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

PETA Says That History of Filthy Cages and Lack of Veterinary Care Are Why Families Should Stay Away From UniverSoul

For Immediate Release:
April 16, 2018

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

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

When:    Tuesday, April 17, 12 noon sharp

Where:    At the intersection of Santee Avenue and Harden Street, near the Hootie and the Blowfish monument, Columbia

“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 along with CompassionWorks International will also hold a spirited protest outside the circus’s performance on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Charlie W. Johnson Stadium near Two Notch Road and Read Street, near the box office.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.