The owner of the Bowmanville Zoo, who trained the Bengal tiger for the movie version of Canadian author Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi”, is facing animal cruelty charges
In December a video, secretly recorded by the animal rights group PETA, was released showing Michael Hackenberger, apparently repeatedly whipping a Siberian tiger during a training session. At the time, Hackenberger defending his actions saying most of the lashes hit the ground and not the tiger.
Jennifer Bluhm, a senior inspector with the SPCA, says after a four month investigation, five separate cruelty related charges have been filed.
If convicted, Hackenberger could face a lifetime ban from owning animals