On Tuesday, the White Home formally threw its assist behind a invoice pushed by Tiger King star Carole Baskin to limit unique animal possession.
In a press release, the Biden administration stated that the Large Cat Public Security Act “would construct on current legal guidelines that shield massive cats like tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, and different wild animals dwelling in captivity in the USA” and “restrict possession of those animals to zoos, sanctuaries, universities, and companies.”
The measure — launched by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) — would formally ban the cub petting trade of lions, tigers, and different massive cats featured in Netflix’s hit Tiger King documentary launched in 2020. As highlighted within the present, non-public zoos repeatedly host occasions the place park-goers are allowed to pet the cubs of small cats.
For years, animal rights activist teams have criticized the observe that they are saying harms animals and threatens public security.
“As a result of cubs can solely be ‘dealt with’ for just a few months, this observe leads to cubs being prematurely weaned and forcibly separated from their moms, typically leading to long-term psychological repercussions,” the Animal Authorized Protection Fund says in a message of assist for the measure on its web site.
Non-public zoos, just like the one run by Joe Unique and different house owners featured on the present, profit from the loosely regulated cub petting and personal cat possession enterprise. The laws may dramatically have an effect on how companies like these function, stripping away a big portion of the income earned via petting sights.
Early final month, the New York Put up reported that Bhagavan “Doc” Antle, a non-public zoo proprietor featured in Tiger King, was booked by the FBI. No fees have been listed, in keeping with The Put up, however Antle has confronted quite a few fees of felonies, together with abuse of unique animals, through the years.
The Home is anticipated to vote on a handful of payments, together with the large cats measure, as early as this week.