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In early 2005 Senate Bill 1032 was introduced to the NC Senate as a blanket ban on most exotic animals in the state. In an effort to exploit a recent tragic accident involving a child being mauled to death by his aunts' tiger, animal rights activist siezed this opportunity to further their agenda of getting all animals out of private posession. The Animal Protection Institute (API) forwarded a proposal for legislation, through their activists at the NC Zoo, to Senator John Garwood, who sponsored it as a bill on the floor of the NC Senate. This bill, if passed, would ban most exotic reptiles in the state by designating them as "inherantly dangerous animals". Although the death of the child was horrible, the individuals that were responsible for the tiger were never held fully to account for their criminal negligence. Now AR activists are trying to take away our rights to own exotic reptiles... Boas, Pythons and many others. There is a report written by NC Health and Human Services that reveals that there are no public safety or health problems posed by any reptiles in the state of NC. It goes on to name the animals that have statistically and consistantly been a danger to the public. Exotic reptiles do not make the list. Because there is no evidence to support the designation of exotic reptiles as "inherantly dangerous" the citizens of NC want the NC General Assembly to remove all reptiles from any proposed legislation.
*The citizens of North Carolina are against a ban on private ownership of reptiles in this state.
*The citizens of North Carolina do not support arbitrary or unfair regulation of reptiles that would be prohibitive to private ownership, or result in an “unfunded mandate”.
*The citizens of North Carolina are opposed to any legislation that affects reptiles which is not supported by a preponderance of facts in evidence.
*The citizens of North Carolina support the establishment of a Code of Ethics as well as caging, husbandry and safety protocol standards as outlined by the NC Association of Reptile Keepers (NCARK), as an alternative to a ban or the regulation of reptiles in this state. |
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The North Carolina Association of Reptile Keepers (NCARK) promotes private ownership of reptiles, the establishment of responsible statewide husbandry standards, educating the public, and conservation through captive breeding projects. We advocate a code of ethics, high standards for care, and strict safety protocols. We endorse training and mentoring to elevate keeper skills. Providing resources for locating veterinarians, rescue/rehabilitation centers, and antivenin is our social responsibility. We sponsor community outreach programs to break down barriers of misunderstanding and educate the public as well as the legislature about how these animals can enrich the quality of life in this state. Rapid habitat destruction threatens many reptiles here in NC and around the world. We can show how conservation through captive breeding is part of the solution to this problem. Our overall strategy is to aid North Carolina in elevating the level of responsibility and sophistication at which our keepers are working, while educating the public to the facts surrounding these misrepresented animals.
www.ncark.org |
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