Hollywood Animal Trainer Caught on Video Viciously Whipping a Young tiger

[Liberal_in_LA]

Hollywood Animal Trainer Caught on Video Viciously Whipping a Young Tiger

PETA eyewitness has caught the owner of the tiger used in Life of Pi, Bowmanville Zoological Park owner Michael Hackenberger, on video viciously whipping another Siberian tiger named Uno approximately 20 times in a row during a savage training session. The young tiger was so traumatized that he involuntarily emptied his anal sacs, a fear response in big cats. “I got a bit angry there,” Hackenberger later admitted.

Hackenberger, who has supplied animals to many TV and film productions, including The Interview, was recorded repeatedly whipping Uno, even on the face.

“I like hitting him in the face. And the paws … being on the rock, when you hit him, it’s like a vice,” Hackenberger told PETA’s eyewitness. “It stings more.” He admitted that such beatings would cause public outrage if exposed. “If … we’d been running a videotape … of the times I struck this animal … PETA would burn this place to the ground.”

What You Can Do

Vote against cruelty with your wallet: Never buy tickets to any movie or live performance that uses wild animals. When their revenues take a hit, animal abusers take notice. For example, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announced in 2015 that it is ending elephant acts because of the shift in public opinion on the use and abuse of animals for “entertainment.”

http://headlines.peta.org/uno-tiger-abuse-animals-in-entertainment/




The owner of the Bowmanville Zoological Park is vehemently denying that he viciously whipped a tiger, saying he’s the one under attack from animal rights activists.

The group, People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), released a video recorded by one of its members showing Michael Hackenberger trying to control the animal, which seems to be disobeying commands.

The video begins with Hackenberger cursing at the leashed tiger while another trainer tries to control it.

He then begins furiously snapping a whip while the animal falls to the ground with its paws up in a defensive pose.

http://www.citynews.ca/2015/12/22/bowmanville-zoo-owner-refutes-peta-video-showing-him-whipping-tiger/

[Human101948]

1. This guy should be horsewhipped...

so he can better relate to the animals.

[CrispyQ]

2. I'd vote for that.

Rotten fuck.

[KamaAina]

3. This is a Darwin Award waiting to happen

[magical thyme]

4. if you watch closely, you'll see that he's whipping the ground next to the tiger, not the tiger

He did hit the tiger on the butt the first couple of snaps, while the tiger was on his feet. But after that, he was not hitting him. No way a large animal would submit to that. Certainly not a tiger.

That said, he's an abusive bully and asshole, not a trainer. The interview with him after its not clear exactly when/what/where he is talking about, although he apparently has hit some animals in some other situation.

As an aside, I think we do animals and ourselves a disserve by referring to 'training' animals (or their humans). If we modified the language to use "teaching" instead, it could change how people approach working with animals. Training is building your body. Teaching is building your mind.

And wild animals should not be forced to entertain bored humans.

[Liberal_in_LA]

5. I'm glad the animal isn't being hit 20 times but it still looks terrifying!

[magical thyme]

6. What makes it terrifying or threatening to the animal is if they have been hit with it.

Otherwise, in the video situation, it looks like a jerk with anger issues relieving his temper rather than somebody actually training.

I have had horses all my life. I deliberately crack my lunge whip next to them during ground training sessions. Not to frighten them, but to de-sensitize them to sudden, loud noises close by, for their safety and mine. I tap them with the firm part of my whip as a signal when I'm physically too far to reach with my hand. But they've never been hit with it. Mostly, I waive it at them as a signal to go forward. And if they're being lazy or holding back (Dahli gets filled with energy and needs to blow it off but sometimes gets "stuck&quot then I'll crack it so the noise will wake them up.

But there's no fear when it's used that way. I can also run it over their backs, scratch their ears with the firm part, etc. It's just a tool.