Speeches & Testimony

Madam Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1380, the Big Cat Public Safety Act.

At the beginning of this hectic year, many Americans were introduced  to the issue before us today and this legislation for the first time through the ``Tiger King,'' which in addition to a plethora of colorful real-life characters also shined a spotlight on the dark side of keeping lions, tigers, and other big cats in captivity. 

The Big Cat Public Safety Act ends the ownership of big cats as pets and prohibits exhibitors from allowing public contact with big cats, including cubs.

In 2003, Congress unanimously passed the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, which amended the Lacey Act to prohibit the import, export, buying, selling, transport, receiving, or acquisition of big cats across States  to the U.S. border. However, the existing law did not include prohibitions for the private possession or breeding of big cats.  Currently, State laws vary quite a bit. Some States have no restrictions; some simply require registration; and some completely prohibit ownership of big cats as pets.

The Big Cat Public Safety Act builds on the Captive Wildlife Safety Act by making it illegal to privately possess or breed lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars, cougars, or any hybrid. The bill is narrowly focused on privately owned animals and includes exemptions for exhibitors with U.S. Department of Agriculture class C licenses, such 
as zoos, State universities, and sanctuaries.

This bill, championed by my colleague, Representative Mike Quigley, along with an astounding 230 cosponsors, is a commonsense solution to address public safety and animal abuse concerns. It enjoys wide bipartisan support, and it is time we passed it into law.

It is unknown how many big cats, including tigers, lions, jaguars, leopards, cougars, and hybrids, are currently kept in private ownership in the United States, but estimates are in the range of 5,000 to 10,000. That means an average of up to 200 big cats are in private ownership in every State in America.

I don't know about you, Madam Speaker, but I wouldn't feel safe with my children or grandchildren living next door to a tiger, nor does that seem humane for the animals whose ancestors roamed vast expanses of the savannahs and jungles.

As we saw in ``Tiger King,'' the top priority for private big cat owners is not the best interests of animals or public safety but rather greed, profit, or glory.

Since 1990, there have been around 300 dangerous incidents involving big cats in the United States--including one just today--that have resulted in human injuries, mauling, and even death. When these incidents occur, first responders are also put at risk since they are not trained or equipped to handle situations involving big cats.

 Madam Speaker, I hope you can all agree with me that the private ownership of big cats opens the door for rampant animal abuse and also presents a dangerous and significant risk to public safety.

This bill is endorsed by over 27 organizations, including the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and the National Sheriffs' Association. Of special note as well is that the Zoological Association of America, which previously opposed this measure, has withdrawn its opposition and is now neutral because its board has now banned public 
contact with big cats at its accredited zoos.

Please join me in voting for this legislation to stop animal abuse and bad actors like those we saw in ``Tiger King.'' In the midst of a roller coaster of a year, here is one thing we can do to reduce the mayhem.