December 28, 2022, 3:42 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
President Joe Biden has signed a law prohibiting the private ownership of big cats. The keeping of tigers, lions, jaguars, and other large cats will now be restricted to zoos, sanctuaries, universities, or government agencies. What will happen to the big cats currently in private ownership?
People have always been fascinated by the exotic and exclusive. Big cats are at the forefront of this fascination. Tiger cubs, in particular, are popular, and the business involving them is incredibly lucrative. People are willing to pay a lot of money for a selfie with a big cat. With enough budget, visitors to private zoos in the U.S. were previously allowed to hold, feed, or take photos with young animals. That is now over. From now on, big cats in private ownership are prohibited.
On December 21, 2022, U.S. President Joe Biden signed the Big Cat Public Safety Act. This applies to lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, pumas, or any hybrids of these big cats. This means private individuals in the U.S. can no longer keep or breed big cats. Additionally, any direct contact between visitors and the animals, such as petting or taking photos, is now prohibited. Only licensed zoos, animal shelters, and academic institutions with big cats are allowed to continue breeding and keeping them.
Overview
The Netflix Show “Tiger King” Brought the Necessary Attention
“We applaud the Senate and the President for passing this very important animal protection law,” said Brittany Michelson, spokesperson for the conservation organization In Defense Of Animals, in a press release welcoming the new law. According to Michelson, the signing is the success of a decades-long campaign with thousands of supporters.
Previous attempts to approve the animal protection law failed–until the Netflix hit “Tiger King” came along. The series about private zoo operator Joe Exotic became a surprise hit amid the coronavirus pandemic. Among other things, it shows how tiger cubs are deliberately produced for commercial purposes and then disposed of as adult animals. The series raised public awareness of the abuse of big cats in private ownership, said Kate Dylewsky, Senior Policy Advisor for Government Affairs at the Animal Welfare Institute, in an article by National Geographic.
Many of the facilities whose dubious practices were highlighted in “Tiger King” were forced to give up their animals due to violations of the animal protection law. As a result, the number of known cub petting offers had already decreased before the law was signed. The Netflix series “Tiger King” thus contributed to the success of the law.
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Animal rights activists have criticized the private ownership of big cats for years, partly due to the brutal practices of the operators. Young animals were bred to be separated from their mothers early for tourist photos. It is common to use young tigers for photo sessions until they are too big for it, explains Sara Amundson, president of the Humane Society Legislative Fund, in the National Geographic article. “They are then disposed of or sold, perpetuating the cycle,” she says, adding that unwanted cats often suffer in substandard facilities or are even killed.
The law could now put an end to these practices. According to the Humane Society of the United States, twelve states had already banned public contact with big cats, and some others had regulated the practice. However, there were also states with no regulations at all.
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What Happens to the Current Big Cats in Private Ownership?
The Humane Society of the United States estimates that around 4,500 big cats are currently held in captivity in zoos in the U.S. In addition, there is an unknown number of big cats in private ownership. Their owners may keep their animals but are not allowed to breed them or acquire more big cats. Offering the animals for petting or selfies to paying customers is also prohibited. Furthermore, owners must inform the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service about their animals within 180 days of the law’s enactment.
However, the question arises as to how lucrative keeping big cats is for private individuals or private zoos if important sources of income are lost in the future. Especially tigers and lions consume large amounts of meat daily. It is feared that many owners will quickly get rid of their big cats in private ownership due to the new law, as they no longer promise revenue. Amundson therefore urgently calls on all big cat owners who no longer wish to keep their animals to place them in humane sanctuaries accredited by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries.