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| courtesy google images |
Stronger state regulations dealingwith the inspection of places that house wild animals have finally beenapproved by the California Department of Fish and Game Commission. As a member of the state-appointed Departmentof Fish and Game Captive Animal Advisory Committee that developed these newregulations I am happy to report that some progress has been made and cautiouslyoptimistic that there will be more to come.
For example: despite state laws mandatingthat facilities handling these animals, such as private collections,sanctuaries, zoos, and circuses be inspected by the Department of Fish and Gameto ensure the well-being of the animals and the safety of the public, theDepartment was allowing compliance through self-inspection. In other words, a facility’sown veterinarian was signing the forms that all was well! New regulations willmandate that the Department conduct these inspections and not personnel hiredby the compound.
The goal of these new regulations isto make sure that captive wildlife is treated humanely, contained securely, andhandled by qualified entities so as to reduce the danger to the public and theheartbreak of an animal’s untimely killing should he or she escape an insufficientenclosure. We all remember the chaos when loose wild animals were gunned down in Ohio, the fatal attack of a teen after a tiger at the San Francisco Zoo escaped, the group of tigers that escaped in Moorpark or the mauling of two people by a chimp.
Maybe someday we will reach a place where wild animals are not held for sport, exhibition, entertainment or whim.
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