A Florida high school featured a caged tiger during its jungle-themed prom, sparking backlash and regret from school officials.
The caged tiger was just one of the animals used at Miami's Christopher Columbus High School prom, hosted at a Miami International Airport hotel. The prom’s theme was “Welcome to the Jungle.”
Parent Maria Castellanos told WPLG 10 News she was concerned for the safety of both the animals and the students.
"My son paid to go to a prom," she said. “This was the surprise entertainment."
And in her view, there was nothing entertaining about the “entertainment.”
"That tiger was in distress," she told the news station. “The reason he is pacing up and down and his ears (are) going back is because he is showing you distress."
Her daughter, Mari-Cris Castellanos, agreed, and posted videos from the prom to her Facebook page.
She placed the majority of the blame for the tiger's "misery" on school staff members "who arranged this event."
An earlier statement issued by the school said there was never any danger to either the students or the animals.
"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 laying down in a relaxed state, facing away from the audience," a school spokesperson said, according to WPLG.
Some time after the fact, school authorities agreed having a caged tiger at prom might not have been a great idea.
"Upon reflection, we regret the decision to have live animals at our prom," said Principal David Pugh in a statement to WPLG. "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."
Social media thought the display sad, but chalked it up to another weird Florida story.
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