HOUSTON – Animal Legal Defense Fund says they have decided to put their lawsuit against the Downtown Aquarium on hold for 120 days. They had sued the aquarium over its white tigers and their enclosure.
In a statement released Tuesday morning, the Animal Legal Defense Fund said the Houston Aquarium has begun “taking concrete steps to improve the condition of the tigers including building an outdoor enclosure that would allow the animals to see sunlight and breathe fresh air for the first time in a decade.”
The lawsuit will be put on hold pending the completion of the enclosure.
The Animal Legal Defense Fund says it will continue to monitor the aquarium’s progress while the lawsuit is on hold.
Jim Prappas, director of Biology for the Houston Aquarium released the following statement:
“The Downtown Aquarium has been subject to many misleading and false statements regarding the facility's tiger exhibit and its care of four white tigers. Being accredited by AZA and ZAA as well as having a spotless record with USDA, our tiger exhibit has consistently exceeded all animal health and welfare standards.
“Approximately two years ago, AZA notified all accredited zoos and aquariums that the organization was updating its standards for maintaining tigers and other large carnivores. When the standards were finalized, we immediately began designing a new tiger exhibit to uphold our accreditation. The new exhibit, which has been reviewed and approved by the AZA, will not only include an outdoor area and additional enrichment opportunities, but will also add an additional 3,500 square feet of exhibit space.
“It is obvious by their recent pleading that the lawsuit against the Aquarium was frivolous in the first place, and we will be asking the Court to award us all remedies available to us.”