Zoo owner charged with animal cruelty over tiger treatment

BOWMANVILLE, Canada (KTRK) -- Canadian officials have filed five animal cruelty charges against a private zoo owner Wednesday over his treatment of a tiger during a training session he captured on camera.

Michael Hackenberger, of the Bowmanville Zoo, released the video statement last December.

In the video, he refutes claims based on a separate video released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA.

That video earlier appears to show him whipping the tiger over and over again as it lies on the ground.

The video led to an investigation by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who used it as a basis for the charges.

Hackenberger says that in the video released by PETA, he only struck the animal twice, not repeatedly.

CNN reports it reached out to Hackenberger after the animal cruelty charges were filed, but has not received a response.