SILVER SPRING, Md., Feb. 3, 2004 - In a letter sent today, The Fund for Animals praised Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry for showing compassion toward big cats and for squelching rumors that she was keeping a tiger as a "pet." Following numerous press reports that the star planned to keep a rare Bengal tiger from the set of "Catwoman," Ms Berry released a statement that those reports were inaccurate, and said that she "would never dream of keeping an animal of that sort out of its natural habitat."

"We hope other people will follow Ms. Berry's example and will not keep tigers in captivity," said Andi Bernat, Program Coordinator for The Fund for Animals. "Keeping an exotic animal as a 'pet' is not only cruel, but is also extremely dangerous for people."

There are an estimated 10,000 "pet" tigers in U.S. homes -- twice as many as those who remain in the wild -- and a vast majority of them live lonely lives with poor care. Hundreds of people have been killed or seriously injured as a result of captive tiger attacks. Many states and counties have made the private possession of tigers illegal, and just last month the U.S. Congress passed and President Bush signed The Captive Wildlife Safety Act, banning the interstate commerce in tigers and other big cats for the "pet" trade.

The Fund for Animals hopes to get the message out nationwide that tigers and other wildlife deserve to remain in the wild. "With caring stars like Ms. Berry, the tigers really have something to purr about," said Bernat.

The Fund for Animals is a national animal protection organization founded in 1967 by bestselling author Cleveland Amory. With the mission "to speak for those who can't," The Fund uses education, litigation, and legislation to advocate for animal protection, and provides hands-on care for thousands of animals at its world-famous sanctuaries such as Black Beauty Ranch. The Fund is currently caring for dozens of rescued tigers who were seized from an illegal breeding facility in southern California. More information is available at www.fund.org.

ADDITIONAL "CATWOMAN" INFORMATION:
"Catwoman" Photo Gallery
Halle Berry Movie News, Photos and Interview
"Catwoman" News and Websites