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Tiger Queen in court: Over 10 tigers suffer in the commercial area!
A tamer from Leipzig is on trial for keeping ten tigers in inadequate conditions. The case raises questions about animal welfare.
Tiger Queen in court: Over 10 tigers suffer in the commercial area!
On the outskirts of Leipzig there is a sad reality for ten tigers who have to live in cramped conditions in an industrial area. The owner, Carmen Zander, once a well-known “Tiger Queen” in the circus, has now found herself in the crossfire of the public. As the Picture reports, the pandemic and the decline in circus performances have taken a toll on Zander. As a result, their income stopped, while the monthly costs for tiger food amount to over 1,000 euros.
Since 2022, Zander has no longer been allowed to display her animals commercially. Nevertheless, she organized three tiger shows at Easter, for which admission was 20 euros. She also offered her six young animals to pet on her website. The authorities are now demanding better housing conditions that cannot be offered in the current environment. Five tigers would actually require 500 square meters, but the area she has available is significantly smaller. This situation led to Zander being charged before the Eilenburg District Court with violating the ban on performing and the Nature Conservation Act.
Conflict in court
At trial, Zander largely admitted the allegations, but argued that her actions were out of necessity and not greed. “It’s not like I just do it like that,” said the 52-year-old. The judge temporarily stopped the proceedings against a monetary requirement, which at least gave Zander some breathing room.
Another sensitive topic is the tiger offspring. Zander explained that the tiger cubs were not bred intentionally, but rather came about as a result of “accidents” in the group. She also expressed her vehement opposition to euthanizing healthy tiger cubs - a practice common in other zoos. This shows the dilemma that is also known from the guidelines for keeping animals in circuses. After the legal guidelines Animals should be fed and housed appropriately. However, these requirements do not seem to be met in Zander's specific case.
Animal protection in the circus
The discussion about keeping circus animals is already a sensitive topic that often leads to emotional debates. Regulations stipulate that animals may only be kept in circuses if they live in conditions that are appropriate for their behavior. Since the tigers in the commercial area do not meet the required minimum requirements, the public outcry is understandable.
The situation clearly shows how difficult the situation can be for pet owners working in a dwindling industry. However, the welfare of the animals should always come first - and in this case there is still a lot to do to secure the needs of the tigers in Leipzig.