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U.S. Rep. Lizzie Fletcher has issued her support of the Big Cat Public Safety Act after a tiger was recently on the loose in the suburbs of Houston.
H.R. 263, also known as the "Big Cat Public Safety Act," amends the Captive Wildlife Safety Act to prohibit the possession by private individuals of lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and cougars, the Animal Welfare Institute said in a release. It also would ban the possession of any hybrids of these cats.
"As #TX07 made national news over an errant tiger recently, we know all too well the concern people have for the well-being of #BigCats and the safety of those around them," Fletcher said in a Twitter post about the bill. "I'm with @RepMikeQuigley: Big cats aren't pets. It's time to pass the #BigCatPublicSafetyAct!"
In May, a tiger was spotted loose and traveled around a Houston suburb, NBC News reported.
The proposed legislation would include big cats who are pets and would exempt zoos, sanctuaries and universities, the American Welfare Institute said. Those who currently own big cats are grandfathered in and would be able to keep their big cats as pets if they register their animals to alert first responders and animal control officers of their existence.
The American Welfare Institute noted that big cats like lions and tigers cannot be domesticated.
"Unlike companion animals who have been domesticated over centuries, big cats always retain their natural instinct to hunt and attack, no matter how they are raised," the Animal Welfare Institute said about the proposed legislation.
There have been at least 400 dangerous incidents involving captive big cats in 46 states and the District of Columbia, including incidents where five children and 20 adults were killed since 1990, the organization said.
"The wild animals used for petting and photo-taking encounters, and those imprisoned in basements or backyards as pets, not only suffer immensely, but also pose a serious risk to human safety," the Animal Welfare Institute said.