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NC bill update
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by tigers9 on June 18, 2007
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http://www.newsobserver.com/politics/story/607861.html
Published: Jun 18, 2007 12:30 AM
Modified: Jun 18, 2007 01:41 AM
Roar greets bill to ban risky animals
Jim Nesbitt, Staff Writer
RALEIGH - The attempt to resurrect an exotic animal ban backed by a California animal rights group is causing an uproar among reptile hobbyists, agribusiness groups and private zoo and sanctuary owners who say the legislation would put them out of business.
The bill would ban private ownership of animals deemed "inherently dangerous," including lions, tigers, apes, monkeys and venomous snakes not indigenous to North Carolina. It would exempt some organizations, including circuses, research facilities and sanctuaries that meet federal mandates. And it also contains a "grandfather" clause if the owner registers the animal with local animal control authorities, which would enforce the proposed law.
Several weeks ago, the bill appeared to be dead, bottled up in a committee that kept it from meeting the legislature's "crossover" deadline.
But the bill's sponsor, Sen. Ed Jones, a Democrat from Halifax County, said he expects a hearing on the measure next week. He said that it doesn't target farm animals and that he doesn't intend to put sanctuaries and small, private zoos out of business. Nor, he said, is the bill designed as a far-reaching ban on private animal ownership.
"I'm not going to put anybody out of business," Jones said. "I'm not going to ban all animals. I just want to make sure what we have are kept for properly."
Jones said his primary purpose is to outlaw the keeping of tigers, lions and other larger, dangerous carnivores in "backyard" cages by people with little or no training.
This is the latest twist in a legislative initiative started after a 10-year-old Wilkes County boy was killed in 2003 by a tiger named Tigger that his aunt kept in the yard. That attack was followed in 2004 by the mauling of a 14-year-old Surry County girl by one of four tigers her family kept on a farm near Lowgap.
Roger Bone is a lobbyist hired by the group backing the bill, the Animal Protection Institute of Sacramento, Calif. He said North Carolina needs to ban private ownership of certain exotic animals. Otherwise, he said, the state could become a refuge for owners fleeing states that already have bans or regulations and a dumping ground for unwanted animals.
North Carolina is one of nine states that don't regulate the private ownership of exotic animals deemed a public safety or health risk. But 37 local governments across the state have bans or regulations in place, including Durham and Orange counties and Chapel Hill and Cary.
Opponents of Jones' bill say the API-backed measure reaches far beyond the threat posed by risky critters kept in the backyard. They say it threatens serious reptile collectors, people who use exotic animals in traveling education programs for schools, and small, private institutions such as the Cape Fear Serpentarium in Wilmington.
"If this bill has been redrafted to keep Billy Bob from keeping a tiger chained in the backyard or a rattlesnake in a glass case, we can stand behind that," said Tanith Tyrr, reptile curator at the serpentarium. "But I'm afraid because we know who wrote this bill. They're trying to push something through to prevent legitimate professionals from keeping and helping these animals."
Jones said he has drafted changes to the bill to address these concerns and promised to remove four large constrictor snakes and venomous snakes that aren't indigenous to North Carolina from the proposed ban.
"Reptiles are not what's killing us out here," he said "It's the person who has his tiger running around and not properly caged."
Opponents of Jones' bill are also critical of a legislative study committee headed by officials at the N.C. Zoological Park in Asheboro. The committee is charged with assessing the threat of "inherently dangerous" exotic animals and recommending whether to prohibit or regulate private ownership. Opponents note API was given one of the seats on the committee.
"It's a little curious to me why this is being pushed so hard when there's no one in North Carolina except the zoo and API pushing it so heavily," said Mary Ann McBride, assistant state veterinarian and member of the study committee. "Do we really want a California group to decide what's best for North Carolina citizens?"
But Dr. David Jones, zoo director, said the API-backed bill and the study committee aren't a coordinated effort. Jones said that, as a state agency, the zoo doesn't support specific bills, but he thinks it's important to restrict the ownership of exotic animals and establish higher standards for zoos and sanctuaries.
Staff writer Jim Nesbitt can be reached at 829-8955 or jim.nesbitt@newsobserver.com.
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RE: NC bill update
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by Cro on June 18, 2007
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Not surprising, as the animal rights nut cases are insidious in their attacks. Seems that NCARK still has work to do to keep these folks from adding reptiles back into the bill. And just how much do folks trust this Jones fellow to keep his word ? Sure he says that big constrictors and venomous animals are not part of the bill or problem, and perhaps he is being truthfull on that.
Do we know for sure ?
Poletical folk are really bad about introducting stuff into bills at the last minute.
This is the potential problem with reptile folk being allied with the big cat folks, and the pit bull folks, and the wolf folks, and the trained bear folks. If one of their critters eats someone, then the other groups go down with them. It is not that I do not like folks who responsibably keep tigers and lions and bears, but it would seem that these folk do have the worst record of allowing their animals to eat innocent folk?
The desire to take tigers out and make a buck posing them with cheerleaders seems to be strong in many of these folk, and because of that, attacks do happen.
So, the question is, can you big cat folks police yourself and keep your members from doing stupid stuff that allows the public to get bit or killed by your pets ????
Best Regards JohnZ
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RE: NC bill update
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by tigers9 on June 18, 2007
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Cro wrote:<<So, the question is, can you big cat folks police yourself and keep your members from doing stupid stuff that allows the public to get bit or killed by your pets ????>>
Funny you say that, since statistically on average (facts), one person gets killed by captive big cat in USA per year, 1.5 by reptiles. I only use deaths, since all deaths get reported. Majority of big cat fatalities are owners/trainers/handlers, aka, occupational hazard, rest people willingly on the property (friends, family members, picture seekers). Do you want these cat folks to give up their jobs??? Read more here: http://www.rexano.org//Safety.htm
Maybe I should ask you guys, if you venom folks can behave?;-) GRIN
Anyway, speaking of facts, here is the breakdown of US captive cat caused fatalities in the last 17-18 years when we can access data, no escaped cat attacks, no uninvolved public, in all cases these people were seeking the company of big cats either as owners, trainers, handlers, picture seekers, family members (with kids bad parenting).
Cases:
-three fatalities at AZA zoos (2 employees, 1 suicidal crazy woman claiming into lions cage)
-one teenager posing for pics, famous Haley's act (where were the parents?)
-three kids, younger than teens, killed by family/relative's big cat (again, parent's responsibility)
-two fatalities, adults, cats belonged to their friend or family member
-NINE were owners/trainers/handlers/employees/circus
TOTAL: 18 dead, 11 it was occupational/hobby hazard, (2 AZA workers and 9 trainers/owners). REST seeeking the cat contact, how the hell can we behave? The fatalities are statistically insignificant as it is.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I don't see how general public is in danger here? In case of dead kids, I would go after parents and family members who allowed the underage kid near the cats, but do not punish the whole industry because some people suck as parents. Zuzana www.rexano.org
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