forcing tiger cubs to participate in Cub Incidents in encounters with the public, and caging them in substandard conditions—violated the ESA. The court also issued a permanent the U.S. injunction banning Dade City’s Wild Things and Kathy and Randy Stearns from ever owning or possessing tigers again and The following is a partial list of incidents ordered them to forfeit their tigers for involving cubs held captive by roadside placement in reputable sanctuaries. zoos and traveling zoos in the U.S. since 2000. Animals are repeatedly bred so November 13, 2019/Mooresville, North that these enterprises have a constant Carolina: The USDA cited Zootastic for supply of cubs available to earn money failing to handle a 6-month-old tiger named through “encounter” sessions and photo Sheldon as carefully as possible with opportunities in which people pay to minimal risk of harm to the animal and the hold and be photographed with the cubs. public while exhibiting at the Sheldon’s K9s Since cubs quickly grow to their adult Fall Festival on October 12, 2019. Video size, which can be as much as 700 footage from the event showed that the tiger pounds for a tiger and 1,000 pounds or remained lying on his or her side, panting more for bears, cubs can be used for and mostly unresponsive to external activity. photo opportunities only during their When stimulated, the tiger did not respond first few months of life, and they must be with normal feline behavior. This may have taken from their mother soon after birth been because of general exhaustion, heat in order to habituate them to humans. exhaustion, and/or sedation, and exhibiting Some cubs never make it to adulthood the tiger in this condition could harm the because of poor nutrition, illness, animal’s health and well-being. The tiger physical abuse, or neglect. As the cubs weighed approximately 50 pounds at the grow larger, they become too dangerous time and was restrained by a harness and to interact with the public. The older leash without sufficient physical barriers to cubs are replaced by younger ones and protect both the animal and the public. confined to cages or sent to roadside zoos. This cycle continually repeats April 15, 2019/Newberry, Michigan: A 2- itself and, in the case of tigers, year-old black bear named Sophie escaped exacerbates the U.S. tiger crisis: There from Oswald’s Bear Ranch during a power are far too many and not enough outage and was shot and killed by police responsible facilities to take them. after she approached an officer. Sophie was Contact PETA for documentation. raised around people at Oswald’s, where she was used for photo ops as a cub, and March 23, 2020/Dade City, Florida: The she had come to expect food and treats U.S. District Court for the Middle District of from them. Florida entered a final judgment in PETA’s favor in the Endangered Species Act (ESA) October 23, 2018: As a result of a lawsuit lawsuit filed in October 2016 against Dade that PETA filed against Rick Pelphrey, a City’s Wild Things and its principals, Kathy veterinarian who admitted to declawing Stearns and her son, Randy Stearns. The lions, tigers, and big-cat hybrids illegally at a judgment established that the defendants’ Charlestown, Indiana, roadside zoo named treatment of tigers—including prematurely Wildlife in Need, a federal court order set separating tiger cubs from their mothers, the precedent that declawing endangered {00224970} Tiger Cub Incidents in the United States and threatened big and exotic cats when not was “embarrassed” and didn’t want the medically necessary violates the team to see them. He said that the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Pelphrey procedure had taken place approximately had no specialized training to care for big two weeks earlier. He allowed the team to cats, and he declawed approximately 12 big inspect the cubs but refused to allow an cats without giving them any pain inspection of the room that they were kept medication over the previous three years at in. Wildlife in Need. See March 17, 2017. The USDA also cited Stark for failing to July 25, 2017/Washington County, provide the two 5- to 6-week-old tiger cubs Oregon: The USDA cited exhibitor Steven with adequate veterinary care. Their paws Higgs for transporting a 2-week-old tiger were significantly swollen, and the animals cub named Zarah. The cub had been were spotting blood and struggling to walk. transported by car from Oklahoma to The cubs had been brought out for the Oregon. The USDA previously determined inspection in a crate that was about 24 that neonatal cubs are unable to inches long by 18 inches wide. They had to thermoregulate and lack fully functioning be physically removed from it, and when immune systems. Higgs was previously persuaded to move, the orange cub would cited for transporting neonatal felids leave spots of blood from the front paws. (bobcats) on May 23, 2016. Higgs was also The white tiger cub was severely lame and cited for failing to have the acquisition dragging a hind limb. This cub consistently record for Zarah available. lay down and appeared to be suffering throughout the inspection. Stark was also June 7, 2017/Oroville, California: The cited for failing to list these cubs in his USDA cited the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife records—he had recorded only one cub’s Foundation for failing to provide a lion cub birth on February 10, 2017, instead of three. named Lucie who was severely lame, The inspector noted, “An orange and white uncomfortable, and unwilling to stand with tiger cub were deliberately left off of the adequate veterinary care. She was also records to provide false information to cited for a repeat violation for failing to inspectors, as the licensee had advised follow the diet plan correctly for this lion cub. during the inspection that the facility only She was giving the animal about 30 grams had 1 orange tiger born in 2017.” Stark of calcium gluconate daily, whereas the eventually admitted that he had hidden the dose needed was actually 100 grams daily. two cubs because he “did not want to get into trouble for the veterinarian’s mistakes.” March 17, 2017/Charlestown, Indiana: One of the cubs had a 50 percent chance of The USDA cited Wildlife in Need, Inc., for dying because of complications from the interfering with its officials by repeatedly procedure, according to the attending denying that there were any other cubs on veterinarian. the premises besides the two declawed lion cubs and one tiger cub the inspectors had February 15, 2017/Dade City, Florida: already observed. After he was presented The USDA issued a decision and order in with evidence that the inspection team knew response to the July 17, 2015, complaint about the animals, he finally admitted that that the agency had filed against Dade there were two other tiger cubs. He City’s Wild Things. The facility was admitted that he had lied to the inspection assessed a civil penalty of $21,000, issued team because the cubs had undergone a a 60-day license suspension, and ordered “botched” declaw procedure and that he to cease and desist violating the AWA, Tiger Cub Incidents in the United States including by allowing the public to swim with failing to have a park attendant present to tiger cubs. The order is stayed pending a monitor the animals and park visitors. ruling on Dade City’s Wild Things’ appeal. May 25, 2016/Kingwood, West Virginia: July 20, 2016/Oroville, California: The The USDA cited Hovatter’s Wildlife Zoo for USDA cited the Barry R. Kirshner Wildlife failing to feed 7-week-old lion cubs a Foundation for failing to handle a male lion nutritionally adequate diet. cub named Atlas properly. During a cub encounter, a member of the public held the May 19, 2016/Newberry, Michigan: A lion without a harness or leash. A gate into houseguest was scratched by a bear cub the facility that was approximately 130 feet from Oswald’s Bear Ranch. The cub was from the exhibition, was left open. According being cared for at the Oswalds’ private to the inspector, the lion cub was of residence when the incident occurred. The sufficient size and strength to harm a wound was treated after it became infected member of the public or escape. two days later. November 17, 2016/Troutman, North March 24, 2016/Myrtle Beach, South Carolina: The USDA issued Zootastic Park Carolina: The USDA cited T.I.G.E.R.S. of Lake Norman a penalty of $7,450 for nine (The Institute of Greatly Endangered and violations of the AWA, including for failing to Rare Species), aka “Myrtle Beach Safari,” provide adequate veterinary care to a tiger for failing to have a program of veterinary cub with significant swelling around her care that addressed a recurring problem at eyes, yellow ocular discharge, and patches the facility—two white tiger cubs exhibited of hair loss. ringworm-like lesions. The agency noted the need to address public-safety issues, July 8, 2016/Charlestown, Indiana: The including when the animals can have public USDA filed an Animal Welfare Act (AWA) contact. complaint against Stark and Wildlife in Need alleging over 110 willful violations of the March 2, 2016/Massillon, Ohio: The Ohio AWA since 2012, including exposing tiger Department of Agriculture issued an order cubs to rough and excessive handling placing roadside zoo Stump Hill Farm under during public encounters. quarantine while it conducted an investigation into the facility’s alleged illegal July 5, 2016/Troutman, North Carolina: possession of dangerous wild animals.