Netflix’s Tiger King docuseries was an immediate hit, and now celebrities are endorsing a federal bill that would safeguard the types of big cats that are seen in the show.
Filmmaker Gabriela Cowperthwaite and the Animal Legal Defense Fund co-wrote the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which has since been supported by Joaquin Phoenix, Iggy Pop, Christopher Walken, Anjelica Huston, and more. Cowperthwaite is known for directing the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which revealed how poorly aquatic animals at SeaWorld are treated.
“Documentaries can be powerful forces for change, sometimes through a call to action and other times simply by telling a story that entertains, creating a window into a world viewers weren’t previously aware of,” Cowperthwaite said in a statement, per Variety. “But at some point, there is a pivot and the passion of their millions of viewers lands somewhere useful.”
She continued, “Tiger King and its audience can do that now. The world of big cat captivity requires a call to action, and I’m encouraged that through this partnership with the Animal Legal Defense Fund and support for our petition by the entertainment industry, we may see enough pressure lead to the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act.”
The number of tigers that live in captivity in the U.S. outnumbers those in the wild. The petition underscores why it’s dangerous to cage these animals, noting that newborn cubs are forcibly taken from their mothers, tigers are drugged to be “compliant and docile,” and they often get killed or sold as pets when they are “no longer profitable.”
“Netflix’s docuseries Tiger King has become a cultural phenomenon since it was released and has made big cats—and those who abuse them—a popular topic of conversation,” Animal Legal Defense Fund executive director Stephen Wells told Variety. “It’s important for us to move beyond the characters in the series and use this moment to put real pressure on our elected officials so meaningful change can be made to protect lions and tigers, and other big cats, many of whom are members of endangered species.”
The Big Cat Safety Act was first introduced to the House in 2019 but didn’t get far. If the petition succeeds, then a USDA license will be required when owning a big cat.
A number of other celebrities have signed the federal bill, including Rooney and Kate Mara, Edie Falco, Ireland Baldwin, Kim Basinger, Ruby Rose, Ian Somerhalder, Teresa Palmer, Glenn Close, Justin Theroux, Steve Aoki, Jane Lynch, Kate del Castillo, Olivia Wilde, Sarah Silverman, Whitney Cummings, and Jenny Slate.
