An animal trainer who has worked on several Hollywood films, including Life of Pi, was caught allegedly whipping a tiger used in that film repeatedly in a video released by PETA. The trainer has since responded and insists that he did not strike the animal.
On Tuesday, PETA released a video that appears to show Bowmanville Zoological Park owner Michael Hackenberger whipping Uno, a Siberian tiger, over 20 times during a training session. The video also shows Hackenburger cursing at the tiger. He also speaks directly to the eyewitness taping the training session.
“I like hitting him in the face. And the paws … being on the rock, when you hit him, it’s like a vice,” Hackenberger is quoted as saying. “It stings more.” Hackenberger also claims that “PETA would burn this place to the ground.”
Hackenberger later posted a half-hour video on YouTube, defending himself. He goes over every part of the PETA footage and claims that the whip-cracking heard on the video was the other trainer’s commands.
Of course, PETA was quick to issue another statement to People in response to Hackenberger’s video. They called him a liar.
“Michael Hackenberger was caught on camera repeatedly and viciously striking a young tiger who lay cowering on his back out of fear and discussing the most effective ways to hit animals, stating quite plainly, 'I like hitting him in the face' – yet Hackenberger lies even about having said this. Wild animals like Uno perform stressful and confusing tricks because they're terrified that they'll be beaten if they don't. There is no excuse for beating an animal, any more than there is for hitting a child.”