• Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us
Big Cat Rescue
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
  • Get Involved
  • Cub Facts
  • The Sanctuary Cats
  • FAQs
  • Contact Us
  • Shop
  • Videos
  • Donate
No Result
View All Result
Big Cat Rescue
No Result
View All Result
Home News World

Exhibit featuring baby tigers, lion draws criticism

Carole by BCR
January 30, 2016
in News World
0 0
0
0
SHARES
145
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

Saturday, September 9, 2006

By ELAINE HOPKINS

of the Journal Star

PEORIA – While spectators watched cute, young tigers roll and play in temporary cages at The Shoppes at Grand Prairie on Friday, their owner, Jamie Palazzo, explained that the exhibit educates people about the creatures.
Displaying the 14 tigers and one baby lion, ranging in age from four weeks to 11 months, does not send a mixed message to onlookers, she said.

“This is the main point of our show, why they don’t make good pets,” Palazzo said.

Palazzo’s exhibit, Great Cat Adventures, opened on Wednesday at the shopping center and closes Sunday. Spectators are asked for donations to “feed the tigers,” and can buy a souvenir or pay a fee to have their photo taken near the animals.

A Peoria ordinance prohibits them from touching the little cats.

Kitty Yanko, education director of the Peoria Humane Society, on Friday sent a letter to The Shoppes opposing the exhibit.

This type of display “teaches our children that it is acceptable to exploit wild animals for personal gain and that meeting (their) needs is secondary to profiting from them,” she wrote.

“The cute, cuddly cubs on display today will in a short time be large, hard to control adult(s). Where will they go at that point?” There are not enough accredited sanctuaries to house the “large numbers of cubs touring the country,” she continued.

Palazzo said the young tigers are not bred to be in an exhibit, and instead are rescued from abusive homes. The seven 4-week-old tigers came from adults rescued in Indiana that turned out to be pregnant, she said.

But Lisa Wathne, captive exotic animal specialist for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said whether Palazzo is breeding the animals is irrelevant.

“As long as someone exploits them, someone will produce them,” she said.

Cathy Asbury, marketing manager for the Shoppes, said Great Cat Adventures contacted the mall and asked for space. “When I heard it was for the preservation of these animals through education and entertainment, I thought it would be great,” she said.

Palazzo said the mall space is free. Her refuge is in Amarillo, Texas, she said, where there are “30 (big cats) back home.”

But a brochure states the refuge, with “more than 65 big cats” is in Halton City, Texas, near Fort Worth, three hours away from Amarillo.

Tammy Hawley of the Humane Society of North Texas said she had never heard of any refuge in Halton City.

Palazzo said she travels the country with the tigers in a 48-foot trailer and will next appear in Oklahoma City.

Her organization is not a not-for-profit, she said. “It’s too hard to beg and plead when we knew we could make money doing this,” she said.

Tammi Happach, 19, of Peoria paid $10 to have her photo taken near a young tiger. “They’re so cute. I want one,” she said. The animals are not being exploited if they’ve been rescued, she added.

“I’m suspicious of it,” a spectator, Dorothy McKinley of East Peoria, said of the exhibit.

Elaine Hopkins can be reached at 686-3247 or ehopkins@pjstar.com


Tags: News World
Previous Post

State Attorney to decide tiger keeper’s fate

Next Post

Zoos targets for exotic animal thieves

Next Post

Zoos targets for exotic animal thieves

Leave a Reply

  • Default Comments (0)
  • Facebook Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Help Feed Big Cats

One of the best ways to help is through general donations that can be used however it is most needed at the time.To make a general donation just click the Donate Now button below.  This is the best way to give as it has the lowest credit card processing fees and is immediate help for the cats.

Give to Big Cat Rescue

If you prefer to donate via Pay Pal, please use this link: Pay Pal

Recent Articles

  • State Laws Exotic Cats August 8, 2022
  • Sweet vacation! Aria tiger at Big Cat Rescue July 29, 2022
  • Wraaah! I iz in the outside! Kekoa rehab bobcat at Big Cat Rescue July 29, 2022

Recent Comments

  • Carole on What is a Tigon?
  • Zygmuś Solorz Żak on What is a Tigon?
  • Lacey on Savannah Cats and Bengal Cats Make Bad Pets
  • James Michael Walter on Ocelot Facts
  • Renee on Pallas Cat Facts

Save Big Cats

Donate to Big Cat Rescue

Sanctuary Cats

  • Jaguars
  • Leopards
  • Lions
  • Tigers
  • Bobcats
  • Canada Lynx
  • Cougars
  • Ocelots
  • Savannah Cats
  • Servals

More from Big Cats

  • Big Cat Rescue is Live 24/7 on Webcams
  • Rescue Missions
  • About Big Cat Rescue
  • Big Cat Rescue News
  • Reviews
  • Our Recent Work
  • Sanctuary FAQs
  • Big Cat TV
State Laws for Big Cat Ownership

State Laws Exotic Cats

August 8, 2022
Sweet vacation! Aria tiger at Big Cat Rescue

Sweet vacation! Aria tiger at Big Cat Rescue

July 29, 2022
Wraaah! I iz in the outside! Kekoa rehab bobcat at Big Cat Rescue

Wraaah! I iz in the outside! Kekoa rehab bobcat at Big Cat Rescue

July 29, 2022
  • Donate Now
  • Volunteer
  • Contact Us

© Copyright 2022 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • 2018 Appeal
  • About BCR
  • About our Cookies
  • Account
  • BCR in the Media
  • Big Cat NFTS
  • Big Cat Rescue Caring for Cats and Ending the Trade
  • Big Cat Rescuers
  • Big Cat Times
  • Blog
  • Board of Directors
  • Browse Submissions
  • Connections
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Credentials
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Donate Crypto
  • Embed Link
  • Followers
  • Following
  • GET THE REAL TRUTH ABOUT CUB PETTING
  • Global Big Cat News
  • Intern Program
  • Join Us
    • Registration
  • Kids
  • Latest from Big Cat Rescue
  • Licensing
  • Login
  • Login
  • Logout
  • Logout
  • Malaya Bobcat
  • Map
  • Map of Big Cat Owners
  • Member Directory
  • Members
  • My Profile
    • Edit Profile
  • Netflix
  • News about Big Cats
  • News Gallery
  • News@BCR
  • Our Live Feeds
  • Password Reset
  • PressRoom
  • Privacy Policy
  • Register
  • Register
  • Register
    • Edit Your Profile
    • Update Billing Card
    • Welcome
    • Your Membership
  • Rescues
  • Search result
  • Series Archive – Default header
  • Shop
  • SnowLeopard
  • Social Stream
  • Staff
  • Submission Confirmed
  • Teachers
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Terms of Use
  • User
  • USFWS
  • Vets
  • Videos archive
  • Get Involved
    • Automatic
    • Sponsorships
    • Volunteer
      • AdvoCats
      • Click to Feed
      • Intern
    • Legacy
    • Roar! Speak Out for Big Cats
    • Ink
  • Finances
  • How We Started
  • Abuse Issues
    • Issues
      • Exhibitions
      • Private Ownership of Big Cats
      • Zoos
      • White Tigers
      • Circus
      • Fur
      • Trophy Hunting
      • Canned Hunting
      • Why Regulations Don’t Work
  • Our Evolution
  • Photos & Facts
  • Videos
  • Our Volunteers
  • Your Privacy
  • Donate
  • Site Map
  • Field Trips

© Copyright 2022 BigCatRescue.Org. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist