Navy Pier’s Royal White Tigers exhibit abruptly closes

The night of January 24, a Navy Pier representative informed us via e-mail that its Royal White Tigers exhibition—scheduled to run through February 12—would be shut down immediately. The statement read in part, “Due to unforeseen circumstances, the White Tigers exhibit closed this evening and will not reopen tomorrow.”

Columnist John Kass broke the story earlier that day in the Chicago Tribune. Kass wrote that the abrupt closure happened after he showed up at the Pier to inquire about the USDA revoking the tigers’ owner’s exhibition license, for health and safety violations including animal cruelty, failure to provide a proper diet and treat animal illness and injury; as well as for allegedly posing a danger to children and other spectators.

Just how “unforeseen” the circumstances were is hard to gauge: As Kass notes, a simple Google search would’ve revealed that animal welfare groups and the USDA have been tracking ZooCats, Inc.’s alleged infractions since at least 2003. ABC 7 offers the report above.