Captain Brad LaRose of the Essex Junction Police notified me today that the "Nerger Tiger & Lion" show will return to the Champlain Valley Fair this summer.
FACT: Juergen Nerger, the ring leader of this show, has a dismal history of violations of the Federal Animal Welfare Act, cited for keeping big cats in substandard cages, feeding them fly-infest meat, and separating the animals' cages from passers-by with a thin rope, inviting serious injury to anyone getting too close.
FACT: Circus acts that feature big cats and other wild animals like bears are condemned as inherently cruel and abusive by every major animal welfare organization, including the Humane Society of the United States and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
QUESTION: Are the Essex Police equipped to take down and contain an escaped tiger? These are predatory creatures weighing hundreds of pounds. They are not domestic animals and have no inborn instincts to entertain or "please an audience." Their natural inclination is to attack and hunt.
WHAT YOU CAN DO: Contact the Essex Select Board and ask them to prohibit shows that are cruel to animals and endanger public safety. Names and email addresses can be found beneath this blog posting.