Virginia Bans Direct Contact With Tigers, Bears and Primates
Tiger cub petting and exotic-animal selfies are among the encounters banned under the state’s new Dangerous Captive Animal Exhibits Act.
Virginia has become the latest U.S. state to ban petting encounters with dangerous animals.
The Senate Bill 1030 - the Dangerous Captive Animal Exhibits Act - has now been signed into law and becomes effective July 1, 2021.
The bill says that “it is unlawful for any keeper to provide or offer to provide to any member of the public, for free or for a cost, direct contact with a dangerous captive animal.”
The new law refers to ‘dangerous captive animals’ which includes bears, nonhuman primates, and big cats like leopards, lions and tigers.
Netflix’s popular documentary series Tiger King has recently shone a spotlight on America’s treatment of big cats and their lack of legal protection.
Whilst there are twenty-one states that prohibit the keeping of dangerous exotic pets such as big cats, there is currently no U.S. federal law concerning big cat ownership.
However, campaigners are currently trying to pass the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a legislation which seeks to protect these captive animals by outlawing direct contact between the public and big cats.
With around 5,000 captive tigers in the US, this act has the potential to help protect big cats by outlawing backyard captive big cat collectors and inhumane cub handling exhibits. Campaigners are urging the public to ask their Member of Congress to support the Big Cat Public Safety Act - you can find out how you can do so here.
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