California Bill Targets Public Contact With Captive Wild Animals
Sacramento, CA– A California bill to prohibit public interactions with captive wild animals will have its first hearing Tuesday at the State Capitol.
Assembly Bill 892, the Public Contact Safety Act, would ban direct contact between the public and species such as nonhuman primates, bears, elephants, sloths, otters, kangaroos, wallabies, servals, and caracals. The bill is co-sponsored by the Performing Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), a San Andreas-based animal sanctuary. Supporters say public contact with captive wild animals is on the rise, posing threats to animal welfare and public safety while undermining legitimate conservation work. They argue that animals used in these encounters are often separated from their mothers at a young age, subjected to stressful handling, and later discarded to roadside facilities or exotic animal auctions.
Animal welfare advocates further contend that such interactions distort public perception of wildlife. Studies cited by supporters show that seeing wild animals in human-centered settings can reduce awareness of their endangered status and increase interest in owning exotic pets. The bill’s hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. Tuesday at the State Capitol, before the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife.
PAWS was also a key supporter of the federal Big Cat Public Safety Act, signed into law in 2022, which banned the private ownership of big cats and public contact with them, including cub petting. A story covering that can be found here.
