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CWAPC STATEMENT ON THE HUMANE TREATMENT OF CAPTIVE LARGE CATS

Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition
P.O. Box 6944   San Carlos, CA 94070
P: 650 595-4692   f: 650-286-8834

July 2003
The Captive Wild Animal Protection Coalition (CWAPC) represents 20 leading animal protection organizations and more than 10 million supporters. CWAPC believes the practice of keeping wild animals as pets is reaching crisis levels for both people and animals. Wild animals, when kept as pets and in private menageries, have been known to injure and kill children and adults, are all too often confined in appalling conditions by unqualified owners, and furthermore can transmit potentially deadly diseases to humans and other animals.

As far as we know, private US citizens currently own at least 10,000 large cats many of which endure significant levels of deprivation and suffering. As future legislation is passed and greater control is brought to the largely unregulated practice of importing, breeding, buying, and selling wild animals as pets, the members of CWAPC are deeply concerned about the future welfare of animals that are likely to be confiscated or abandoned in increasing numbers. Critical to this will be the provision of suitable places to provide appropriate lifelong care for all these animals.

For example, CWAPC is particularly concerned by alarming recent discoveries in California and Texas.

In California there are currently 65 lions, tigers and leopards in immediate need of appropriate homes. These animals were seized by CA Fish & Game, when they exposed a pseudo-sanctuary that was actually breeding animals. Officials discovered 58 dead lion and tiger cubs in the owner's home freezer. He now awaits trial in October for 63 charges, including 17 felony counts stemming from allegations of child endangerment and animal cruelty.

Last month in Texas, the Attorney General obtained an emergency court order, to prevent harm to the public from a nonprofit, traveling exhibit featuring wild jungle cats and cubs. The exhibit included tigers, leopards, lions and cougars, and was advertised as a hands-on exhibit for children's birthday parties, weddings, commercial and media events, and educational settings. As a result of this prudent action, 29 tigers, lions and cougars and wolves have been seized but now need immediate placement.

Also in Eaton, Texas, 7 big cats have just been confiscated from a private owner. The numbers continue to grow.

The authorities in both CA & TX have asked CWAPC and other Animal Protection groups for assistance in finding proper homes for these 90+ big cats.

In response, CWAPC recommends that the placement of the cats stemming from the California and Texas cases be conducted in such a manner that the individual well-being of each and every animal is given the absolute highest priority.

CWAPC believes animals should only be placed in American Zoo and Aquarium Association accredited facilities or, in an "Animal Sanctuary" defined as a facility with the following characteristics:

Animals that are placed in appropriate facilities must first be examined and evaluated for presence of disease, be spayed and neutered, and permanently identified via microchip or other approved method. (**)

If no available space is found at facilities meeting these qualifications, CWAPC recommends these animals be spared the ongoing inhumane treatment of being kept in substandard conditions, where their complex nutritional, medical, social, emotional and behavioral needs are not being met, and that they be humanely euthanized.

The CA and TX cases highlight the horrors of this tragic situation. Even more alarming, however, is that these 90+ animals represent only the tip of the iceberg in regard to the much larger problem. Tens of thousands of animals are living in poor conditions in the U.S., and legitimate sanctuaries and accredited zoos will never be able to absorb all of these animals. Ultimately, thousands of animals may be euthanized.

The root of the problem must be addressed today. Much stronger regulations and legislative support are needed to eradicate the practices that are the cause of this increasing problem. Key actions include:

Keeping wild animals as pets, presents a tremendous threat to human health and safety from disease transmission and risk of injury. Additionally, individual pet owners can not provide these wild animals with the appropriate environment to meet their complex nutritional, medical, social, behavioral and emotional needs. There are thousands of tigers, lions, cougars, and other big cats being kept in private menageries, substandard roadside and traveling zoos and as pets in small cages, in backyards, holed up in basements and garages, and even living in people's homes and apartments. You can help us stop this inhumane practice.

CWAPC asks you to do three things:

  1. Please support appropriate legislation at the federal, state and local level.
  2. Please do NOT buy a wild animal for a pet and do not patronize traveling or roadside displays that feature wild animals.
  3. Please help us improve the quality of care for captive wild animals and create more appropriate spaces for these animals by contributing to the: Captive Wild Animal Rescue Fund

Please visit
www.CWAPC.org
Or
call 650-595-4692

*Sanctuary Standards of Care & Operation (SSCO) are currently being drafted by a coalition of 23 sanctuary operators, zoo managers, animal care givers, USDA inspectors, veterinarians and other professionals experienced in the care of these animals. This is the definition that the group has approved. This definition has been reviewed by the USDA and is currently being reviewed by the AZA Animal Welfare Committee.

**The only exception to spay and neutering of these animals is if there is scientific, irrefutable evidence of the genetic benefit of the animal to the viability of wild population through reintroduction of the species.