Netflix’s Tiger King Inspires Bill To Outlaw Private Ownership of Big Cats
The landmark legislation will ban the private ownership of tigers, cheetahs, and leopards in the U.S., and prohibit exhibits that allow public contact with cubs.
Credit: Netflix
A bipartisan group of Senators have reintroduced a landmark bill to help protect big cats in the U.S. from abuse.
The Big Cat Safety Act will outlaw inhumane cub handling exhibits as well as backyard big cat collectors.
Last year’s Tiger King documentary on Netflix helped propel the issue of America’s longstanding problem with captive exotic animals into the spotlight. With around 5,000 captive tigers in the U.S. alone, campaigners have repeatedly urged for more to be done to protect big cats.
Now, the bill’s reintroduction aims to capitalize on this public awareness to finally help protect big cats.
“The [Tiger King] series showed the abysmal conditions big cats, including tigers, lions, and leopards, as well as their cubs, live in throughout the United States and the immense risks private ownership of these animals pose for the individuals who keep them, the general public, and the animals themselves”, a press release accompanying the bill explains.
The legislation was introduced by the U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tom Carper (D-DE), and Richard Burr (R-NC).
“Big cats like lions, tigers, and cheetahs belong in their natural habitats, not in the hands of private owners where they are too often subject to cruelty or improper care,” said Senator Collins. “Our bipartisan bill would prohibit the private ownership of big cats, which threatens the safety of the animals and the public and harms conservation efforts. I have long advocated for policies that improve the welfare of animals, and I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.”
Whilst there are twenty-one states that prohibit the keeping of dangerous exotic pets like tigers and leopards, there is currently no U.S. federal law concerning big cat ownership.
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