Navy Pier shuts down royal white tigers by John Kass/Chicago Tribune

Royal white tiger Gita was on display in the Crystal Gardens at Navy… (José M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune)

January 24, 2012|John Kass

Navy Pier abruptly closed its popular "royal white tigers" — featuring Gita and her cubs — after I showed up Tuesday asking about an interesting fact:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is revoking the white tiger owner’s exhibition license for health and safety violations, including allegedly posing a danger to children.

The tiger show began Jan. 13 and was to run through Feb. 12. Navy Pier officials said they paid $27,000 to the company and had sold $16,500 in tickets so far.

According to court documents, the USDA found that Marcus Cook‘s company ZooCats Inc. "willfully violated" the Animal Welfare Act. The USDA has been hunting Cook for years now, alleging a long history of infractions.

"There is evidence that ZooCats trainers did not handle the animals properly, at times, using physical abuse with a cattle prod to train, work or control an animal during an exhibition," USDA spokesman Dave Sacks told us.

"They failed to provide a proper diet, treat animal illness and injury, and did not keep proper facilities. … The USDA has revoked ZooCats’ animal exhibition license," Sacks said.

Officials also said the trainers let spectators at previous exhibitions get too close to the tigers — though not at Navy Pier.

All Navy Pier had to do was put Cook’s name into Google. But apparently no one did, and now nobody wants to own up to the white tiger idea. I figured it was some Chicago political appointee who missed Las Vegas and the old Siegfried & Roy tiger shows that came to a rather abrupt end in 2003, particularly for Roy.

Cook denied the USDA’s claims. He blamed USDA bureaucrats, particularly a higher-up, Sarah L. Conant. Cook claimed she’s an animal rights activist with a political agenda aimed at eliminating all traveling zoos, exhibitors and other such entertainments from the American landscape.

USDA officials would not make Conant available for comment, but added that the agency has no political agenda but merely follows the law.

"You’ve got some bureaucrats who want us gone," Cook told me. "They’re activists with agendas working for the USDA. We treat the animals well. We don’t use cattle prods. We don’t put children in danger. But these animal rights types don’t want exhibitors around. You watch. Soon they’ll tell you that you shouldn’t have a dog because it’s unkind to ‘own’ one."

My own opinion? Actually, I like the tigers. I like zoos, and I like smaller exhibitions like this one. But then, I’ve always been drawn to such things. I won’t abide cruelty. But like many of you, I’m fascinated by critters.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-24/news/ct-met-kass-0125-20120125_1_tigers-animal-rights-usda

 

I was happy to find this article by John Kass (Chicago Tribune), as I had searched the Navy Pier website to find nothing.  I knew the ROYAL WHITE TIGERS exhibit was ending this Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012 and wanted to get all the  details and see them. Sadly, I missed my chance. I feel as John does, I like smaller exhibitions and if the cruelty issue is true, I would be upset and not abide it either. But WHO REALLY KNOWS, it IS another he said she said  situation.  Is it activists run amok on yet another "witch hunt"? OR are the ZooCats trainers and Marcus Cook in the right?

Thanks to John Kass for letting the public know!

 

 

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