I am so happy to write this wonderful news today that Tony The Truck Stop Bengal tiger will soon win freedom from his caged life. We shared petitions for Tony’s cause time and again and felt helpless often but finally we hear some good news as animal welfare groups and animal activists worked together endlessly for a long time. Though we only waited…the most difficult this journey has been for Tony himself.
Tony spent a decade at the Tiger Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, Louisiana as a mere attraction for people amidst noise and pollution caused at the highway. He never had any female companion in all these years and was confined to a caged life without a pool of water or natural environment that is needed for a healthy life of any wildlife tiger.
Some 67,000 signatures were signed by Care2 members and over 10 petitions were carried out to help free Tony. Recently, the East Baton Rouge District Court granted the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s (ALDF) request for a permanent injunction that will prevent the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries from renewing the permit that allows the owner of the truck stop to display Tony.
Thus, after December 2011, ADLF will work with the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to find a better and more natural habitat for Tony.
I recall how we once had a discussion on our blog with a fellow reader who insisted he researched enough that Tony is being kept by a kind owner and that he spent a major chunk of his life in the cage so what is the use of that freedom now. He also question that the future home might be worse than this cage. Well, there were stories favoring the owner who was indeed influential and had many contacts that allowed him to display Tony in the first place, when it is abandoned to display tigers or such exotic animals in Louisiana completely. But justice is delivered finally.
Actually, it is very difficult to argue with people all the time when they cannot see the simple realities of life. Wildlife animals like Tony deserve freedom and healthy, natural lifestyle. Of course, tigers like Tony cannot be left in forests after leading a life of severe confinement now but he did not deserve to be caged for a good ten years. Cruelty does not only mean beating and burning animals. When we humans cannot live in a locked room for a day how can we accept a tiger to live like that? We have lived with the small cats for over 15 years and some of them simply love the fresh air and they make sure they get their freedom even it means sitting in our garden for 30 minutes. If small cats love their freedom so much, the so called truck owner was very unkind to Tony who could not see the very basic need of a cat…big or small…cats love their freedom. They hate to be caged!
I would like to thank all those who saw the petition of Tony on our blog and signed up. This was something that was very dear to us and we truly hoped for a better life of Tony.
