MIAMI, Fl. — A high school in Florida is receiving some backlash after students were surprised by live animals, including a tiger, at their senior prom.
According to Local 10, the incident happened over the weekend during Christopher Columbus High School’s prom in Miami. The theme of this year’s dance was “Welcome to the Jungle” and school administrators tried to make it memorable by including a lemur, two macaws, an African Fennec fox and the tiger.
Some however were not amused, saying the animals were more like “center pieces” for the students to gawk at.
The school released a statement saying that the animals were in no way in any danger and were on loan from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The animals were not forced to perform, they said, and the majority of the time were “laying down in a relaxed state, facing away from the audience.”
At one point fire dancers reportedly performed for the graduating class. Video from the event showed it was during that instance that the tiger appeared to be in distress- continuously pacing the cage.