Protesters Call for Downtown (Houston) Aquarium's White Tigers to Be Put in a Sanctuary
Animal welfare groups are planning a protest in downtown Houston December 19 against what they say is the mistreatment of four white Bengal tigers at the Houston Aquarium.
"The tigers do not have adequate room to walk, run, hunt, or do anything they instinctively would do in the wild," Houston animal welfare advocates alleged in a press release. "These tigers are primarily confined to a concrete room where they lay all day. When not in their concrete holding cages they are on display to the public in yet another concrete cage."
Volunteers from the Florida-based Big Cat Sanctuary and California-based Animal Defenders International are taking part in the protest, according to the release. The groups want the tigers — which they say are the result of inbreeding and are not found in the wild — moved to a sanctuary. (The Texas Humane Legislation Network is not participating in the protest, but a spokesperson said the group supports the removal of the tigers "from their current situation."
In an email to the Houston Press, Matt Rossell of Animal Defenders International wrote:
http://www.houstonpress.com/news/protesters-call-for-downtown-aquariums-white-tigers-to-be-put-in-a-sanctuary-8006652