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Google PlayThis week, the Big Cat Public Safety Act was passed by the Senate by way of a unanimous vote.
In a statement shared Wednesday, Rep. Mike Quigley of Illinois said he was “so proud” to see the bill make it this far following its initial introduction in 2019.
“For too long, lax laws have allowed private citizens to own big cats,” Quigley said. “Big cats are wild creatures—they should not be subjected to a life of confinement, where they are used and abused for entertainment purposes. Additionally, the possibility of one of these cats escaping, will no longer loom over our communities and first responders. These cats will be safer, and so will we.”
Next, the Big Cat Public Safety Act will be sent to the desk of President Biden for a final signature.
In short, the Big Cat Public Safety Act “revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species),” including by updating the types of restrictions placed on possessing and exhibiting such animals. More specifically, it aims to “restrict direct contact” between these animals and the general public.
In 2020, the core issues of the bill received a boost in public awareness thanks to the popularity of Netflix’s Tiger King series, which became an ubiquitous hit amid the early days of the pandemic. In April 2020, a number of major names associated with animal rights advocacy—including Joaquin Phoenix—expressed their support for legislation that would target these business practices.
