MARSHFIELD, WI (WSAU) — There’s some push-back against an exhibit of rare white tigers that’s scheduled to appear at the Central Wisconsin State Fair in Marshfield at the end of August.
According to Alderman Tom Witzel, some residents say the exhibit could come at the cost of cruel and inhumane treatment of the animals, while raising safety and liability concerns for the city.
“I would like to know what references this organization has provided to the Central Wisconsin State Fair to identify that they are a reputable organization to be bringing this in,” Witzel said at Tuesday night’s Common Council meeting in Marshfield.
Witzel says he’s concerned the exhibit could create a lot of other potential problems, including keeping people away from the fair this year. “I think that it has a potential to cause other issues. A lot of people are very quiet about their discontentment and will just simply not go.”
Alderman Chris Jockheck represents the city on the Central Wisconsin State Fair Board, and says with the unanimous support of the Common Council, he’ll ask the fair broad to reconsider bringing the exhibit to Marshfield.
“We have not had a good discussion, or any discussion [about the white tiger exhibit], in the four months that I have been on the fair board,” Jockheck said. “I think that it’s time that we see that addressed.”
Jockheck went on to say that, “I have recently heard that there are at least two fairs in Ohio that have recently cancelled this same exhibit, and it makes me a lot more uncomfortable.”
According to one local resident who spoke in opposition to the exhibit, “It’s owned and operated by Michael Todd who has a long list of serious Federal Animal Welfare Act violations.”
Jockheck says he’ll push to get the issue on the agenda for the Central Wisconsin State Fair Board’s next meeting, which begins this coming Monday evening at 7:00 at the Central Wisconsin State Fair’s office in Marshfield.
