Big cats are not props. Lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, snow leopards, clouded leopards, and their hybrids are powerful wild animals with complex physical and psychological needs.1
The Big Cat Public Safety Act was enacted in 2022 to restrict private possession of big cats and prohibit exhibitors from direct public contact, including contact with cubs.1 But public-contact schemes can survive when agencies allow vague definitions, weak oversight, or loopholes that rebrand paid encounters as education, volunteer activity, or supervised handling.
Cub Petting Creates a Profit Pipeline
Cub-petting and photo encounters create a financial reason to breed more animals. Cubs are marketable only for a short time, which can lead to early separation from mothers and a cycle of discard once they grow too large or dangerous for handling.3
Even young cubs can injure people. Direct contact also places animals under stress and can expose them to unsafe handling, excessive public interaction, and poor welfare conditions.5
USDA APHIS Has a Key Role
USDA APHIS administers and enforces the Animal Welfare Act for regulated exhibitors. Its Animal Care program conducts inspections, reviews welfare conditions, and makes compliance records available to the public through its Animal Care Search Tool.26
That authority matters. If exhibitors can still permit direct contact under alternate labels, big cats remain vulnerable. APHIS must make clear that paid cub encounters, photo sessions, bottle-feeding, and public handling are inconsistent with humane care and public safety.
Loopholes Must Be Closed
Animal welfare and legal advocates have warned that exceptions or weak definitions can reopen the door to contact-based entertainment.4 Accredited zoo standards already recognize the danger of tiger cub petting and photo sessions, while less protective programs have allowed cub encounters in some settings.5
USDA APHIS leaders must act with clarity. They should issue guidance, inspect for public-contact schemes, document violations, pursue enforcement, and prevent exhibitors from using loopholes to put big cats back into human hands.
Sign the petition to urge USDA APHIS to end public contact with big cats and close loopholes that allow cub-petting and photo encounters.
