Protests Planned at Downtown Aquarium, Landry's Office

  HOUSTON, TX - 05/09/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Activists have planned demonstrations for Saturday, May 14, and Monday, May 16 in Houston to protest the white tiger exhibit at the Downtown Aquarium. Owned by Landry's, Inc., the aquarium has displayed the big cats since 2004 in a small, indoor enclosure. Acitivsts assert that the cats are sufferring from high amounts of stress and should be transferred to an accredited sanctuary. One of the event organizers, Cheryl Conley, was quoted as saying, "The four white tigers at the Aquarium deserve better treatment. Their entire lives are spent surrounded by concrete. They are never allowed to go outside and this is inhumane and cruel. We want these tigers to be sent to a sanctuary so they can bask in the sun, run, and breathe fresh air."

The protests are being coordinated by Free Houston Tigers, a group of local activists supported by Animal Defenders International, Big Cat Rescue, and Born Free USA. The  coalition has gathered more than 84,000 petition signatures and organized two past protests. Details on the upcoming events can be found here.