By Paul J. Condra and Cris Italia
In his East Rockaway home, Wallach is currently rehabilitating Spike the tiger. Just over a year old, the tiger was taken in by Wallach as a cub and has been trained for the last nine months. I got him with a cracked skull, Wallach said, choosing not to elaborate on Spike's injury.
By no means does Wallach intend on keeping Spike as a pet like some other exotic pet owners do. He is not domesticated at all. Spike will be moving to a new home within the next few months, at which time Wallach will take on the challenge of rehabilitating two baby lions.
I research their next home. Spike is going to the Flag Acres Zoo in Albany.
Although he will miss Spike, there is always a time to say good-bye. I love Spike, but I don't keep these animals. That's not what I do.
Wallach is trained and licensed to deal with such animals, unlike many others who try to domesticate wild creatures. He is licensed by the Department of Environmental Conservation, he is a Special Investigator with Nassau's Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and he also serves as the Humane Commissioner for the City of Long Beach. All this he does as a volunteer.
Keeping a tiger in your back-yard is not a task that just anyone can do. Wallach has extensive training, with the patience and know-how to keep a wild animal tamed. It's tough. This is not easy to do, because at any time she can just get mad and snap my neck like a pretzel.
If a cat like this ever got loose on the streets they would automatically go for small children, Wallach said. He explained that a tiger's natural instinct would be to prey on the smaller target. Spike is at all times secured in his backyard. I've built a fortress around him, when I'm not here, there would be no way for him to get out. No one other than me can get in.
For this reason Wallach is adamant about keeping animals like Spike out of the hands of everyday people. People get these animals thinking they know what to do with them, but they need a lot of attention and time, which is something Wallach gives them. I take all my animals boating.
With a cat, you always have to treat it as an equal. Treat her with respect and she will treat you with respect. Wallach is currently behind a bill that would stop unlicensed people from holding exotic animals in their home.
Bill to ban exotic pets
Pending legislation in New York would make owning a tiger, or any other animal deemed exotic, a crime unless the owner obtained a special license to do so. The bill, introduced last year by State Senator Carl Marcellino of Oyster Bay, intends to ensure the safety of people who otherwise might find themselves living next to an animal that is a potential killer.
People keep [exotic animals] as pets, and that's a dangerous situation, said Kathy Wilson, communications director for the senator.
An article in the New York Times reported there were five tiger killings in the United States since 1998 and 29 injuries. The same article also said there are about 10,000 privately owned tigers in the United States, more than the 4,000 to 7,000 estimated to roam in Siberia and Asia.
Wilson said the main reason people want exotic pets such as tigers or lions is for their appeal as babies. They're very cute, she said. Even I would want one.
Then there's the glamour appeal for those Mike Tyson's out there who enjoy a nice tiger-wrestling session in the parlors of their mansions.
Unfortunately, and what supporters of the bill say people don't seem to realize, even babies can get grumpy.
When a 400-pound tiger decides not to be lovable, there's really nothing you can do about it, Wallach said. He feeds the animal 30 to 40 pounds of meat and chicken a day, spending over a $1,000 a month.
Wallach, who would be able to obtain the necessary license to keep such animals, supports the bill 100 percent.
They need the bill, he said. And not just for tigers. Wallach said he knows of an alligator that was released in Lake Massapequa last year as its owners no longer wanted it. Now he wonders if it will survive through this mild winter, and be five or six feet long by next summer, and roaming free.
But people's safety is only part of the issue, Wilson explained. The bill, sponsored by the senator who is the chairman of New York's environmental conservation committee, also seeks to protect animals that may not be properly cared for.
Given the size of the animals, the amount of food needed to keep them happy, and the fact there aren't many veterinarians in New York that know how to deal with such creatures, Wilson said the safety of the animals is a big concern.
And she mentioned a disturbing trend, especially in this era of genetic research: the appearance of what she called ligers and tylons. Wilson said there are instances where owners have allowed tigers and lions to cross breed.
We've been told they're quite ferocious, she said. Because they don't really know who they are.
Those who don't support the ban, Wilson said, think its an infringement on an American's constitutional rights. But she said the bill is in the interests of the mainstream American public, which supports the safety it would bring about.
