Stop Public Contact with Dangerous Animals

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Across the country, the public can interact with wild animals. Animals such as big cats, bears, and nonhuman primates are found at malls, fairs, and roadside zoos. Allowing the public to pet, feed, pose with, and play with these animals is dangerous and inhumane. Many animals go through abusive trainings to instill fear in hopes of taming them for public contact.

To facilitate such unsafe handling, baby tigers, lions, bears, and primates are pulled from the care of their protective mothers shortly after birth. When the baby animals can no longer be used as play props, or for photographs — sometimes after just a few months – they are often discarded at roadside zoos, sold into the pet trade, or killed for their meat. This cycle of breeding, exploiting, and then dumping baby animals puts animals at risk and endangers the public.

Our efforts are working because the USDA recently took action to prohibit public handling with newborn big cats and is currently seeking feedback on what additional action to take. We just need a final push to show them we care about the safety of the public and the animals. **Urge the USDA to institute a complete ban on public contact with dangerous wild animals of any age!**