Nude ‘Tiger’ to Roar in Protest on Circus’s Opening Day in Birmingham

What:    A PETA “tiger”—wearing little more than bodypaint—will be in Birmingham’s Five Points South  on Wednesday, the day ofUniverSoul Circus‘ opening-night performance, to urge passersby not to buy tickets to the circus while it’s in town.

 When:    Wednesday, April 11, 12 noon sharp 

Where:    At the intersection of Magnolia Ave. and 20^th St., Birmingham

“UniverSoul Circus denies tigers, elephants, and other animals everything that’s natural and important to them—just for a few fleeting minutes of human amusement,” says PETA Foundation Associate Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Rachel Mathews. “PETA is calling on everyone to refuse to buy tickets to any circus that still uses animals.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—notes that UniverSoul uses a tiger act in its shows that’s leased from Mitchel Kalmanson, who has been cited by the federal government for failing to provide animals with basic veterinary care,depriving them of the opportunity to exercise, and confining them to foul-smelling, maggot-infested trucks.

Ringling Bros. circus—citing the public’s changing attitude toward its use of animals as well as a decade of declining ticket sales—went out of business last May. 

PETA members will also hold a spirited protest outside the circus’s performance on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Legion Field near 5^th Ave. W. and Jasper Rd. W.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.