2013-08-23
Trainer is asking to keepve white Siberian tigers on property
A woman’s plan to keep Siberian tigers on a property in unincorporated Ventura County, east of Camarillo, has upset a few neighbors who fear the animals could escape.
This month, animal trainer Irena Hauser requested a conditional use permit from the county to keep up to five of the big cats—which are used in films and television—on her 19-acre property at 11077 Pacific View Road in the Deer Creek Canyon area of Malibu. Although Hauser’s application does not say where the tigers are kept now, the animals are reportedly at a facility in Santa Clarita.
The request will be con- sidered by the Ventura County Planning Commission in late October. Approval will hinge on whether “the commission is satisfied the tigers are secure and safe,” according to Brian Baca, county planning manager.
The proposal calls for the Siberian tigers, which are the largest cats in the world, to be kept in three enclosures with 8-foot-high chain-link fences and roofs. The cages would be encircled by a fence 8 feet high and more than 2,000 feet long, a county staff report said.
The proposed animal enclosures would cover about 6,144 square feet, case planner Jay Dobrowalski said.
Within the fenced-in area Hauser wants to build a 432-square-foot pool and an arena used for training covering less than an acre, with a chainlink fence 16 feet high and 556 feet long.
Hauser and her immediate family would take care of the tigers but would not stay overnight on the property. No employees would be brought to the site, and no one from the public would be allowed to view the tigers.
Veterinarians would tend to the animals at the site once a year. The tigers would enter and leave the property in a vehicle.
The land, zoned open space, contains a house, guest home, garage and barn. A private well and water tank that together hold more than 10,000 gallons provide water for the property.
Threat of escape
Despite the safety precautions promised by Hauser, who did not respond to requests for comment, some local residents are worried about having the wild cats nearby. Baca said the county has received about a dozen letters from people opposed to the plan.
Lisa Sideman, who owns Deer Creek Ranch, which is adjacent to the proposed tiger facility, said keeping tigers 200 feet from her horses and close to other wildlife would be dangerous for the community.
“There couldn’t be a more ludicrous idea,” she said. “The horses are obviously a stimulus to the tigers. I don’t think the tiger owners are aware that the sight, sound and smell of a horse will cause the tiger to want to escape his cage. The tigers would be within reach of breakfast at all times.”
In addition to threatening her horses and wild animals, the proposed facility could put nearby residents in danger, Sideman said.
“It’s a neighborhood. It’s not like it’s out in the middle of nowhere. Families are within 700 feet of the property,” she said.
She also said that Hauser lives in Beverly Hills and does not plan to move to Deer Creek Canyon.
“That could be a problem,” she said. “I don’t even leave my horse ranch without leaving someone here.”
Sideman, who counts PETA and actress Tippi Hedren among the plan’s opponents, joined a protest against the tiger facility in front of the Government Center in Ventura on Tuesday.
Supervisor Linda Parks said she has been receiving emails about the proposed tiger enclosure every 10 minutes.
“It is staff’s objective to see that it is done safely,” Parks said. “I’m not sure whether that can be accomplished completely. We have had past instances where wild cats have gotten loose in Ventura County.”
In 2005, a couple who operated a nonprofit animal sanctuary were moving their animals from Temecula to their new home in Moorpark when a Siberian tiger escaped. The cat ran loose in Ventura County for four weeks before it was shot and killed.
“I can understand the residents’ concerns for their safety,” Parks said. “It’s a very emotional issue. When talking about concerns of your personal safety and your family I think they have a legitimate concern. I don’t think I’d want to live next to tigers. . . .Certainly there are more remote areas where (the tigers) can be.”
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