The Dialogue: Here’s What Readers Said About the Defiant Couple Breeding Big Cats in Portland’s Suburbs

“The four scariest words in this story are “self-taught animal handler.”

SORE SPOT: Zarah, a 3-month-old Bengal tiger, rubbed her face raw before the Jackson County Fair this month. “They rub,” says Cheryl Jones. “Some cats more so than others because they want to be out with you.” (Paul Steele)

Here's what readers said about a defiant couple breeding big cats in the Portland suburbs ("The Tiger Farmer," WW, July 26, 2017).

Kaldurak9, via Reddit: "This will probably end the same way a lot of these end. On an episode of When Animals Attack."

Hairball, via wweek.com: "The four scariest words in this story are "self-taught animal handler." Humans: It's what's for dinner."

Brianna Apling, via Facebook: "Keeping everybody out, especially the press, means they're not doing the right thing and don't want to be exposed. The animals need to be removed and sent to REAL sanctuaries that know how to properly treat them."

Kristine, via wweek.com: "Thank you so much for writing this in-depth article and exposing these people for who they really are! No wild animal should be in a cage, touched, played with or be a photo prop!"

The Revelator, via wweek.com: "There's lots to comment on this article, but I'll stick with this: There's no way in hell she has a 'purebred Barbary lion.' The subspecies went extinct decades ago."

Fractalfay, via Reddit: "Do they actually think they're fooling anyone with their BS 'we sell tiger dung' story, and the even more absurd notion that this is somehow educational? What are you educating someone about when you take a tiger cub from its mother so you can feed it formula, and show it off at county fairs?"

Olivia Robertson, via Facebook: "This socalled writer wrote a one-sided smut tabloid piece. Nothing I would be proud of!"

Hate4Breakfast, via Reddit: "I would be shitting my pants at the idea of lions being close enough to hear them."

@PiepsinPDX, via Twitter: "Sanctuaries do not breed or exhibit the animals in their care. Shut them down, and send the animals to a real sanctuary. I'll donate."

Molly Elwood, via Facebook: "I got banned for sharing this article on [a Walk on the Wild Side] page. I think more people should be asking them to open up and address these allegations."

Lindsey McBride, via Facebook: "This is the 'organization'…that brings lions and tigers in small cages to the Portland Rose Festival. These are wild, endangered animals in small cages in a Portland city park."

Marta Lynn, via Facebook: "This should be illegal."

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