the hell is a matter with those people?

[BainsBane]

19. I think this is worse than the trophy hunters

at least the animals don't suffer for years on end as they do in these conditions.