User:Wekeli/sandbox

The initial Captive Wildlife Safety Act (CWSA) was signed into law on December 19, 2003. In order to address problems associated with the increasing trade in certain big cat species, the CSWA regulations were strengthened by a law passed on September 17, 2007. The big cat species addressed in these regulations are the lion, tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard, cheetah, jaguar, cougar, and any hybrid combination any of these species that results from breeding of these big cats. Private ownership of these big cats is not prohibited by this law but the law does make it illegal to transport, sell, or purchase them in interstate or foreign commerce. Although these regulations seem to provide a strong legal framework for controlling the commerce involving big cats, international organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have encouraged the U.S. to further strengthen these laws. The WWF is concerned that weaknesses in the existing U.S. regulations could be unintentionally helping to fuel the black market for tiger parts.

Sanctuaries
An Animal Sanctuary provides a refuge for animals to live out their natural lives in a protected environment. Usually these animal sanctuaries are the organizations which provide a home to big cats whose private owners are no longer able or willing to care for their big cats. However, use of the word sanctuary in an organization's name is by itself no guarantee that it is a true animal sanctuary in the sense of a refuge. To be accepted by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) as a bonified animal sanctuary and to be elgible for an exemption from the prohibition of interstate movement of big cats under the Captive Wildlife Safety Act (CWSA), organizations must meet the following criteria as outlined in a FWS document named What Big Cat Owners Need to Know. These criteria include no commercial trading of big cats, no breeding of big cats and no direct contact allowed between the public and the big cats on the sanctuary property. Also specified are requirements for keeping records on the big cats, for allowing Fish and Wildlife Service enforcement officers to inspect the premises and records kept and for being a non-profit organization that is tax exempt under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Carolina Tiger Rescue organization in North Carolina is one example of a animal sanctuary that meets these criteria.