A high school in the US has taken their “Welcome to the Jungle” prom theme way too far after the establishment secured a caged tiger for the event.
Yep, a real-life, angry, stressed-out caged tiger.
Ahh, who doesn’t want to slow dance to a Drake song under the flickering lights of a disco ball and the observant gaze of a wild animal that very rightfully wants to kill you.
Christopher Columbus High School in Miami (a private catholic school for boys) has come under fire for using the animal for entertainment purposes.
When the sister of a student uploaded photos and video footage of the tiger circling the small space inside its locked cage, the post went viral.
Animal rights activists (and those of us with a soul) were quick to point out the tiger was also placed in between flame throwers and indoor firework sparklers, which made the whole situation even worse.
Warning – this footage really sucks, and it will make you sad.
How shameful for Christopher Columbus High school …showing its students on prom night who is the “king of the jungle “…
Posted by Mari-Cris Castellanos on Saturday, 12 May 2018
“How shameful for Christopher Columbus High school …showing its students on prom night who is the “king of the jungle “this poor tiger was used as an EXOTIC amusement for the mindless teenagers who were present, it is not the student fault to be so naive BUT it’s the CCHS STAFF who arranged this event ,there for they are responsible for this tigers misery…”
Caged tiger at prom sparks uproar as high school defends "Welcome to the Jungle" theme pic.twitter.com/LgcgxVuAPQ
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) May 14, 2018
OK, so it seems insane to have to clarify this, but let me just umm, clarify this: tigers do not belong at high school proms – or at any events. Ever.
But wait – there’s more. The entertainment company that hired out the tiger for the evening also brought along two parrots, a fox, and a lemur.
School officials have since contacted CBS Miami to justify the move while trying to clear the air.
In a statement, they claimed the tiger was “never harmed or in danger, was not forced to perform, was always accompanied by his handlers, and for the great majority of the time was lying down in a relaxed state facing away from the audience.”
Oh yes, that’s right, it wasn’t forced to perform so it’s OK that it was placed in a room with blaring music, actual flames, hundreds of loud people and the flashes of cameras going off at any given point…
Even if the tiger appeared to be calm throughout the evening, how do we know the tiger was sedated prior to the event? Or sedated again after the event while being transported between venues?
As a response to the increased backlash, principal, David Pugh, finally broke his silence and apologised – or at least apologised for upsetting people, not for actually using the tiger for entertainment purposes.
“We recognize this decision has offended some and for that we apologize. Although it was in a controlled environment and handled by professionals approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation, we understand how some individuals may be concerned.”
Hey, Mr. Educator man, wild animals like the tiger, the fox, and the lemur are not there to be your entertainment for the evening.
They are not props.
They are not Instagram fodder.
They’re not the cool factor your event needs to make it fresh or edgy.
What you’ve done is animal cruelty, and it’s dangerous for everyone.
If the school really wanted to cause a stir – why didn’t they just enlist the devil dogs from the Buffy Season 3 prom episode?
Everyone made it out alive that night… right?
