Senate passes the Big Cat Public Safety Act
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Dear John,
I've been waiting and hoping for this moment for nearly a decade, and I'm so glad it's here. And it's all thanks to hard work from people like you who care about the safety of tigers. The US is home to about 5,000 captive tigers, but there has been little oversight of these animals and other big cats. That's why, for the last ten years, WWF has been pushing for greater regulation of captive tigers in the US through a bill called the Big Cat Public Safety Act.
In July, the House of Representatives passed the Big Cat Public Safety Act, and we've been closely monitoring and supporting its process through the Senate. Last night, the Senate also passed the bill and it now heads to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law. This is a huge step toward properly regulating captive tigers in the US and an opportunity to better protect tigers in the wild.
This legislation will help prevent captive tigers from ending up in the illegal trade in tiger parts and products, which is a primary threat to this endangered species in the wild. The bill will also help ensure the welfare of captive big cats, as well as public safety.
"With the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, Congress has sent a global message that the US stands firmly against wildlife crime and on the side of tiger conservation," said Leigh Henry, director of wildlife policy at WWF. Nearly 690,000 WWF-US activists have sent messages to Congress championing tighter regulations and stronger protections for captive tigers. Thank you so much for supporting tiger conservation.
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Malayan Tiger © WWF-Malaysia / Shariff Mohamad |
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