Tiger Display in Houston Downtown Aquarium

houston-oct-4- 021, originally uploaded by srinidhilv.

When I visited the Downtown Aquarium in Houston, I was a little surprised to see this exhibit. This white tiger has been placed in neatly maintained and probably sanitized glass enclosure. The small enclosure has a fountain, platforms and steps for the large cat to walk around.

I couldn't quite understand why have installed the sculpture of what appears like a crude version of an ascetic sitting for meditation. And the Arabian looking pot in the corner coupled with smooth tiles on the floor, makes it all look so fake. I don't know whether the Aquarium authorities were trying to create the semblance of a prosperous Indian hermitage which has a pet tiger or what.

The final effect of this is that, though it looks cheesy, visitors especially children seem to enjoy it.

A small statistic I overheard at the Aquarium was that "There are more tigers living in captivity in Texas, than living free in India". That is indeed bad news for me, I wonder if conservation efforts will ever be stepped up and there will be more tigers roaming around the Sunderbans??? or whether they will be poached by Chinese, Bangladeshi and our own Indian hunters?? only time can answer this...