A TRAINER who has supplied animals for Hollywood productions and was earlier caught on video allegedly whipping and verbally abusing a Siberian tiger under his care has been slapped with criminal charges in Canada.

    The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals on Wednesday said it formally filed animal cruelty charges against Michael Hackenberger, the owner of the Bowmanville Zoo. The zoo keeper in December 2015 was shown in a video obtained by animal rights group PETA apparently swearing at and whipping the young tiger 19 times.

    In all, Hackenberger faces five charges of animal cruelty, including one charge of causing an animal distress by pushing his thumb into the animal’s eye and another charge of failing to comply with prescribed standards of care for a tiger.

    The Ontario SPCA began probing the alleged animal abuse by Hackenberger after PETA revealed video of Hackenberger’s alleged animal abuse.

    (SD-Agencies)