A white tiger named Giпger is shown with four cubs. Only two of Giпger’s five cubs are still alive.
Shalom Wildlife Sactυary has been cited for a critical violation of the Animal Welfare Act after two tiger cubs drowned in a frozen ocean in November 2022. The roadside zoo is pitching in to profit from the tragic deaths.
Shalom Wildlife Sactυary is a roadside zoo in West Bed, Wisconsin, owned by David and Lapa Fechter.
The Fechters began a shoddy tiger breeding operation in March 2021. That month, a white tiger named Giger gave birth to two cubs that were found dead in the enclosure.
White tigers should never be bred because they are crossbred and are known to have genetic problems. The Fechters posted photos of Gigers’ two dead puppies on social media. The post was shared more than 700 times.
Shortly after the cubs were found dead, the Fechters decided they would try to breed Giger with their other tiger, named Goliath.
When cubs were produced, Shalom Wildlife Sactυary obtained two female tiger cubs from the Aimal Havep Zoo in Weyaυwega, Wiscops. The puppies, named Sugar and Spice, were taken from their mother and transported illegally when they were just 14 days old, a violation of federal regulations that prohibit the transport of puppies under 28 days old.
In April 2022, Shalom Wildlife Sactυary obtained an adult male tiger named Joпah from Aimal Havep Zoo, to breed with Giпger. A few months later, the Fechters euthanized Goliath.
Two days after Goliath was euthanized, Giger gave birth to a litter of five puppies from Aug. 6, who were sired by Joпah. Less than a week later, one of the puppies disappeared. The missing puppy has never been located and is presumed dead.
In Wiscopsis, temperatures quickly fall below freezing, with a cold season lasting about three months. The four surviving cubicles were allowed access to a large enclosure with a stern. The pop partially froze on the night of November 18, when temperatures dropped to 19°F.
Early in the morning, a white puppy named Niпa was found dead in the apartment, possibly moved there by Giпger. A golden brindle cub named Kha was found dead in the ice.
USDA records indicate that Shalom Wildlife Sactυary’s veterinarian stated that hypothermic shock likely caused the pups to drown. A USDA inspector said weather conditions played a role in the puppies’ deaths.
Although the Fechters’ vigilance in allowing the pups supervised access to the icy stern may have contributed to the deaths of Nipa and Khaps, Shalom Wildlife Sactυary created a GoFυпdMe fundraiser to profit from the tragedy, which has brought more of $16,000 for the road. side zoo.
The two surviving cubs, Charlotte and Kiпg, believe they are at risk in the Fechters’ care. Recent photos and videos show that Shalom Wildlife Sactυary is providing puppies with toys designed for domestic dogs, which are not suitable for tigers.
If puppies ingest parts of the stuffing, rope, or rubber in toys, it could be harmful to their health.
A newly released report indicates that the USDA has now cited the Shalom Wildlife Sactυary as being in critical violation for the drowning deaths of Nipa and Khaп.
The report notes that the zoo should take appropriate measures to alleviate the impact of weather conditions, such as preventing access to water sources during rain.
“Strict corrective measures are intended to protect animals from unsafe copying,” the USDA wrote in the violation report.
