Tigers Are Removed From Private Sanctuary

Nearly five years after a tiger found wandering in Jackson triggered a crackdown on a private sanctuary for big cats, animal welfare workers began removing 24 Bengal tigers for shipment to a Texas sanctuary.

The move ends a battle between the cats’ owner, Joan Byron-Marasek, and state wildlife officials, who say the animals were being kept in deplorable conditions at the Tigers Only Preservation Society.

The saga began in January 1999, when a tiger was shot and killed by authorities near Byron-Marasek’s property. Officials never proved the tiger belonged to her but refused to renew her permit to keep the tigers.