A bill outlawing ‘cub petting’ and the private ownership of tigers and other big animals was signed by US President Joe Biden on Tuesday.
With the passage of this legislation, large cat ownership will be restricted to zoos, sanctuaries, institutions of higher learning, and government organisations.
Prior to Biden’s signature, the bill was approved by the US Congress and became a law. Both animal rights organisations and conservationists have praised the action that protects animals.
The requirements governing the trading of big cats are updated by this measure (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). In particular, it updates regulations governing big cat ownership and display, banning public interaction with big cats directly, as per US Congress.
The bill prohibits direct contact between the public and big cats as seen in Netflix series ‘Tiger King,’ which featured the exploits of a flamboyant private zoo owner named Joe Exotic.
It is an American true crime documentary streaming television series about the life of Joe. Joe Exotic, whose real name is Joe Maldonado-Passage, was sentenced in January 2020 to 22 years in prison for attempting to kill a rival animal refuge owner, Carole Baskin.
The series focuses on the small but deeply interconnected society of big cat conservationists such as Carole Baskin, owner of Big Cat Rescue, and collectors such as Exotic, whom Baskin accuses of abusing and exploiting wild animals.
Current owners of big cats are exempted but will have to register the animals with the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
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