Tiger show off Strip to get town hall before fate considered
Clark County will invite public comments and questions on Wednesday about a magician’s proposal to perform with tigers just off the Las Vegas Strip, one week before county lawmakers are expected to decide on the controversial show’s fate.
Commissioner Tick Segerblom will host the virtual town hall at 5:30 p.m. via Webex, the county said.
Magician Jay Owenhouse has proposed performing with three tigers under a 52-foot-tall tent covering a stage and 500 seats on an 11-acre site at the southeast corner of Sahara Avenue and Paradise Road, just east of the Strip, according to the county. The tigers would be kept in a cage on the property.
The proposal was conditionally approved for a six-month run at a Strip location by the county’s zoning commission in July 2020, but that site near Mandalay Bay later changed ownership, meaning there was no longer a lease in place, according to county spokesman Erik Pappa.
Animal rights activists have criticized the proposal for being exploitative and dangerous. In a previous interview, Owenhouse, who owns a private tiger sanctuary in Bozeman, Montana, had said that his animals were “truly our family” and that he hoped the family act would educate people on the plight of the endangered tiger.
Visit https://bit.ly/3q9A08V to participate in the virtual forum on Wednesday. The event number is 2494 333 4918, and the password is C8jcwePjG43 (28529375 if using your phone).
To join by phone, call 1-408-418-9388 and use the access code 249 433 34918. The county said that message and data rates may apply.
The county commission is expected to consider Owenhouse’s proposal on Jan. 19.
Contact Shea Johnson at sjohnson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0272. Follow @Shea_LVRJ on Twitter.
