TAMPA -- No more Tiger Kings. as a bill outlawing private ownership of big cats and cub petting zoos is on its way to the White House.
Carole Baskin of Big Cat Rescue in Tampa says the campaign overcame "narcissistic" and "abusive" private collectors "who dominated the cruel trade and did everything they could to stop (the bill's) passage, including wanting to incriminate, discredit and even kill me."
Joseph Maldonado-Passage, namesake of the Netflix documentary "Tiger King", is serving prison time after being convicted of killing tigers and of plotting to kill Baskin. She and her husband had lobbied for the bill since 2011, but momentum took off when "Tiger King" drew attention to Baskin and the exploitation of big cats.
The bill would grandfather current big cat owners but would require them to register. It would also prohibit them from breeding their cats or acquiring new ones. Baskin says that within the decade, mosst of the big cats held by private owners will have died and within 20 years, the last tigers in private captivity will have passed away. Zoos, educational institutions and wildlife sanctuaries would be exempted.
Watch her response to the new law below:
Photo: Getty Images