The private possession of exotic big cats in the USA is a huge problem. Only 18 states ban the ownership of big cats from bobcats to tigers, these cats are often kept in substandard conditions, exploited and live miserable lives. Watch this video and find out if it's legal to privately own a big cat in YOUR state:
I watched the entire video, and it is certainly sobering to realize how the U.S. has very little regard for private ownership of big cats. The ridiculously lax laws also apply to animals such as chimpanzees, which are legally allowed to be owned in I believe 29 American States. Aren't there more tigers in Texas than in all of India? The sad fact remains that probably 99% of the privately owned big cats in the United States exist in substandard enclosures.
@bigcat1981 I touched on this subject in an earlier thread that might interest you: http://www.zoochat.com/65/lack-animal-protection-laws-usa-24944/
Oregon recently outlawed ownership of nondomestic felines, canines, bears, and other exotic animals. The new law goes into effect in 2010. Anyone currently owning one of these gets to keep it. I wonder about the consequences for the tiger "sanctuary" in southern Oregon. I learned there that people are breeding more tiger color variations than just white ones. Hello? Not a domestic species!
