[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 123 (Thursday, September 13, 2012)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6343-S6344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KERRY (for himself, Mr. Lieberman, Mr. Sanders, and Mr. 
        Blumenthal):
  S. 3547. A bill to amend the Lacey Act Amendments of 1981 to clarify 
provisions enacted by the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, to further the 
conservation of certain wildlife species, and for other purposes; to 
the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Big Cats and 
Public Safety Protection Act to protect public safety, improve animal 
welfare, assist international big cat conservation, and to help clarify 
the existing patchwork of current state regulation. This is a companion 
for legislation previously introduced in the House by Representatives 
Howard McKeon and Loretta Sanchez. Amazingly, it is unknown even how 
many big cats such as lions, cougars, leopards, and cheetahs live or 
are bred in private possession in the United States. This bill would 
prevent the private possession and breeding of big cats, while still 
allowing properly accredited zoos and wildlife sanctuaries to continue 
to operate in the critical conservation and animal welfare roles that 
they occupy today.
  Why is this legislation so important? First, this is a public safety 
issue, which was made tragically clear almost a year ago in Zanesville, 
Ohio, when the owner of a backyard zoo opened the cages of his tigers, 
leopards, lions, wolves, bears, and monkeys before killing himself. 
Wild animals were literally roaming the streets where children were 
playing and people were going about their daily lives. Sadly, the 
situation gave police no choice but to shoot and kill almost 50 
animals, including 38 big cats, before they could enter populated 
areas. Public safety officials were, understandably, not trained or 
equipped to deal with large exotic animals especially 300 pound tigers. 
This tragedy should serve as a chilling wakeup call about our lack of 
safeguards around large, wild species being kept as pets. In the past 
11 years in the United States, incidents involving captive big cats 
have resulted in the deaths of 21 people, 16 adults and 5 children. 
During the same time period,

[[Page S6344]]

there have been 246 maulings, 253 escapes, 143 big cat deaths, and 128 
confiscations.
  This is also an animal welfare issue. Research shows that the captive 
big cat community is characterized by a systemic culture of inhumane 
mistreatment of the animals. One major reason for this is that once 
individual big cats have outgrown the infancy stage when they are most 
profitable, they are often warehoused in terrible conditions. Because 
private ownership is allowed to continue, many sanctuaries for 
mistreated or unwanted big cats are at or nearing capacity and lack 
financial reserves to provide greater assistance. The recent closure of 
a major sanctuary in Texas that had over 50 big cats has made matters 
worse.
  Third, this is a matter of conservation. Tigers, for example, are 
extremely endangered by poaching and trade, and illegal tiger products 
continue to be smuggled into the U.S. from foreign countries. One of 
the biggest threats to wild tigers is the demand for tiger parts and 
products, and leakage of captive tiger parts and products into the 
illegal market continues to encourage demand, perpetuating poaching and 
threatening remaining wild populations.
  Finally, this bill will address the current patchwork state 
regulation. There are still two states that have no regulations or 
permits at all regarding private ownership of exotic animals including 
big cats. Seven other States have little to no regulations of private 
ownership of exotic animals including big cats. Another 14 states allow 
big cat possession only with a state permit, and 27 states and the 
District of Columbia have enacted full bans on private ownership of big 
cats, though all of those exempt federally-licensed exhibitors. Given 
the risks I have already outlined, this kind of regulatory patchwork is 
simply unacceptable and could be dangerous.
  I believe that the Big Cats and Public Safety Protection Act will 
help ensure that lions, tigers, and other potentially dangerous big 
cats do not threaten public safety, harm global conservation efforts, 
or end up living in squalid conditions where they are subject to 
mistreatment and cruelty.
  A number of organizations are supportive of this bill, including the 
International Fund for Animal Welfare, the Humane Society of the United 
States, Born Free USA, Big Cat Rescue, the Animal Welfare Institute, 
and the World Wildlife Foundation.
  I would like to recognize Senators Lieberman, Sanders, and Blumenthal 
as original cosponsors of this bill. I look forward to continued 
progress in enhancing the protection and conservation of wild big cats 
and in increasing public safety from the dangers of these untamed 
animals.
                                 ______