‘Tiger King’ Star Carole Baskin Supports ‘Big Cat Public Safety Act’ Bill To Protect Lions and Tigers
deadline.comThe US House of Representatives has passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act, a first step in establishing a national policy to stop the trade and breeding of endangered lions and tigers as pets in homes and props at roadside zoos.
The bill overwhelmingly passed Friday by a vote of 278 to 134. The measure was introduced by Reps. Mike Quigley, D-Ill., and Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and actively supported on the floor by Reps.
Ed Case, D-Hawaii, and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz. But one of its most prominent supporters was Carole Baskin, founder of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa, Florida, and a prominent part of the television series TIger King, which put the issue of private ownership of tigers and lions on the American radar screen.
NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock TV, also featured the bill in its series Joe vs. Carole, released in March. “It is an enormous expense to care for these animals, and reckless behavior foists a massive long-term financial liability on animal sanctuaries,” said Baskin “None of these private big cat owners holds onto the animals for very long, and that means they get turned over to groups like Big Cat Rescue that have to take in these traumatized, often very unhealthy animals.” The bill builds on the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, passed unanimously in 2003, which sought to ban the trade in big cats as pets.
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