WASHINGTON - The Humane Society of the United States today expressed profound sadness following the death of 17-year-old Haley Hilderbrand, who was killed by a tiger at a U.S. Department of Agriculture-licensed wildlife facility in Kansas yesterday.
"This is a horrible tragedy that should not have happened and The Humane Society of the United States expresses our condolences to Ms. Hilderbrand's family and friends," said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. "No responsible animal handler should put dangerous animals and people together. We urge the U.S. Department of Agriculture and state officials to investigate and take appropriate action to ensure that this does not happen again to another child."
The Siberian tiger who killed Hilderbrand was housed at the Lost Creek Animal Sanctuary Foundation and Animal Entertainment Productions located outside Mound Valley, Kan. According to the group's web site, they house 23 tigers, leopards, lions and bears. The sanctuary's entertainment division trains wild animals for stage performances, movie, television, print and magic shows, the web site indicates. Pacelle said that USDA needs to strictly enforce its own 2004 policy that expressly forbids the public from interacting directly with big cats.
"People are naturally fascinated by these wild and dangerous creatures, but that doesn't mean they should have direct access to these powerful and unpredictable animals," said Pacelle. "A spate of recent attacks demonstrates that these animals pose a threat to public safety and should only be handled by highly trained professionals in controlled environments at accredited zoos."
Congress unanimously passed the Captive Wildlife Safety Act in December 2003. The law prohibits interstate shipments of dangerous large cats for the pet trade. Nearly two years after President Bush signed the bill into law, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service still has not implemented regulations to enforce the law. Pacelle said that enforcement of this existing law combined with strong state laws prohibiting private ownership of dangerous animals can help to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Pacelle also points out that while this facility was licensed and inspected by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, residents of Kansas are allowed to keep exotic big cats as pets. Two dozen states have strict rules and prohibitions on keeping dangerous wild animals as pets. Many of these restrictions have been enacted in recent years in response to an increase in the number of people seriously injured and killed by these animals.
"If people are not safe from tigers in licensed facilities with trained handlers, they're certainly not safe when their neighbor might have a big cat in their home, backyard, or basement," said Pacelle.
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization representing more than 9 million members and constituents. The non-profit organization is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals and equine protection, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, animals in research and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy, and field work. The group is based in Washington and has numerous field representatives across the country. On the web at www.hsus.org.
