Tiger's Fate Debated

Two zoos fight for custody

The Sumatran tiger that was captured yesterday after escaping from airport customs may not end up at the San Gabriel Zoo, as previously reported. A roadside zoo near San Gabriel may, according to its owner, have a better facility for the tiger than the Zoo, which currently has no exhibit designed for tigers. Donald T. Wilson, owner of Don Wilson's Wildlife Wonderland, pressed his claim yesterday for the tiger, which is being held in the Zoo's animal health clinic while it undergoes quarantine and its fate is decided. "We've got the perfect home for that poor tiger," he said. "We've got a big area for him to run and play--and we've got a female tiger here too, so he won't get lonely. I don't see how the zoo can beat that, especially at taxpayers' expense!" "Give the tiger to my zoo," Wilson added, "and we'll have some cute cubs in no time flat. Give him to the Zoo and you may never see any cubs, with all their red tape and regulations about breeding." Wilson said that, unlike the city Zoo, he regularly takes his animals to schools and shopping malls. "I'm helping educate kids about these animals. The Zoo never lets their animals out of their cages." (A schedule of animal appearances, along with more information about Wildlife Wonderland, can be found on its Web site.)

This Sumatran tiger was captured yesterday after escaping from airport customs. Its fate is now being debated. However, Barry Grady, the Director of Powderkeg Zoo in Flint, Michigan, and coordinator of the Sumatran Tiger Species Survival Plan (SSP) for the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums (AZA), expressed some concern about Wilson's plan. "Tigers are solitary animals," he said in a telephone interview. "They don't like company so soon--especially that of a female, unless she's in estrus. This tiger just needs to settle down into his environment for a few months." Brady added that the proper place for the tiger was not a roadside tourist attraction but a zoo which had been accredited by the AZA. "In that way, we can continually monitor the health of this tiger through our accreditation process. This also ensures that the tiger will have proper medical care, and that it will have a balanced diet. Most importantly, it means this tiger can be used to further real conservation efforts to help educate the public about the tiger's plight in the wild."

What's the best home for the tiger?

Don Wilson's Wildlife Wonderland

San Gabriel Zoo