A copy of a letter I recently sent out to my senators...
I think that it is time for the US to seriously consider a
law(s) to protect endangered animals from the stupidity of
people. What I am referring to is the ability for any person
in this country to own animals such as Lions, Tigers and
other "exotic" animals.
These animals are kept in inhumane conditions (though
lawful) that we do not even allow criminals to be kept in.
The USDA requirements are not strict enough to protect
not only these animals but the public as well. What’s worse
is that when these animals do what they have been doing
for millions of years, they are destroyed because of some
person’s poor judgment.
The news is riddled with stories of someone’s "pet" wildcat
killing or maiming some child, yet it is the cat that is punished.
How can we as a people continue to support such behavior
that endangers not only these animals, but also the citizens of
this country?
As I write this right now, a story is on CNN (referenced below 1)
about someone who keeps 11 exotic cats and a bear as "novelty"
animals. This person keeps them at a body shop that will have
people coming and going. Now some small child has been
attacked leaving the child a quadriplegic and dependent on a
respirator. The cats? They were destroyed because this man;
Chuck Mock, thought it was a novelty to keep such animals
at his place of business.
This country has facilitated such an act by not having tougher
laws in place to keep people from owning these animals. The
animals were and always will be natural predators. They are
wild animals that deserve better protections by the law than
this. We only have 2500-3000 tigers left in the wild while
estimates are that tigers kept as pets are over 10,000 – 15,000
in the US alone. How can we truly allow someone owning one
of these as a pet? Look at all the wildcat rescue operations
running now; this is becoming an epidemic in this country.
Did you know that often some people buy these animals as pets
and when they become the large predator they are going to
become they dump/abandon them in the woods? I have a
referenced link below to a story of one such case in
Arkansas.
This 400lbs cat traveled 60 miles back home, right through the
middle of Harrison, Arkansas (pop 40,000). People raised this
animal and she had no fear of them. She was dumped off with
nothing but her instincts to keep her alive. She would NOT know
how to hunt for deer etc. for food. Very likely she would have gone
looking for humans when she became very hungry.
Just imagine hiking in the woods, playing in your own yard,
walking down the driveway to the mailbox... and coming face
to face with a 400lbs hungry tiger expecting food from you.
A tiger is 18 times as strong as a man. Your child in your
backyard would not stand a chance. Normal reflex of a tiger
is to attack if you run. What would be the first thing YOUR
child would do? Probably run and die.
Look over the current laws regarding the keeping and breeding
of these animals and then ask yourself if you want to live next
door, down the road or even in a town where someone has one
of these animals follows the basic requirements to keep one?
Often times that is all they follow, the very basics they have to
in order to own an animal such as a tiger, with a range for 400+
miles in the wild.
This list below is just a small sample of the number of attacks
on just children by “pet” (big) cats such as tigers, lions and
panthers. It is time to protect the public and these animals
from man obvious lack of judgment when it comes to keeping
these animals. We cannot continue to have laws that are so
relaxed that continue to allow this to happen. It is our duty
to say enough is enough, to give more protections and safeguards
for those that cannot protect themselves. It is our responsibility
to try to prevent these tragedies from occurring by making the
laws that make it harder to keep one of these animals.
References:
Child Attacked by Lion and Tiger
Tiger Attacks Child in St. Johns County
The Siberian Tigers of ... Minnesota?
Wild Life Pimps
Big Cat Rescue
Big Cats Kept as Pets Across U.S., Despite Risk
Back Yard Tigers
Big Cats, Big Trouble
Big Cat Incident List
Boy's Right Arm Torn Off by Tiger
