10-27-08

 

Citizen Concern about the White Tiger exhibit by Zoo Dynamics (out of Texas) at the Neewollah event in Independence, KS in October, 2008

 

On Saturday, October 25^th, 2008, while walking around downtown during Neewollah with my husband, we noticed signs that said “White Tigers” and had arrows to show where they were located. We went to the area only to see an exhibit set up in the middle of a crowded street behind a bright orange tarp. I heard one young lady come out saying…”Wow, we got sooo close. I got to feed them.” She added that she got her picture taken feeding them.

 

I was shocked. I knew that there were laws against public contact with exotic animals in Kansas since Governor Kathleen Sebelius signed SB 578 into law on April 17^th, 2006. This law is very clear that there is to be “no public contact”. There are portions of this law that are specific to size and strength of cages, and outer safety barriers that are not to be reached through or gone around to get closer to the caged animal. These are specifically to prevent public contact thus further preventing a tragic accident of someone getting hurt or killed.

 

There are also sections of this law addressing having a microchip inserted in the animal for tracking purposes should one escape. This is to expedite relocating the animal. Other sections pertain to having a plan of action, should an escape or attack occur. Senator Umbarger was very instrumental in helping get this law into the legislative process after the death of our daughter Haley Hilderbrand…so that this could not happen again.

 

Needless to say, I paid $3.00 to get a closer look at what exactly was happening beyond the orange tarps. I asked about taking pictures and was told I could take all I wanted. I was very nervous to go in there, uncertain of what I would see, but knowing at the same time, I had an obligation and duty to find out. I have pictures showing close public contact, the poor cage and flimsy outer barrier.

 

There were two large, white tigers in a cage. One of them was lying down, squinting in the bright sun. The other was pacing back and forth. I was not unable to tell if this cage enclosure had a bottom; nor, how it was secured. I do know that the front outer barrier was only about 3, possibly 4 feet from the actual cage that the tigers were housed in. It was only about 3 feet tall. I do not believe this is what it should be, according to the law. The whole time I was in there, children and adults were leaning on and putting their legs through the outer barrier. It was flimsy and movable and could have easily been knocked over.

 

There was a lady with two little girls, about 6 to 8 years old. They were escorted to the West end of the cage. There, the outer barrier was barely one foot from the cage. The little girls were allowed to hold tongs that had a piece of (what looked like chicken) meat and reach over or through the outer barrier to reach into the cage to feed the tiger. And, no one was paying attention.

 

I was appalled….No one was paying attention…As the girls each reached sort of behind themselves, not looking where they were reaching the “handler” was looking through the camera to take the picture and the mother was also taking pictures…No one was paying attention to how far either child reached or “where” they were reaching for that matter.

At one point, the hungry tiger had his teeth around a couple of sections of the wire cage and his paw up there as well…and again, NO ONE WAS PAYING ATTENTION!

 

If the tiger had gotten a good grip on the tongs, or the girl reached a little too far…it would have been too late for the “handler” or the mom to react. These girls were small enough that most if not all of their arm would have been in the tigers’ mouth before anyone would have even known how it happened.

 

As addressed in an email from Mr. Ken Lockwood (a man very experienced with the care and exhibiting laws pertaining to big cats) “you can do this a thousand times and not have a problem, but the thousandth and one, it can happen.” Additionally, he says that there is NO NEED FOR PUBLIC CONTACT to teach the about big cats.

 

This particular tiger was pacing back and forth the whole time I was in there; which was approximately 20 minutes. I have seen on several web sites that teach about big cats that pacing is a sign of distress and anxiety for a tiger. He was also, I am sure, frustrated with the minimal, sporadic feeding he was getting.

 

My husband Randy and I went to inform the Independence Chief of Police, Ken Parker. Mr. Parker stated, “It’s a Neewollah thing.” We informed him about the Law. He basically said the same thing. He wasn’t going to do anything about it. We then called the Montgomery County Sheriff’s office. We were told an officer would call us back.

 

We saw a couple of police officers from Coffeyville, Mr. Vargas and Mr. Parker. We spoke to Mr. Vargas who told us to keep going up with the complaint (above the Independence Chief of Police)…That he could do nothing; it was out of his jurisdiction since he was from out of town. The Coffeyville officers were here during Neewollah to help keep law and order with the larger crowd.  Is that the same response given if someone was being robbed!

 

After two hours, we called back to the Sheriffs’ office. They had Deputy Payne speak to us. He checked into our concern and said that the Independence City Attorney, Mr. Jeff Gettler, approved the exhibit. There wasn’t anything he could do about it. We told him about the laws in Kansas as well.

 

Not one of these gentlemen we spoke to knew anything about this law. Looks like they took the word of Zoo Dynamics representative (and I believe, owner) Marcus Cook, who has quite a questionable reputation at best. Even after we got a copy of the law and showed them, they did not seem interested in doing anything or looking into it any further. The law does state that “local law enforcement has authority…” None of the local law enforcement seemed interested in the LAW.

 

Somewhere along the line, we were told that this exhibit was approved or licensed. By whom? There were no licenses visibly posted so the public could see them (this is required by law).  We were told this exhibit was part of a carnival or road show and was exempt from the law. No circus or carnival permit was visible either…Neither of these licenses or permits would allow public contact.

 

Well, as a concerned citizen, this only made my concerns greater…This is the biggest PASSING THE BUCK I have ever seen…..BOTTOM LINE….There is to be NO PUBLIC CONTACT… NO EXHIBIT is EXEMPT FROM that part of the law. If I understand anything about the law…especially as I followed this law taking effect, the STRICTEST LAW is what must be upheld…whether Federal, State or Local

 

PUBLIC WAS ALLOWED CONTACT BY FEEDING THE TIGERS

THERE WAS NOT ADEQUATE SECURE OUTER BARRIER

PUBLIC WAS ALLOWED PAST THE OUTER BARRIER

 

This terrifies me…the public is lead to believe that this type thing is SAFE…It is NOT.

 

I want to see this investigated. By all of these public service departments….Please do not pass the buck again…Mr. Gettler stated in an email to me that the Neewollah Board of Directors would have no further response because Neewollah is over and the exhibit is gone. Just because Neewollah is over does not mean the responsibility to shut down an illegal exhibit is…An exhibit he and the Neewollah Board of Directors allowed to be here…without knowing the laws that pertain to such an exhibit.

 

So, you didn’t know the law…Look it up, learn it and make sure it is upheld and not taken for granted again. I believe if you want to protect the reputation of Neewollah, it is the civic duty of each board member to look into this…Next time, it could be tragic.

 

This law of the State of Kansas is not the only entity governing what is allowed. There is the USDA, Wildlife and Parks, the Animal Welfare Act, the American Zoological Association. All of these have rules, regulations and guidelines; none of these is above state or local laws.

 

I understand that this group, Zoo Dynamics, call themselves a carnival or road show. Even these are not to allow public contact. Even these are to have proper cages and outer barriers in place so the public cannot get to the cage where the animals are housed.

 

As was suggested by Ms. Ann Crow, the President of Neewollah Board of Directors, perhaps she should have gone to see this White Tiger exhibit to see how close the public actually got. Perhaps she should have checkout the company Zoo Dynamics to see their reputation of name changes, animal attacks on the public and inhumane treatment of their animals.

 

I would like to see Zoo Dynamics license or permits to be a carnival or road show or whatever they call themselves now. I would like to see the license for the “handler(s)”. I believe this was offered by Mr.Gettler and Ms. Crow. I will  make my fax number available.

 

There was near bragging in an email about how classy and legal the exhibits for Neewollah are. I do not believe that in the least. Not when something like this can occur a mere county away from where a young girl was killed by a tiger and where, as a result of that tragedy, there are laws in place that are not supposed to allow this.

 

Does Independence want Neewollah shut down because someone is attacked by a tiger!

 

Did the person(s) who approved this exhibit even look at the law pertaining to this? Did they actually see a license? Do they know they are to be USDA approved? Do you know the limits of USDA approval or license? Do you understand that even a license does not put an exhibitor above the law? These are questions that should get an answer.

 

Had the exhibit been checked out as suggested in emails from Neewollah President of the Board of Directors, Anne they would have seen for themselves that the public was allowed to be too close to these dangerous, wild animals.

 

Also suggested in an email from Marty Reichenberger, 2008 Generalissimo of Neewollah, that efforts be directed at a level where “something can actually be done”. That is exactly the intention of this letter of concern. As you can see, this letter is being sent to several groups who all have the ability to do something about this.

 

The problem is not the so called carnival…These type groups know the law, too and they know most folks don’t, so they find a way to worm around to get past the law. My hope is that those who do have the “ability to do something” about this will…

 

These laws are not to prevent big cats from being shown but to make sure they are shown regarding the safety of the animal and for the PROTECTION of the PUBLIC in the process.

 

This letter is not to prevent big cats from being show either, but to ensure it is done safely within the law. It is to shut down the ignorance of so many who profess to uphold the law, yet when it is right under their noses, refuse to do just that. And to make all aware that there are groups like Zoo Dynamics out there who seem to have all the “permits” and “licenses”, but that is not enough to ensure that they follow the law.

 

Thank you each and every one for taking the time to hear my concerns for the citizens of Montgomery County, Kansas, the United States and the whole world for that matter… I give permission for anyone who this letter reaches to pass it on to whomever they know who is involved with laws supporting protection of big cats and the public who wish to view them safely to PASS THIS ON…

 

Kindly,

 

Laura Hilderbrand

307 E. 10^th Street

Coffeyville, KS 67337

620-251-9258

laudylu@hotmail.com

 

CC:

Honorable Governor of the State of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius

US Senator Sam Brownback

US Senator Pat Roberts

US Representative Todd Tiahart

Senator Dwayne Umbarger

Representative Virgil Peck

US Department of Agriculture

Animal Welfare Association

International Fund for Animal Welfare

Ken Parker,  Independence Chief of Police

Stan Veach, Montgomery County Sheriff

Jeff Gettler, Independence City Attorney

Ann Crow, President of the Board of Directors for Neewollah, Inc

Marty Reichenberger, 2008 Generalissimo of Neewollah, Inc