Animal rights activists demand Bowmanville Zoo owner step down

Agroup of protesterswho lined the streetsoutside the BowmanvilleZoo Monday morning are demanding the owner step down amidallegationsof animal cruelty.

MichaelHackenberger, the zoo's owner, can be seen using a whip to control a tiger during a training session in a video that surfaced online last week.

• Ontariozookeeperunder investigation for allegedly whipping Siberian tiger

• Ontario SPCA probes Bowmanville Zoo over tiger whipping allegations

On Monday, about a dozen protesters gathered with signs and megaphones outside the zoo, including protest organizer Dallas Tennisco.

"We'd like Michael (Hackenberger) to talk to at least somebody from here, all of us. Perhaps apologize, step down," said Tenniscooutside the BowmanvilleZoo.

The U.S.-based animal rights groupPeople for the Ethical Treatment of Animals(PETA)hadasked theOntarioSPCAto investigateHackenbergerafter a volunteer at the zoo recorded the footage.

PETA alleges he whipped the tiger 19 times.

In aresponse video posted online,Hackenberger acknowledged that the footage of him lashing the animal appears incriminating but disputes PETA's conclusions.

He saidhe whipped the tiger only twice and that the subsequent lashes were tothe ground not the tiger's body.

Hackenberger also saystheclips don't tell the whole story, adding that volunteer recorded 90 minutes of footage and selectively spliced together only three minutes in which he was disciplining the tiger.

TheOSPCAsays it will interview everyone involved in thesituation and will continue to monitor the care of the animalsinvolved in the investigation.

The OSPCA confirmed last week that it did not remove the tiger from the zoo.

Tennisco says she would like to see the zoo close and its animals relocated to a better facility.

"I'd rather see the animals in a better home such as an animal sanctuary," Tennisco said.