PETA to protest Siegfried & Roy's final show

When magical duo Siegfried & Roy perform their final show Saturday night in Las Vegas, PETA plans to be there to protest.

The pair haven't performed since Roy was mauled by a tiger in 2003; Saturday's performance is to be a comeback and a farewell.  The performance, to be held at Las Vegas' Bellagio Hotel , is slated to occur during a dinner called "Keep Memory Alive" for donors to the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute.

PETA members plan to gather outside the Bellagio holding signs that read "Retire the Tigers" and "Make Animal Acts Disappear," references to the performing animals the group says should be sent to a sanctuary after Siegfried & Roy's departure from the stage.

The group says performing big cats are routinely mistreated; kept in small, barren enclosures; and "denied everything that is natural and important to them." 

"Siegfried and Roy have made a fortune, and they owe it all to their exploitation of these tigers," PETA's Debbie Leahy said of the group's rationale for the protest. "The least that they can do is retire the animals to a sanctuary where they can live out their lives in peace and never be beaten, mistreated or caged again."

Do you agree with PETA that the big cats should be allowed to retire when their owners do?  Do you think it's cruel to make animals such as tigers perform in shows like Siegfried & Roy's?

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Lennox McClendon / Associated Press

Comments

[D]

As someone who has spent a lifetime taking care of and rescuing animals, I find PETA to be an embarrassment. While there are definitely many instances of animals being mistreated in this world, PETA seems to direct their efforts toward high profile targets in an effort to make themselves more well known. I have no respect for them at all. I used to donate to the organization, but I stopped several years ago.

I have spent a lot of time observing Siegfried & Roy's animals and the handlers that are charged with taking care of them. Their animals aren't mistreated. The relationship between the handlers and the animals is beautiful. Those cats are more at peace than most household pets I've had contact with.

In an ideal world, all animals could live in their natural habitat. There would be no poachers. Humans wouldn't destroy the natural environment in order to "make progress." But this isn't an ideal world.

PETA needs to turn their attention to legitimate cases of abuse - there are plenty out there. But, of course, those others probably won't have a lot of television cameras around.

[Maya]

The poachers should be the ones kept in cages. The animals should be free.

[Penelope]

This comes at a time when elephants will perform in England in a circus for the first time in years amist indignation by the public at large. Performing wild animals belongs to the ninteenth century when exploitation of anything considered exotic was the norm. I fully support PETA on this one!

[freedom for ALL]

I don't care how the tigers are treated by the handlers and caretakers.The only fact that matters is that keeping those tigers in captivity for the sole purpose of human entertainment is WRONG. They are dangerous animals who should not have interaction with humans. I think that is the only message PETA is trying to get across here, not that the animals are being abused in the traditional sense, but that keeping them in cages, denying them their natural habitats, IS, essentially abuse itself. Think about it.

[DW]

Like the USUS, PETA's main goal is to RAISE MONEY!
They could care less about the humane treatment of animals!

[David Jones]

Go Peta! Humans, leave the tigers alone. It's as simple as that.

[Texas]

I am so sick of PETA. They focus on animals but could care less about people. I am all for animals being treated fair, but they ARE NOT PEOPLE. You have to treat PEOPLE different than ANIMALS. It so sad to know how involved and how far PETA will go to protect these damn animals, there are people being abused just as well. Please wake up PETA.

[Tessa McKenna]

These tigers (and all who are forced to perform) need to be retired. It is cruel to use animals for entertainment; keeping tigersin a small, unnatural enclosures and forcing them to perform "tricks" for entertainment is barbaric. If Siegfried and Roy cared at all for these tigers they would get them to a sanctuary where these animals could live out their days on 50+ acres ... and should dedicate the millions they made off the backs of these tigers to preserving habitat in range countries. But we won't see that happening any time soon - why? Because it's not about the tigers - it's about Siegfried and Roy and Ringling owner Ken Feld -- all who have profited handsomely off these poor animals. Anyone who knows anything about tigers would know what Siegfried and Roy do to tigers is grossly unnatural - it's shameful and it seems the tiger told Roy. Their claim that the tiger was trying to save Roy is BS - initial reports from the audience members said Roy repeatedly hit the tiger on the head with the microphone which is when the tiger turned on Roy. Interestingly Siegfried and Roy refused to provide the videotape of the incident to the USDA (of course the USDA didn't pursue it as it doesn't pursue animal abuse with Ringling either) ... Roy got what he deserved.

[Bonnie]

I think that animals who are abused do need to be protected. However, in this case the Tigers were not kept in cages, they were free to roam on a 50+ acre preserve and like most animals, who realize that when they do a trick they receive a treat and of course, love the positive attention. The Lions and tigers has free run of the grounds, the house and the pool. Yes, the pool. They were purring and playing and having fun. Yes, and at times they performed for treats. They used over 63 tigers and 16 lions. So, they were not overworked! Look best case they are in the wild and do you know the stats of cubs who make it in the wild? They are not good. So at least these Kitties are safe and happy. Not to mention Roy never once blamed the animal and even after attacked did not want anyone to harm the tiger. If you were not there to see the act then you can not go by what people say becuase everyone sees a situation differently and you know the old saying about how facts change as the word of mouth gets around.

[aerie]

@Texas:

There is plenty of room for animals AND people! We don't have to neglect the animals to care for people or vice versa. One is not more important than the other! It's not as black & white as you would like it to be. I'm not condoning PETA and their ways, although I agree with them on this one. This is a big country with plenty of care to go around to people and animals.

"The greatness of a nation and its morality can be judged by the way its animals are treated"
Mahatma Gandhi

[Bonnie]

Dear @Texas and PETA
In this case you make no sense. Saying they were abused is absurd. Do you even know what Siegfried and Roy did for wildlife preservation? They set up a foundation. They helped prevent the extinction of some of these animals. So, get yours facts straight before you agree with anyone. Also fo your research.
You should know I am an avid animal lover and can hardly even stand to watch animal cops and see animals abused. I donate money to animal charities and in this case there was no neglect and no abuse. I am not saying animals should not be free, however if they are not then they should be treated with loving care and these animals were.

[Dru]

wow! as someone that has worked with and cared for RESCUED and retired exotics at sanctuaries, man, PETA and Everyone here that has shown support for this and their other causes are idiots at best..
it is obvious that neither PETA nor their supporters have even the smallest clue as to what they are talking about..
I say this from first hand experience!

first PETA is nothing more than a PR scam.. they do almost NOTHING to help actual animals.. this is backed up by their PUBLIC 990 IRS form.. it is also backed up by their APHIS reports showing they kill the majority of animals they "rescue".. if they truly were in it to help animals they would, oh i don't know...
umm HELP SOME DAMN ANIMALS! instead they only focus on getting attention and making money.. nothing more.. and to the people complaining about animals in captivity, in acts etc.. get a damn clue people.. if you knew anything about animals the captivity stance is stupid and pointless.. true some animals are wild caught and that IS WRONG but 99% are born and raised around people.. they enjoy human company.. sorry but it is a FACT.. also while a few circuses (and very very small acts)do not treat their animals well, the majority of trainers treat them as well as they treat their children.and the "tricks" are actually a form of enrichment to stimulate the animals brain and they REDUCE any possible stress! but you guys knew that right? seriously people get educated on a subject before you try and discuss it intelligently.. and by educated i don't mean AR lie filled info..

[Sue]

Maya, I agree with you. Free the animals, and cage the poachers.

[Sue]

I would also keep an eye peeled on the small mom and pop type circuses that sometimes come to the smaller towns. Several yrs ago, during the summer, we had one stop here in Barberton, Ohio. It was a little tent circus, and I can't remember the name. But I do remember calling the Summit County ASPCA on them, when I found their elephants left out side in 100 + temps, with no food, water, adequate shelter, and chained by the legs. The owners idea of adequate shelter was a plastic tarp over their heads. I didn't have to be an animal expert to see these to see these animals were stressed to the max.

[Mir]

PETA is just one organization. The fact is that animals are exploited every second by humans. Animals cannot speak for themselves. Sometimes I wish people couldn't either like DRU or TEXAS but Freedom of Speech is fundamental for them as well as PETA among others.

The basic thought is correct: stop exploiting animals for profit of any kind.

[Michelle]

I rarely support PETA (because I think they tend to be a bit off their rockers). I'm not a vegetarian, and I don't aspire to be one, but at the same time I support animal rights. Wild and exotic animals such as tigers live half-lives when they are used in show. And white tigers in particular: white tigers are man-made creations. They are not naturally in the wild, and they don't need to be bred to be saved. In fact, it is quite the opposite. The breeding of white tigers is cruel, for the gene that causes the white fur is created via inbreeding. Inbreeding causes crippling side-effects. I don't support the breeding of white tigers, nor do I support the use of wild animals in show. Thus, I do not support Siegfried and Roy.

[Liz Sparrow]

Tessa, first of all, you are every bit as deplorable as PETA. To say that Roy got what he deserved is pathetic and disgusting. You could never hope to be as fine a person.

Furthermore, you need to get your facts straight, as obviously you don't have a clue as to what you're talking about. Feld Entertainment DID offer a VIEWING of the tape to the USDA on several different occasions. What they DID NOT do, for fear of it getting into the hands of the media and self-righteous persons such as yourself and being exploited to the max, was offer to GIVE the actual tape to the USDA. They requested that Feld Entertainment retain PHYSICAL POSSESSION of the tape itself. They had every reason to do so & cooperated fully with the USDA in terms of offering to let them see the actual footage of this incident. Thank God it DIDN'T wind up with the USDA, otherwise some scumbag piece of garbage would surely have sensationalized it and forced Roy and his family to relive this tragic incident over & over on t.v, YouTube and every other media outlet.

[Sara]

producing and creating white tigers in captivity is already animal abuse. check out the video called "White Tigers- The Cruelty Behind the Magic" or " The Cruelty of White Tigers" and you will see Seigfriend and Roy in a different light

[William]

You stupid idiots have more concern for animals than human beings. I love animals but humans are mistreated many more times everyday and in much worst ways, where is your concern and priorities, the priorities of our LORD, and our GOD. Human Beings are on the top of their list, even you idiots inspite of your actions and behaviors, your misguided efforts, go fight for the homeless, the children that miss many necissary meals, go spend your money and efforts on what matters most to our LORD and our GOD.