AR-News: (USA) SIEGFRIED & ROY - ON WOMEN AND TIGERS!!!

[molly]

>
> <<In an August 2000 Esquire feature, Roy was quoted as saying, "Women and
> tigers are exactly alike. They have the same temperament, emotions, and
> vulnerabilities. They must be spoken to softly--but it doesn't hurt to
carry
> a big stick just in case.">>
>
>  ----- Original Message ----- 
> > From: "info" <info at peta.org>
> > To: "Bonnie" <k9love at cox.net>
> > Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 6:15 PM
> > Subject: Roy Horn
>
> > Thank you for contacting us about the recent attack of Roy Horn by a
> > tiger.
> > Firstly, despite their claims to be in the vanguard of conservation,
> > Siegfried & Roy's tigers are not being bred for the sake of conservation
> > - white tigers are not endangered - they're not even considered a
> > species. All captive white tigers are inbred and many suffer from
> > serious congenital defects. The American Zoo and Aquarium Association's
> > Tiger Species Survival Plan condemns the breeding of white tigers
> > because it serves no conservation purpose. They are simply bred to bring
> > in money-spending curiosity seekers, ie Vegas tourists. While Siegfried
> > & Roy have always said great things about conservation (and done some
> > things too), their show runs totally contrary to the message. You know
> > that a bright loud stage is not an exotic animals' natural habitat.
> > What's more, their show is produced by Kenneth Feld - owner of Ringling
> > Bros, with a very, very long, horrible record of animal cruelty across
> > the country.
> > As is often the case in these incidents, this tiger was beaten by
> > stagehands and sprayed with a fire extinguisher, as have many big cats
> > (at least 54 have been killed because they've attacked someone or
> > escaped and posed a danger). These animals are not performers and simply
> > should not be put in harm's way, or allowed to pose a risk to the
> > public. Yesterday, we asked the USDA to ban all big cat acts due to the
> > threat to the public's safety. Also yesterday a fair in Texas closed
> > it's big cat exhibit over public saftey fears.
> > While Siegfried & Roy are not a traditional circus act, they absolutely
> > do make their tigers perform tricks on command that can only be
> > accomplished through dominance-style training. Walking on leashes, lying
> > down, sitting up, perching on pedestals--these are all circus tricks. In
> > the case of Siegfried & Roy, they are simply performing on a casino
> > stage instead of a circus ring. In an August 2000 Esquire feature, Roy
> > was quoted as saying, "Women and tigers are exactly alike. They have the
> > same temperament, emotions, and vulnerabilities. They must be spoken to
> > softly--but it doesn't hurt to carry a big stick just in case."
> > When not performing, these animals are stored in a totally artificial
> > environment in cramped cages. In last week's edition of Nature, they
> > reported on a study that was conducted by biologists from Oxford
> > University that concluded that tigers do so poorly in captivity that
> > zoos/exhibits should stop keeping them altogether. A typical zoo
> > enclosure is 18,000 times smaller than a tiger's natural roaming range.
> > It's jail, with no hope for parole, and they are deprived of all that is
> > natural to them.
> > Tigers are not the only animals mistreated by Siegfried & Roy. For their
> > solitary elephant Gildah, isolation is the bitter reality of daily life.
> > Gildah is deprived of a female elephant's most basic need, the
> > companionship of other elephants - animal behaviourists are mortified at
> > the situation. We have written to them about her pleading for them to
> > retire her to a sanctuary, but thy refuse. For them, she's yet another
> > circus curiosity whose own very natural needs, much like those you and I
> > have, are ignored so they can get on with the show.
> > Sincerely,
> > PETA Correspondent
>
>
>