Big Cat Public Safety Act Passed By House Could Prevent Future ‘Tiger Kings’
- Thomas Nelson
- December 13, 2020
- Animals, News, Politics
- 0 Comments
Early in 2020, the Netflix documentary series Tiger King took America by storm. The series told the story of Joe Exotic, a private zookeeper who was frequently at odds with big cat conservationists. The series gained notoriety due to how outrageous it was. A bizarre cult of personality around Exotic, the mistreatment of employees, a murder plot, and an attempt at politics – but it also highlighted how dangerous and cruel private ownership of exotic animals, like tigers, can be. But thanks to the Big Cat Public Safety Act, passed by the US House of Representatives on December 3rd, 2020, future Tiger Kings may be an impossibility.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act
The Big Cat Public Safety Act, or H.R. 1380, seeks to outlaw keeping big cats as pets. It was sponsored by Congressman Mike Quigley, the Democrat representing Illinois’ 5th congressional district, and passed with bipartisan support, 272 to 114.
“Animals like tigers, lions, leopards, and pumas should not be exposed to miserable conditions so many of them in our country currently face,” Rep. Quigley, said in a statement. “By passing the Big Cat Public Safety Act we are one step closer to ensuring these animals are treated humanely and to keeping the public safe from dangerous big cats. It is my hope that the Senate will quickly bring this bill to the floor so we can get it signed into law before the year ends.”
The bill, should it pass in the Senate and be signed into law by the President, would prevent most individuals from owning big cats. According to the Big Cat Public Safety Act, there are between 10,000 and 20,000 big cats being held in captivity in the United States, but an exact figure is difficult to pin down.
Although the welfare of big cats kept by private owners is front and center in H.R. 1380, humans would also benefit from its passage. Keeping big cats, to be frank, is quite dangerous to both the keeper and other people. There have been numerous stories of big cats attacking their owners or unsuspecting neighbors.
Carol Baskin, who was frequently targeted by Joe Exotic, applauded the passage of H.R. 1380. She took to Facebook to express her support.
“We are thrilled that the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed the House with bipartisan support to protect the big cats from abuse, the public and first responders from injuries and death, and the tiger in the wild from extinction. None of these important goals are partisan in any way and we hope the Senate will follow suit quickly to make it into law.”
Protecting endangered tigers
H.R. 1380 wouldn’t just outlaw private ownership of tigers, but if passed, it will help protect endangered tiger species. The exotic animal trade, including the trade of tigers, is often rampant with illegal acquisition of animals. Tiger cubs are taken from their months at just a couple months old to be domesticated.
It’s estimated that 100 years ago, as many as 80,000 tigers lived in India alone. That number has since dropped to 3,500 individuals worldwide according to the IUCN’s Red List of Threatened Species.
Trophy hunting, habitat destruction, and the traditional medicine trade, which uses different parts of the tiger for unproven medical treatments, are the primary causes of the decline in numbers.
Fast facts about captive tigers
- There are more tigers kept by private owners than there are in the wild.
- Tigers are an endangered species, according to the IUCN.
- Tigers cannot live and thrive inside of a person’s home.
- There are more than 200 tiger breeding operations in Asia alone, housing as many as 8,000 tigers.
- Tigers held in captivity often develop abnormal behaviors and have a reduced quality of life.
Read next: Poland may ban fur farming in 2021
