Tiger Tails

Capturing wild animals and teaching or forcing them to perform amusing tricks is something that can prove to be deadly. I was absolutely amazed with the number of documented attacks where tigers have killed people. Of course if you happen to come across a tiger in the wild chances are he'll run you down for a meal. There are a few cases where tourists in places like Africa have been attacked by wild tigers. It is inevitable that locals living side by side with the tiger will also come across problems. The undeniable truth is, however, that a lot of tiger attacks occur with animals that are kept in captivity.

Take circuses for example. Numerous circus trainers have been mauled and even killed by animals they work around every day. They feed these animals, groom them for the shows, and take care of their physical well being, but they also make demands of the tigers that can sometimes prove to be just too much. Countless trainers have been killed during the circus acts in front of hundreds of spectators. Others have been killed due to carelessness, like leaving cages unlocked. Apart from the tiger trainers and handlers there are also many documented cases of tigers escaping their boundaries during shows and attacking people in the audience, and on a number of occasions killing little children. The question we have to ask ourselves is: Should we be keeping animals in these small dwellings, and forcing on them a strict learning regime so that they perform in the correct way for human entertainment? Imagine being locked up in the same cage day in and out, being whipped into performing, and doing something that is totally unnatural. This is what we enforce on tigers kept in a circus.

Like circuses, many tigers are kept in zoos, and although I have more tolerance for animals being kept in these environments, you still have to ask yourself: Why do so many attacks take place? Many times it's due to human stupidity. There are many known cases where zoo keepers and handlers have stuck their hands in the tiger cages to pat them and show the public how FRIENDLY they can be. These people have had their limbs ripped off. Generally, I don't have anything against zoos keeping wild animals, and I believe that they do a wonderful job in preserving endangered species through specialised breeding programs. Let's just remember that wild animals are wild animals, leave them alone as much as possible.

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