substandard tiger enclosure

Well, I don't really consider those places to be zoos. I think probably a lot of conservation centers and sanctuaries don't have AZA. I've never heard of Panther Ridge or Wild Cat Education. That's cool they have a King Cheetah. I didn't think there were any in the US.

There are two king cheetahs. One at the Wild Cat Fund (formerly known as Leopards Etc) and one at Miami Metrozoo, used in their educational programs. While both facilities use their kings at various times for public presentations, neither is on full time public display. Why Miami does not put theirs in a regular cheetah exhibit for all to enjoy is beyond me.

That is a surprise that MMZ doesn't put their King on display. Maybe he's too timid like the 4th sister at the Wild Animal Park. Makena really disliked being out in the exhibit so they let her stay in the off-exhibit breeding area while her three sisters were on exhibit. Maybe MMZ's King can tolerate some people, but not the large numbers that would visit the zoo.

Did you see the special on Fox news last night about World Wildlife Zoo and Orion, the tiger cub? Very interesting.

Here's the article if anyone is interested. In Focus: Captive Tigers at Risk in the U.S., Not Just in the Wild - Part 2

Much of that article is complete garbage. Animal Rights extremists are unabashed media pimps and the gullible reporter has bought their line. Here is one of their favorite myths: there are more tigers living in private hands in America than are left in the wild. That is a complete lie. The Feline Conservation Federation just completed an exhaustive survey of all tigers in America. The total number, including all zoos and similar facilities, is 3,000. If you were to count only "private owners" the number would be far smaller. Also, the article talks about the very real problem of smuggling tiger parts to China, but then quotes someone as saying they have no doubt that captive tigers in America are entering that trade. Oh really? How about the fact that there is zero proof that it has ever happened - not even once. Or the line that says anyone can buy a $25 USDA permit and then get a tiger. Did you know the permit application requires the applicant to have several years experience working with exotic animals at a licensed facility? No mention of that in the article. But these blatant misrepresentations are put forth in the media because they come from animal rights organizations, not just random individuals, so they "must be true." Ridiculous.

Is the US tiger survey published online?

Here you go:

Feline Conservation Federation Census Documents Less than 3,000 Tigers in America