Two Incidents in Two Days Demonstrate Risks of Keeping Exotic Animals
In light of two people being seriously injured by tigers in Missouri this week, The Humane Society of the United States urges state lawmakers to prohibit private possession of tigers and other dangerous wild animals. On Sunday, a tiger jumped over the wall of an enclosure and attacked a volunteer at Wesa-A-Geh-Ya, a facility that previously lost its U.S. Department of Agriculture license to operate as an exhibitor. On Monday, a 16-year-old worker at Predator World, also known as the Interactive Zoo and Aquarium, was attacked by three tigers while inside a tiger's enclosure and was airlifted to a hospital in critical condition.
"These tragedies can be prevented with common-sense laws," said Howard Goldman, Central states regional director for The HSUS. "Tigers are powerful predators and should never be kept in untrained hands. Missouri should prohibit private possession of tigers and other dangerous wild animals before another person is injured or killed. Wild animals belong in the wild."
Nine people have been killed by captive tigers in the United States since 2001 — more than one person per year. In 2005, a Kansas teenager was killed while she was being photographed with a tiger at a USDA-licensed facility. Following the incident, Kansas lawmakers prohibited private possession of big cats and certain other dangerous wild animals.
"It's very difficult every time we see these stories in the news, but it's not surprising given what's out there," said Mike and Ronda Good, the Kansas teen's parents. "The states and federal government don't see this as a priority. This is nobody's priority till it happens to them, and that has to change."
States including Iowa and Kentucky have banned exotic pets in recent years, while Missouri lawmakers have rejected such proposals. The state has one of the nation's weakest laws on private possession of dangerous wild animals.
Missouri law requires people who keep big cats as well as smaller wild cats, hyenas, wolves, primates, coyotes and certain dangerous reptiles outside of zoos, circuses, research and refuges to register the animals with county law enforcement, but enforcement is difficult. Some Missouri jurisdictions such as Kansas City and Springfield have stronger regulations.
Timeline
- December 2007: A teenager visiting the San Francisco Zoo was killed by a tiger who escaped her enclosure.
- April 2006: The body of a Minnesota woman who kept and previously bred tigers was found in a tiger's enclosure.
- August 2005: A 17-year-old was fatally wounded by a tiger during a photo shoot at a USDA-licensed exotic animal facility in Kansas.
- December 2003: A 10-year-old North Carolina boy was killed by a relative's tiger when he got too close to the cage.
- April 2003: A woman volunteering at an exotic animal park in Oklahoma was killed by a tiger who severed her arm.
- March 2003: A licensed animal keeper in Illinois was killed after entering a cage with two tigers on his rural property.
- October 2001: A tiger kept caged in the backyard of a Texas mobile home grabbed a 3-year old boy from a relative's arms and attacked him. The boy died of his injuries.
- July 2001: A volunteer repairing a cage at an exotic animal facility in Florida was killed when a tiger broke through a wire barrier and attacked him.
- March 2001: A man preparing a tiger for a photo shoot in Nevada was attacked and killed.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.
