A Bill Becomes Law

Last week, the Big Cat Public Safety Act cleared the US Senate, and is now headed to President Joe Biden's desk for signature, after which it will officially become law.  The bill will prohibit the keeping of big cats - defined as lions, tigers, leopards, snow leopards, jaguars, pumas, and hybrids thereof - as private pets.  It will also ban the use of these animals in public contact settings, such as photo ops and play sessions  The Netflix true crime series Tiger King was closely associated with this bill, and provides a good case study of exactly what sorts of behaviors are meant to be prevented by its passage.

What this bill does not do, to be clear, is impact the keeping of big cat in licensed zoological facilities, be they accredited by AZA or not.  Nor are cheetahs and clouded leopards - two cats that are "big" in the literal sense, if not the taxonomic - included, meaning zoos can continue to use them as animal ambassadors.  The bill has support of a wide array of organizations interested in big cat conservation and welfare, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and Panthera.

I've heard some opposition to this bill from zoo professionals who object to any steps that inhibit the ability to work with wild animals in a manner that they may chose, even if they personally are opposed to the actions which the bill would ban.  There are others who view any compromise or collaboration with animal rights organizations as a betrayal, a slippery slope that will end with all of our facilities being shut down.  It's true that this isn't the last legislative word on animals under human care; there are proposals for a bill which would ban the keeping of many cetaceans in aquariums, which AZA has vocally come out as being opposed to.  

We shouldn't let our fear of what our opponents may do stop us from doing what is right for animals in a given situation.  The Big Cat Public Safety Act will hopefully reduce or prevent the exploitation of animals in substandard facilities - and that is a win which should be celebrated.