Thursday, June 20, 2013

Caretaker fuming over big cat fight


Posted: Jun 20, 2013 

TAMPA (FOX 13) - 

It was a move that didn't go as planned, and it has one man very upset.
For four hours, crews tried to move a pair of tigers, but they wouldn't budge. And it all has to do with an ongoing court case involving their owner.

The tigers and a leopard were confiscated a year-and-a-half ago from a Palm Beach facility owned by "Tarzan" actor Steve Sipek.

He, however, won a court battle to get them back, but according to Vernon Yates, who has been caring for the cats since they were removed, the movers had "no idea what they were doing."
The move failed Wednesday. They're going to try again Thursday.

For more than a year, Yates has been caring for the cats at another facility in Seminole County. Their food and medical bills have all been on Yates' plate, and he says that totals about $60,000.
He's not happy.

"They obviously don't know how to handle big cats that are mean or scared," he said.
A judge has ordered the cats be removed from Yates' facility and moved to another near Sipek, who is still not allowed to keep them at his home facility.

Yates said he's glad the cats are leaving. He said they haven't been friendly in their time with them, but he was hoping to not be out of pocket for their care.

source

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