FINALLY FREEDOM FOR HOLLY!!!

Please read the following entry posted on September 2, 2008:


Charles Hennessey aka Parks and Recreation Commission Chairman,

I think you have been drinking Hennessey to list "Zoo improvements to include the Big Cat and Concession facilities" as an accomplishment on the Amarillo Parks web site. I visited your Big Cat Improvement this past Sunday and it's a far cry from anything accomplished. How in the heck is the tiger's home smaller than the "mustangs"? In fact it's about the same size as the potbellied pig's excuse for a living space. That tiger needs room to run, climb, jump and pounce. I have never seen a creature so miserable. He paced, he cried, he looked up at me with those big green eyes and said, "GET ME THE HELL OUTTA HERE. THIS CAGE IS FRIGGIN TINY!" I swear to you Chuck, IF YOU DON'T SET THAT TIGER FREE, I WILL.

Grace Calvert


AND NOW THE ARTICLE I FOUND TODAY ON AMARILLO.COM:

A rapid health decline led to the death of the Amarillo Zoo’s Bengal tiger, Holly, over the weekend.

Consulting veterinarian Dr. Merton Pearson euthanized the 19-year-old tiger on Saturday after it was determined her condition would continue to worsen, Zoo Curator Rhonda Votino said.

“It was a very difficult decision, but her quality of life had deteriorated to a point where we felt it was the most humane alternative,” Votino said.

Zoo staff had taken the 225-pound cat off exhibit last week so her condition could be monitored after she began experiencing an onslaught of seizures.

Initial results of a necropsy included discovery of a possible thyroid tumor that may be unrelated to the cause of her seizures, which could have originated from problems in the brain, Votino said.

Exotic cats typically live 10 to 15 years in the wild and 15 to 20 years in captivity, Votino said.