Big Cat Safety Act Becomes Law

“Big cats should not be pets. It’s as simple as that,” said John Calvelli, executive vice president for public affairs, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) in New York, N.Y. “In the early 2000s, a tiger was found in an apartment in Harlem. We found out and were called in because the owner had been mauled, went to the hospital for his injuries, and they asked what happened. That opened our eyes and we realized this was a much larger issue than anyone thought. We were playing with fire.”

Calvelli’s stance on the private ownership of big cats by people who aren’t qualified to care for them is widely held; however, enacting legislation to support it has been a long time coming. President Biden’s signing of the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA) on 20 December 2022 is the culmination of multiple partners’ focus on achieving the goal of stopping the exploitation of these magnificent animals.

Dan Ashe, president and chief executive officer at the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, said that big cats have been on his radar screen since he was director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, when Leigh Henry, director of wildlife policy at the World Wildlife Fund asked for his help with the issue of regulations for generic tigers. 

“I had worked on a report for TRAFFIC, and our angle was that the large population of tigers in the U.S. would eventually become part of the illegal wildlife trade,” said Henry. “The report highlighted the patchwork of regulations that existed. No one agency knew where the tigers were, or who owned them. And any captive tiger that was not part of a conservation breeding program was not regulated under the Endangered Species Act.”

Although those “backyard tigers” had previously been exempt from some permitting requirements, in 2016 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service finalized a new rule stating that all interstate commerce of generic tigers will need to be permitted or registered under the Captive-bred Wildlife Registration Program. Closing the longstanding loophole created a more consistent policy that was a meaningful step with regard to regulations around big cats.

However, that was by no means the end of the effort. Next on the agenda: passing the Big Cat Safety Act, legislation that conservationists had been working on for years. 

AZA Steps Up

“I came to AZA with the idea that because we were animal conservation and welfare organizations, we should support this legislation,” said Ashe. He didn’t find unanimous support among the membership, however, because of what it might mean to AZA institutions that were breeding big cats. “In general, members were on board with stopping the exploitation of the animals, but I think the vagueness of the language was partly what was making them nervous.” Ashe was able to sit down with other supporters of the bill and negotiate changes to the language, resulting in amendments clarifying the fact that AZA-accredited institutions would still be able to breed big cats. 

Dangerous incidents involving big cats and the public have landed on front pages across the country much too frequently, making this an issue deserving of attention from all quarters. Ashe called on AZA members to actively engage and educate their legislators about the bill and encourage their support. 

Chris Kuhar, executive director at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo in Cleveland, Ohio, was one of the members who stepped up. He recalls the 2011 incident in Zanesville, Ohio when the owner of a preserve released more than 50 animals, including tigers and lions, into the community. Most of them had to be shot by law enforcement in order to protect the public; and the tragedy led to the creation of Ohio’s exotic animal laws in 2014. 

“We’ve always supported the legislation around ensuring that exotic animals are in the hands of qualified professionals; and we’ve supported tougher legislation in Ohio and at the federal level,” said Kuhar. “We always try to maintain regular contact with our legislators so they know who we are, what we believe in, and benefits we provide to their constituents. It’s important to have a relationship with them before you need to ask for something. We reached out to Senator Portman and Representative Kaptur early on and made sure they understood the reasoning for the bill and the impact they would have. It’s time intensive to have these conversations and develop relationships, but it’s important work.” Portman and Kaptur were among those who co-sponsored the bill.

The Discovery channel’s 2020 airing of a true crime series about Joe Exotic, aka The Tiger King in Wynnewood, Okla., served as another example that put the unsavory side of big cat private ownership front and center for the public. 

“Even though being more proactive in the legislative arena was fairly new to me, when the push came from Dan and AZA, I had a handful of contacts to remind of why this was important, especially because of the black eye Oklahoma had from the Tiger King,” said Dwight Lawson, executive director and chief executive officer at Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden in Oklahoma City, Okla. “Senator Lankford’s aide’s father was a game warden who had had run-ins with him, which showed how close to home this legislation was.” Although Lankford initially put a hold on the bill because of concerns over potential conflict between federal and state laws, he ultimately removed it so the vote could go forward. 

For Susan Altrui, director of Little Rock Zoo in Little Rock, Ark., getting involved with the passage of this bill was a natural continuation of the positive work that had already been done on the state level. 

“For us, this hits really close to home because Arkansas was one of the first states in the country to ban private ownership of carnivores in 2005,” said Altrui. “And Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge in Eureka Springs is one of the nation’s leading big cat preserves. Largely because of Turpentine, we recognized very early on that private ownership of big cats and bears in some instances led to some pretty risky public safety issues.” 

Having been involved in government affairs work before launching her zoo career, Altrui was very comfortable reaching out to legislators. “Representative Womack and Representative Hill were very supportive; and Senator Boozman was key. When Dan called on us to work on Boozman, I was excited to be able to do something for big cats.”

Changes Ahead

The BCPSA was introduced every year since 2012 but didn’t pass in the House until 2020 and in the Senate in 2022. The fact that the process took years didn’t come as a surprise to anyone who had legislative experience; however, the end result for big cats and the people who want to stop their exploitation was well worth the effort.

“The bill has animal welfare implications and safety implications,” said Kuhar. “It puts AZA on the side of caring for animals, sets a precedent for us to be the professionals working in this space, and it supports our conservation message.” In fact, the passage of the bill adds another important facet to AZA’s existing commitment to big cats, which includes SAFE programs for African lions, cheetahs, and jaguars; and more than $10.5 million in contributions to big cat conservation field projects from 2019 to 2021. 

The BCPSA will prohibit anyone except qualified entities like AZA-accredited facilities from possessing big cats. Although current private owners are grandfathered into the new law and allowed to keep their animals, they are now required to register them with the government so that first responders and animal control officers know of their existence in their communities. Going forward, no private owners will be able to acquire an animal. There will also be restrictions placed on exploitative activities like photo opps, petting, and playing that negatively affect animal welfare; incentivize unscientific breeding; and pose safety risks to individuals and the public. 

Ashe is proud of AZA’s involvement in what he calls “a true coalition” that included organizations ranging from the Humane Society of the United States to Big Cat Rescue to the National Sheriffs Association all working on behalf of big cats. Calvelli is heartened by that type of collaboration, especially during a time when there is so much emphasis on what divides us.

"There’s power in numbers and we sometimes don’t realize the power we have to shape good legislation and move it forward,” said Calvelli. “This legislation shines a light on an area where we as Americans share a concern and need to act together. At the end of the day, what is important is that this was bipartisan. We had the ability to bring all sides together on issues of public safety and conservation.” 

And that victory for the people and the cats is worth celebrating.

Photos Credit: Ron Magill, © Zoo Miami

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