WBRZ - Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE - An animal-rights activist made an impassioned plea to state wildlife commissioners, calling on them to withhold renewal of a permit allowing an Interstate 10 truck
stop to keep a live tiger on display.

Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission members declined Thursday to intervene in the matter.

One commissioner said the issue is properly under the control of the state Wildlife and Fisheries Department, and not the commission.

Mary Haik said the state has stood by doing nothing while Iberville Parish government has allow the truck stop to continue to exhibit Tony, a 10-year-old Siberian-Bengal tiger, on the property.

Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Robert Barham told the Advocate that he had not seen any evidence showing that the truck stop is breaking the law.