TIGER SANCTUARY PLAN STILL IN WORKS

PERRYVILLE, Mo. -- Perry County might get a tiger by the tail yet.

Plans for what is being called the National Tiger Sanctuary in rural southwest Perry County are still in the making, although progress has not come as quickly as expected, said Michael Gibbs of DePaul University in Chicago.

Last October, DePaul had announced plans to pursue the building of a sanctuary on 400 acres of land owned by the Vincentians religious order as a conservation facility for up to 100 tigers. But finding the estimated $3 million to build the sanctuary has been harder than expected.

"This is probably going to have to be scaled back some because they can't get as much money as they thought," said Michael Yamnitz, Perry County Eastern District commissioner.

The sanctuary was originally planned to include a restaurant, nature store, log cabins and tree houses, in addition to many other amenities to service some of the 100,000 annual visitors anticipated.

A groundbreaking had been planned for this past spring, with a grand opening sometime in the middle of 2001.

Gibbs declined to comment on the reasons for the delay. But he emphasized that DePaul is not withdrawing from the sanctuary idea.

The tiger sanctuary concept has been considered by DePaul for about a year, Gibbs said. Sites in Texas, Arkansas, Illinois and Wisconsin were all considered, but Perry County was the first to receive an offer. Its accessibility by interstate to several major metropolitan areas makes it attractive, Gibbs said.

Perry County also has historical links to DePaul, which was founded by the Vincentians order, said the Rev. Arthur Trapp, superior of St. Mary's Seminary.

Both Trapp and Gibbs have maintained that the most important factor in the sale of the land for a tiger sanctuary is support of Perry County residents.

Yamnitz said the support still exists, although his constituents' interests have shifted to more practical matters.

"People out there now are more concerned about getting their roads covered with asphalt," Yamnitz said.