House Passes Bill Featured In “Tiger King” That Would Ban Most Big Cats

Netflix’s “Tiger King” series left a mark in 2020 – and now it can contribute to a more lasting legacy. On Thursday, the House of Representatives passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a bill featured on the show that would ban most owners of big cats.

The bill, which passed 272-114, is an extension of amendments to the Lacey Act of 1981 to “promote the conservation of certain wildlife species.” Specifically, the bill limits who is able to transport, sell, buy, breed or own big cats, including lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, or hybrids of these animals. .

If the bill passes, most individuals will not be allowed to own big cats in private, and direct public contact with animals, including cub petting, will be prohibited. Wildlife sanctuaries, colleges and universities, state licensed veterinarians, facilities with a specific license from the Department of Agriculture and a few others will still be allowed to have big cats.

Owners of big cats born before the law was enacted will be allowed to keep their animals, provided they register the animal and do not breed or allow it in close proximity to the public.

If passed, those who break the law could be fined up to 20,000 people and could also be jailed for up to five years.

There are about 10,000 big cats in the United States and more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild, according to the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

The organization says big cats kept in captivity are often “exposed to abuse” and live in poor conditions, including roadside zoos that are not monitored or held accountable. Just a few weeks ago the Department of Justice alleged that Jeff and Lauren Lowe, a couple also featured in the “Tiger King” series, opened an unlicensed big cat park after Jeff lost his USDA license for “inappropriate” and “inadequate” animal care.

Representative Mike Quigley, who sponsored the bill, told the House that “500-pound carnivores pose a very real threat.”

“Lions and tigers have no place in city apartments or in cages in suburban backyards,” Quigley said. “Private citizens simply do not have the resources to deal with dangerous animals that are supposed to travel hundreds of square kilometers.”

Carole Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, has spent years pushing Congress to pass the bill, and some of her activism has been featured in “Tiger King.”

“We are delighted that the Big Cat Public Safety Act has passed the House with bipartisan support to protect the big cats from abuse, the public and first responders from injury and death, and the wild tiger from abuse. extinction, ”she wrote on Facebook. “None of these important goals are in any way partisan and we hope the Senate will swiftly follow suit and make it law.”

The bill was passed the same day a Big Cat Rescue tiger “nearly tore” the arm of a volunteer, the rescue said.

Candy Couser, 69, was preparing to feed the tiger Kimba, 3, when she realized he was locked away from the area where he was usually fed, the nonprofit said.

“She opened a guillotine tunnel door at one end of the tunnel, and when she went to lift the second door, she saw that it was clipped. It’s our universal signal NOT to open a door without the coordinator coming to help, but Candy said she just wasn’t thinking when she tried to decompress him, ”Big Cat Rescue said in a statement. “It’s against our protocols for anyone to put part of their body in a cage with a cat in it. Kimba grabbed his arm and almost tore it in the shoulder.”

Sew, according to Big Cat Rescue, insisted the tiger “does no harm for this mistake.” Kimba will be placed under a 30-day quarantine as a precaution, but the rescue said the incident was him “simply acting normally due to the presence of food and the desirability.”

“This happened the day our federal bill to ban the handling of Cubs and private possession comes to the House for a vote,” the rescue said. “The fact that despite our intense safety protocols and excellent safety record, an injury like this can occur only confirms the danger inherent in treating these animals and why we need the public safety law. Big Cat to eliminate not following them through the backyards of the country and end up in shrines where great people like Candy Couser are committed to taking care of those rejected by the paid gambling industry. . ”