# Big Cat Public Safety Act

This bill makes it illegal for private individuals to own big cats like lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars as pets. It also bans breeding these animals for private ownership and prohibits public contact activities like petting zoos or photo ops where people can touch or handle big cats. The law applies to anyone who isn't a licensed zoo, sanctuary, or research facility with proper credentials.

The main goal is to protect both people and animals. Big cats are dangerous predators that can seriously injure or kill humans, and keeping them in captivity causes them physical and psychological harm. Right now, there's no federal law stopping someone from keeping a tiger in their backyard, which has led to tragic incidents where people have been mauled or killed by their own pets. This bill closes that gap by making private ownership a federal crime with penalties including fines and potential jail time.

The law does allow some exceptions for facilities that meet strict requirements, like accredited zoos and legitimate wildlife sanctuaries that can prove they're providing proper care and not profiting from public contact with the animals. It also grandfathers in some existing private owners who can keep their animals if they register them and follow specific safety rules, though they generally can't breed them or acquire new ones. This bill essentially recognizes that big cats belong in the wild or in professional facilities designed for their care, not in people's homes or roadside attractions.

Big Cat Public Safety Act

Blumenthal, Richard

Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill 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). Specifically, it revises restrictions on the possession and exhibition of big cats, including to restrict direct contact between the public and big cats.