Why do we, as humans, have the right to determine the fate of the innocent animals that roam this earth? I have asked myself this question, over and over again, since the brutal death of the Bengal tiger, that was found roaming loose in Jackson Township, New Jersey two weeks ago.

No, I am not a Vegen, nor am I one that pickets in front of cosmetic and pharmaceutical labs. I am a resident of Monmouth County, and the owner of three dogs. I do not raise tigers, nor have I ever experienced the ultimate fear and surprise of discovering one in my backyard.

On January 27,1999, I listened intently to the television and radio. As time passed, my concern for the safety and well being of the Jackson community was heightened. However, I am an optimist and had tremendous faith in our men in blue, and their team of "skilled" veterinarians, who promise to do their best to protect to the lives of both man and beast.

Is that what that was? That petrified and confused "wild" animal was lost, and remained unharmed for eight hours, until the Department of Fish and Game (the same organization that license humans to hunt down and kill the innocent) decided that yet another one of our defenseless should be destroyed. We are told that they did everything they could to take the tiger out alive. Tranquilizing the tiger was of course the first humane method, providing they actually hit the tiger. Who would have thought that this team of skilled "professionals," didn't have the slightest idea of how that should be done. I do understand the limited experience that the local veterinarians have with such a large breed of animal. What I don't understand, is how even with Great Adventures intervention, their attempts still failed. He wasn't bionic. He was a living, breathing mammal that pumped red blood. What was so hard about that? All of the professionals "handling" the situation want us to believe that they needed to hit the tiger broadside, but every time they attempted to, the tiger turned around. Didn't anyone tell them, that the tiger had two sides? Why then, wasn't there another person, or persons, on the other side of the tiger, attempting to shoot the tranquilizers from that side, when he turned around?

The newspapers, which so often report the news inaccurately, wrote that once the tiger was visible, he remained in site until his death. He was not running wild, and was pacing back and forth sporadically. If this is true, doesn't it seem that there was a window of opportunity for an alternate method? Obviously, they all had had enough of their own gross, lack of knowledge and expertise, and just wanted to go home. Unfortunately, so did the tiger.

It seems to me, that if Jackson Township is going to host lions and tigers and bears, either through Great Adventure, or private citizens, then they should be responsible enough to have "humane" plans in place, to prevent atrocities such as this from ever happening again.

And to all of you who reside at "The Preserve" development, adjacent to Byron-Marasek's tiger compound, who are angry because you "Didn't have a clue that there were tigers living next door" (hard to believe), didn't you ever wonder where the name of your development came from? Would you have wondered if it had been called, "The Toxic Waste Dump?" I think so!

February 1999