Four white Bengal Tigers named Nero, Marina, Coral and Reef have been on display for 14 years in an indoor, public exhibit in the Landry’s owned Downtown Aquarium in Houston, Texas. The tigers have been at the center of a lawsuit claiming the tigers’ completely indoor conditions void of fresh air, ample natural sunlight and sufficient space to hide from the public, violates the Endangered Species Act and the Animal Welfare Act. The current habitat does not meet the updated AZA minimum standards for tiger care under their new Tiger Care Manual. The new guidelines require “a large, complex outdoor space, natural vegetation and substrate, and reduced exposure to concrete.” All of which the current aquarium tiger space lacks. Without dirt and grass, the concrete enclosure my cause injury to the big cats’ paws. The only sunlight available to the tigers is through small windows and skylights. The tigers’ “large pool” is hardly large enough for four humans to comfortably play in.
“It defies common sense,” says attorney Kristin Schlemmer.
Of the over 200 facilities accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, this location is one of only two enclosures in the US that does not allow for tigers to be outdoors. (The other one is Landry’s Denver Aquarium, also holding tigers.)
Tigers are naturally solitary and territorial creatures in the wild, so keeping them in close quarters with each other (and the public) can present stressful and agitating conditions. The enclosure’s square footage is too limited for all four tigers to reside in simultaneously. Despite receiving physical healthcare, their mental health may suffer. The tigers have been observed pacing, lunging and spraying towards the glass and onlookers of their enclosure. Constant flash photography and taunting from children (and adults) through the glass may stress out the tigers and leave them pacing at the exit to return to their metal, caged backrooms.
The Animal League Defense Fund has offered to rehome the tigers to an accredited sanctuary. Landry’s refuses and instead says they are working on building a multi-million-dollar outdoor expansion to the tiger habitat. Their current AZA accreditation expires in 2020.
Please join over 120,000 other concerned citizens who have already signed the petition at Change.org urging Landry’s to relocate the tigers to a wildlife sanctuary. Until the tigers are re-homed, please visit FREEHOUSTONTIGERS.com for more information.
http://www.freehoustontigers.com/
PETITION AT CHANGE.ORG https://www.change.org/p/landry-s-inc-free-the-tigers-at-houston-s-downtown-aquarium