The tiger that made the Isle of Wight a laughing stock in front of the UK’s media, is to finally due to arrive on the Island in the New Year.
The Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Andrew Turner, was the first to ask a question after the then-new leader of the Labour Party Jeremy Corbyn had his first Question Time with David Cameron.
MP’s wasted opportunity
Many felt the Island’s MP wasted the opportunity – so precious, as the whole of the UK press were glued to their screens – by choosing raise the issue of a tiger that Isle of Wight Zoo wanted to bring over from Belgium.
Twitter exploded mocking the whole situation and the incident earned the MP the nickname Tigger Turner.
OnTheWight spoke to Karen-Jane Dudley at the Zoo two weeks ago, when we first heard that Simi was going to arrive, she told us, “We had no idea he was going to do that [raise the issue in Parliament].”
MP’s Rabies waiver rejected
In October, Charlotte Corney, owner of the Zoo, told OnTheWight they were still working with DEFRA to find a sensible resolution to the problem, after the rabies waiver that Andrew Turner had requested had failed.
She went on to add that they’d responded to a suggestion put forward by the Minister, but did not feel that a satisfactory or fair result had, at that point, been reached.
The tiger has had to have blood tests after it had a recent infection.
It’s expected that Simi will arrive in January.
