Private ownership of tigers, lions, leopards, and cougars creates welfare crises for thousands of big cats kept in inadequate conditions across the US and globally.
Private big cat ownership creates an impossible welfare situation. Animals with home ranges of hundreds of square kilometers in the wild are kept in cages. Cubs removed from mothers for public petting experience severe maternal deprivation. Animals that survive childhood in private facilities face a lifetime in inadequate housing, often cycling between poorly regulated facilities when owners can no longer manage them. The Big Cat Public Safety Act represents meaningful progress, but enforcement and the challenge of existing animals in private hands require continued attention.