On Sunday, May 9, 2021, a tiger was apparently loose in the front yard of a home in a residential neighborhood in Houston. Shortly afterwards, a man captured the tiger and drove away with the big cat in his truck. The man, who has since been apprehended by police, denies that he is the owner of the tiger, and the animal is currently unaccounted for.
Cruel Captivity
While much is still unknown about the tiger, a wild animal on the loose in a U.S. city is an all too familiar scenario. The tiger is likely a pet, one of several thousand big cats kept in captivity in the United States and forced into lives of extreme, unnatural confinement. Like most pet tigers, she was probably taken from her mother as a little cub – a deep trauma for mother and baby alike. Now an adult, she experiences frustration each day as the conditions of her life render her unable to live according to her natural instincts and needs. Her diet is probably insufficient and her days lack stimulation, novelty, and the chance to interact with other animals the way she would in the wild. In short, even without knowing the poor tiger’s full life story, we know for sure that her life in captivity has been one of cruelty and suffering since birth.
A Dangerous Situation
And, captivity is not just cruel – it is also dangerous. Like so many exotic pets, the tiger is likely subjected to uncomfortable close contact with her owner and other humans, who mistakenly believe that she is safe to be around because she is often docile and appears tame. But, tame appearance or not, wild animals like tigers are exactly that – wild – and will act on their wild instincts, often leading to attacks and injuries. Born Free USA’s Exotic Animal Incidents Database recounts 156 attacks or escapes by pet big cats between 2011 and 2021, with four incidents resulting in human fatality.
A tiger on the loose in a heavily populated area is dangerous not only to the public, but also to the tiger. Escaped wild animals are often killed by law enforcement whether or not they attack anyone. The 2012 “Zanesville Tragedy,” in which 50 exotic animals were set free by their owner and subsequently killed by police in Zanesville, OH, is but one dramatic example of how these situations often play out.
A Bill to Protect Big Cats and the Public
As long as state and local laws permit people to own dangerous wild animals like tigers, incidents like this will continue to happen. But, it doesn’t have to be this way. The Big Cat Public Safety Act is a federal bill that would strengthen existing law to prohibit the possession of big cat species by private individuals, with exemptions for zoos, universities, and bona fide sanctuaries. Current owners of big cats would be “grandfathered in” under this bill and would need to register their animals to help inform the first responders and animal control officers in their communities. The bill also bans direct public contact with big cats, such as cub petting and photo ops – profitable activities that drive the rampant, irresponsible breeding and interstate trade in big cats in the U.S.
Speak out in support of the Big Cat Public Safety Act!
We hope the tiger will be located, saved from her abysmal life as a pet, and allowed to live out the remainder of her life at an accredited wildlife sanctuary, where she can enjoy greater freedom and a more natural setting. But, she is just one animal of thousands who need our help. Please take action to protect big cats like the Houston tiger by writing to your lawmakers in support of the Big Cat Public Safety Act!
Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Karen
