Wild Tigers For Sale
You may remember in Ohio, in October 2011 dozens of wild animals escaped (or were released) from a private zoo. Local police had to go on a suburban game hunt – killing among others 18 Bengal Tigers.
Stories like that may become more and more frequent – as a petition from the World Wildlife Foundation warns. The WWF says that currently there are more tigers in private ownership – as in pets – than there are in the wild.
“One of the world’s largest populations of tigers exists not in the wild—but in captivity in the United States. With an estimated 5,000 tigers, the U.S. captive tiger population exceeds the approximately 3,200 tigers in the wild.
WWF was among several conservation and welfare organizations to submit a joint petition to the USDA asking for a ban on public contact with tiger cubs. This will help ensure public safety, slow the breeding of captive tigers, make them easier to track and stop wildlife crime by preventing captive tigers from leaking into the illegal wildlife trade.
Did you know that there are more tigers in American backyards than there are in the wild around the world?
Estimated at perhaps 5,000 tigers, they are found in:
- backyards
- urban apartments
- sideshows
- truck stops
- private breeding facilities
For the past four years, WWF and TRAFFIC have raised the alarm on the lack of captive tiger regulation. Thanks to the “Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act” introduced by Congressman Howard “Buck” McKeon (R-CA) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) on February 29, 2012, the U.S. is now taking a step in the right direction.
“We welcome this important legislation because as the Zanesville incident showed, it’s critical for America to clear out captive big cats from our backyards,” says WWF’s Leigh Henry. “This is a matter not only of public safety, but also of preventing captive tigers from being fed into the massive illegal tiger trade driven by a booming black market for tiger products.”
If the bill passes, it will:
- Prohibit private possession of big cats like tigers and lions except at highly-qualified facilities, like accredited zoos and sanctuaries, where they can be properly cared for and restrained.
- Require any persons who currently possess big cats to register those animals with the USDA in order to keep the cats they currently own.
- Outlaw the breeding of any big cat except at accredited zoos and research and educational institutions.
Violators could face stiff penalties including confiscation of animals, fines as much as $20,000 and up to five years in jail.”
Watch the video –
This petition and bill was moving through Congress late last year – there still hasn’t been any more movement. Check out the World Wildlife Federations site on Tigers for more info here.
hat tip to reddit.
I want one…and in Alaska they could wander…of course I would have to have 1000 acres for them to wander…
Well nice thought…but hedge is right…it’s like raising a child really…you have to constantly watch them…
Cats get into more mischief way more then other animals do…Watch My Cat From Hell…now imagine those problems with the BIG cats…
This issue always pushes my buttons.
I used to work for Ga. G&F in the permit unit. A main part of my job was dealing with the subject of wild animals as pets. That cute little kitten they bought off the want ads has a habit of turning into a huge wild animal that not only needs quite a bit of food and room, but wants to eat you too. And it ends up with the animal being neglected and often killed. Sometimes the owner gets hurt too, but usually its the neighbor, friend or kid that gets hurt or killed through no fault of their own.
But it is more than just a public safety issue, there are problems with non-native species being released into the environment, the transmission of diseases, and of course, the ethical implications of keeping such animals in inadequate facilities with improper nutrition and medical attention. Just look at what has happened in Florida with the reptiles. I used to camp in the Everglades as a kid – won’t do that now, might wake up with a Reticulated Python trying to eat me.
Reports of “panthers” since the 80’s in Ga, Florida and other southern states has only grown in the past 30 years. Most of these animals are not “wild” but are cougars that were purchased as kittens and then turned loose. I remember seeing photos of a cougar outside of Atlanta that was eating from a garbage dumpster that had a collar on it.
In my experienced opinion, the sale and ownership of most wild animals should be prohibited across the board.
For once I’m gonna pass,no offense.
The government wants to register my tigers?
Next they will attempt to regulate my tigers?
Then they will attempt to confiscate my tigers. . .
The only way they will be able to get my tigers is when they pry them out of my cold, dead hand.
Sad, sad, sad and quadruple sad. Words just can’t express how I feel about this. Maybe add disgusted. To think that these proud, majestic animals are treated like this. What a double-edged sword that Law Enforcement finds themselves defending their actions. Damned if they did and damned f they didn’t, and folks, especially children, were harmed or killed. What a way o start the morning – I will be haunted all day!