Big Cat Owners vs. the American Public

Big cat owners frustrated with proposed law preventing interaction

Posted: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 

Kristina Ramer, Alligator Contributing Writer 

 

Carl Bovard lets visitors play with tiger cub Summer at Single Vision, a wildlife sanctuary in Melrose. But new legislation may prevent the public from interacting with cubs like Summer.
This month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will vote on an amendment that would restrict people’s interaction with big cats, bears and primates. If the amendment passes, the public would not be allowed within 15 feet of these animals, and caretakers would be prohibited from bottle-feeding or hand-raising unless a veterinarian deemed it medically necessary.

Jeff Kremer, director of donor appreciation at Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, said the legislation is aimed at roadside zoos and “pseudo-sanctuaries” that exploit cubs. Too often, he said, these businesses acquire cubs and make large sums from letting people visit with them. These businesses never plan to keep the adult animal and often send grown tigers to unsuitable environments.

Allowing the public to interact with cubs has subsequently created a breeding market, Kremer said. The new legislation could eliminate loopholes across the country.

“There are patchworks of differing laws and regulations across states,” he said.

Florida already has some of the strictest animal ownership laws in the country, but it also has one of the highest numbers of animal escapes, Kremer said.

Bovard agreed that stricter national measures are needed to regulate breeding exotic animals. But he said he’s opposed to the USDA amendment because it will punish responsible animal caretakers, too.
“When you breed a cat like this, you need to have a plan for its whole life. You can’t breed it and just plan on selling it in six months,” he said.

Although there are about 3,000 tigers in the wild, about 5,000 captive tigers are estimated to be in private hands in the U.S. alone, according to http://worldwildlife.org/. The amendment would affect every legitimate educational facility across the country, Bovard said.

“Without giving the public a chance to see the animals, we lose the ability to educate,” he said.

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American voters support nationwide ban of big cat private ownership

By International Fund for Animal Welfare

Published: Monday, Oct. 7, 2013

WASHINGTON, Oct. 7, 2013 -- /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of yet another mauling at a private roadside zoo, dangerous incidents involving big cats continue to rise across the United States.  The Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act (H.R. 1998/S.1381), a Congressional bill initiated by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW - www.ifaw.org), would prohibit the private possession and breeding of tigers, lions and other big cats in the United States; and, according to a new poll released today by IFAW, 75 percent of voters across the country are in support of the bill.

The nationwide poll conducted by Beekeeper Group found that of the 16 percent of the voters who oppose the bill, more than half of these voters (57 percent) do so because they feel even more restrictions are necessary.

"The public has spoken," IFAW Campaigns Officer Tracy Coppola points out.  "The tragedy at GW Zoological Park highlights the urgency for a nationwide solution to America's big cats crisis. Without a solid ban on keeping these wild animals as 'pets' and breeding them for exploitative roadside zoo exhibitions, life-threatening incidents will continue to put people, including first responders, at risk." 
The patchwork of state laws that currently address keeping big cats as pets widely fluctuate, with some states banning the practice while exempting a host of USDA exhibitors, and others with partial to no restrictions at all.

Eight in ten voters surveyed in the recent poll do not believe people in this country should be allowed to keep lions, tigers and other big cats as pets.

Although divisional dynamics are plaguing the present Congress, the "big cats" concern has found widespread bipartisan support among the voters.  The poll reveals that both Democrats and Republicans agree on this issue, with 80 percent of Republicans and 73 percent of both Democrats and Independents support the bill.

Coppola added, "IFAW urges Congress to respond to the vast majority of their constituents by passing the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act."

In the past two decades, big cat incidents have resulted in the deaths of 22 people including five children. In addition, reportedly over 200 humans have been mauled or injured.

About IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) Founded in 1969, IFAW saves animals in crisis around the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW rescues individual animals, works to prevent cruelty to animals, and advocates for the protection of wildlife and habitats. For more information, visit www.ifaw.org. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE International Fund for Animal Welfare

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