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Funeral service honors slain tiger
By Jennifer Sorentrue, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, July 18, 2004
LOXAHATCHEE -- There was a hearse, a priest, a guest
book and a group of tearful mourners to send off Bobo
the tiger as his body was lowered into its grave Saturday
afternoon.
A private burial service was held at the Loxahatchee
home of Bobo's grieving owner, former Tarzan actor Steve
Sipek.
The tiger was buried in a blond wooden coffin next
to the graves of two of Sipek's other animals. Tony,
a tiger, and Misho, a cougar, died within the last two
years.
"Now they are all together," he said. "They
were buddies."
Bobo's coffin was covered with handwritten messages that
were scrawled on the wood during a public vigil Thursday
night. "We will miss you Bobo," someone wrote
in black marker. Another scribed: "They killed the
most beautiful animal."
On Saturday afternoon, as people continued to flock
to Sipek's compound, the tiger's coffin sat uncovered,
dusted with dirt. Eight white carnations had been tossed
on top of it. A box of tissues with a leopard-print
pattern was passed around as people gazed into the hole.
A public memorial service was scheduled for 6 p.m.
today at Sipek's compound on C Road. The 600-pound Bengal-Siberian
tiger was killed by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission officer Tuesday.
Sipek said he refused to look at Bobo's dead body in
the days following the shooting. The results of a necropsy
won't be released for several weeks, he said.
"I didn't want to see what they did to him,"
he said. "I wanted to remember him as being gorgeous
and beautiful."
Dozens of Sipek's friends and neighbors attended the
private service, and some helped the former actor feed
his other animals.
Sandy Tessier, one of Sipek's neighbors, helped feed
raw chicken to Princess, a 14-year-old tiger. Tessier
said people dropped off flowers and gifts throughout
the day Saturday. Some donated money, and others left
candles and stuffed animals.
"It's just been people coming from everywhere,"
Tessier said. "Things are coming from all over."
Sipek said Saturday he's getting another tiger. He
claimed that actress Betty White, known for her role
on the sitcom The Golden Girls, is sending him a male
tiger cub.
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