Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, 1953
(Photo credit: Chris Poole, Big Cat Rescue’s one-man film crew)
Name: Sasha(front), Joseph (rear)
Species: African Lion
Sex: Female and Male
Origin: Pay to Play Scheme
Background: Joseph and Sasha came along with two other tigers from a woman who kept the four in her back yard and essentially charged the public to come in and pose with them, “play” with them, and harass them day to day. The cats would be chained to the ground, and all were declawed as well as defanged(removal of canines) in order to make them more “manageable.” Though there were multiple reports still of attacks on visitors. Curiously enough, Joseph was only declawed and kept his teeth. Sasha is no longer able to keep her tongue in her mouth most of the time without her canines, and Joseph actually mimics her in this even though he has all his teeth. We like to think he does it make her feel better!
The woman who owned them had her license to operate the “tiger-training” camp pulled, but continued to charge people to come in and see her animals. It wasn’t until she lost rights to her property that the animals were able to be seized.
Unfortunately these sorts of schemes are quite prevalent, and are advertised as serving conservation purposes and insisting the animals are “tame” and safe. There have been cases, however, of the animals snapping and killing guests even though they may be altered in such ways that these cats were. Cub petting is also a huge issue, where lion or tiger cubs are brought to fairs, malls, and other events for civilians to pose with and have their pictures taken. Often these cubs are as young as a few days, pulled from their mothers in breeding facilities, where they are still incredibly vulnerable to illness. Many become sick and die incredibly young. At this young an age they need large amounts of sleep like any other animal, but they are kept awake to entertain paying customers, and the flashes from cameras can blind them. In some states the law states they are only legal to be used from 4-8 weeks, after which they are abandoned or kept in small cages the rest of their lives. Other states post a weight limit, in which case the cats are underfed to keep them as skinny as possible for as long as possible, which can lead to growth defects and permanent health issues if the cat even survives to adulthood. Money from these schemes go directly into the pockets of the handlers and breeders to keep supplying a steady flow of cubs to the industry, even though they state that the money goes to the conservation of these animals in the wild.
Posing with any exotic cats is not humane, and perpetuates an industry known for rampant animal abuse.
