Bob CollinsMaybe it’s time to dial back prom a little bit.
In Miami, Christopher Columbus High School held a jungle-themed prom, but it wasn’t enough to have a little artwork in the ballroom. They had to have a live tiger. And a lemur. And two macaws. And and an African fennec fox.
Not everyone was amused.
“How shameful for Christopher Columbus High Dchool showing its students on prom night who is the ‘king of the jungle,'” Mari-Cris Castellanos, whose brother attends the school, posted.
How shameful for Christopher Columbus High school …showing its students on prom night who is the “king of the jungle “…
Posted by Mari-Cris Castellanos on Saturday, May 12, 2018
“The tiger is clearly looking for a way to get out of that situation, it’s not difficult to interpret that behavior,” Ron Magill, a spokesman for the zoo in Miami tells the Miami Herald. “He was surrounded by people, cell phones, lights, jugglers juggling fire. I really don’t know what they were thinking. Exploiting animals for entertainment at parties — that time has passed. We know better; we’ve been educated.”
Not at Christopher Columbus High School, where administrators initially issued a statement defending the display.
“Two Miami-Dade Police officers were present the entire time. The animals were provided by facilities that are licensed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The tiger, which was displayed for a few minutes in a cage was never harmed or in danger, was not forced to perform, was always accompanied by his handlers, and for the great majority of the time was lying down in a relaxed state facing away from the audience.”
A Miami TV station reports, however, the school has changed its story.
“Upon reflection, we regret the decision to have live animals at our prom,” principal David Pugh said in a statement to WFOR-TV. “This decision in no way reflects the Marist values, teachings of the Catholic Church and/or the accomplishments of our young and that of our distinguished alumni.”
