WASHINGTON, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- The Humane Society of the United States is urging President Bush to sign legislation cracking down on the burgeoning trade in exotic big cats.
Congress passed measures that would stem the flow of some 10,000 to 15,000 lions and tigers kept as pets in the United States.
"Lions and tigers are dangerous and unpredictable wild animals, and there is simply no justifiable reason for keeping them as pets. We hope the states follow the action of the federal government and put an end to the fad of people keeping dangerous exotic wild animals as pets," said Wayne Pacelle, a senior vice president for HSUS.
The issue received widespread attention after Roy Horne of the Las Vegas show team Ziegfried and Roy was mauled by a tiger during a show and reports about a man who kept a 350-pound tiger in his Harlem apartment.
