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Expanded Details 
Location USA 
Bill US HR 3546 
Detail Cat   Information 
Detail Fact Sheet in opposition to H.R. 3546 and S. 2541 
Attachment   
Date 4/26/2016 
Body

S. 2541/ H.R. 3546: The Big Cat Public Safety Act

S. 2541/H.R. 3546 would prohibit the breeding, transportation and possession of all species of big cats by removing the current Captive Wildlife Safety Act exemption for federally licensed exhibitors. Feld Entertainment, Inc., the parent company of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, strongly opposes this bill, as it would severely restrict our ability to maintain big cats as part of our public performances.

 

Little Effect on Animal Welfare and Public Safety

 

Although proponents often cite concerns about animal welfare and public safety, this bill does nothing to address non-licensed, non-regulated owners and breeders. The bill’s prohibitions would not necessarily extend to activities that remain under state jurisdiction. As a result, the bill only accomplishes further restricting of the activities of professional exhibitors that are already subject to federal oversight and enforcement.

 

If enhancing animal welfare is a true concern, then it should be raised in the context of the USDA regulatory process and not by imposing an outright ban on all activities with captive big cats.

 

Discriminatory Exemptions

 

All exhibitors of animals are required to obtain the same type of license from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and comply with the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), whether they are a circus, zoo, or other commercial exhibitor. And all licensees are open to regular, unannounced inspections by USDA. However, this bill discriminates against certain sectors of animal exhibitors by removing current exemptions for federally licensed exhibitors.

 

The bill instead provides an exemption limited to facilities that voluntarily join the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). It also includes a very narrow “circus” exemption that many federally licensed exhibitors would not qualify for, including exhibitors who contract with circuses or work on TV and film productions. In effect, this legislation picks winners and losers within an industry.

 

Misleading on Conservation and Trafficking Issues

 

One of the stated goals of this bill is to further the conservation of big cats, but it will produce quite the opposite effect. It will actually impede the ability of many licensed exhibitors to engage in conservation through education, breeding, and research. In addition, many exhibitors are engaged in the direct financial support of conservation efforts around the world, and it is precisely because of their activities and success as exhibitors that they have the resources and expertise to do so.

 

This bill will adversely impact captive breeding programs that promote conservation and provide a gene bank for future possible reintroduction or maintenance of sustainable captive populations; yet it fails to address the issues of breeding by non-licensed, non-regulated intrastate breeders, and provides exemptions for unregulated sanctuaries.

 

The bill also alleges concerns over the possibility that big cat ownership in the United States fuels a multi-billion dollar market of illegal trade in wildlife parts; however, there is no evidence to support these allegations, as confirmed by both the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and TRAFFIC—a joint program of the World Wildlife Fund and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

 
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