This is tragic, but also interesting – it’s the first evidence I’ve seen in the news of an unknown “backyard” (probably privately owned) tiger a) existing and b) getting loose and being a danger to people. If there are really 10,000 of them in the US, shouldn’t we see incidents like this happening much more frequently?
A lot of places are using this tiger to push for support for the Big Cat Public Safety Act (H.R.1818), so I want to take a moment to remind people that that bill as written is full of loopholes for sanctuaries and college mascots and has the potential to really screw up the conservation programs in even AZA-accredited zoos. (I did a full breakdown of the text here.) While legislation restricting big cat ownership to knowledgeable professionals is important, H.R.1818 is NOT a bill that should be supported as written by anyone who wants to ensure the welfare of captive big cats.
Tiger Killed in Georgia
Published
ruby-dear archive 