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On Tuesday, the White House officially threw its support behind a bill pushed by Tiger King <\/em>star Carole Baskin to restrict exotic animal ownership.<\/p>\n In a statement, the Biden administration said that the Big Cat Public Safety Act \u201cwould build on existing laws that protect big cats like tigers, cheetahs, jaguars, and other wild animals living in captivity in the United States\u201d and \u201climit ownership of these animals to zoos, sanctuaries, universities, and agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n The measure \u2014 introduced by Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) \u2014 would formally ban the cub petting industry<\/a> of lions, tigers, and other big cats featured in Netflix\u2019s hit Tiger King<\/em> documentary released in 2020. As highlighted in the show, private zoos regularly host events where park-goers are allowed to pet the cubs of small cats. <\/p>\n For years, animal rights activist groups have criticized the practice that they say harms animals and threatens public safety. <\/p>\n \u201cBecause cubs can only be \u2018handled\u2019 for a few months, this practice results in cubs being prematurely weaned and forcibly separated from their mothers, often resulting in long-term psychological repercussions,\u201d the Animal Legal Defense Fund<\/a> says in a message of support for the measure on its website.<\/p>\n Private zoos, like the one run by Joe Exotic and other owners featured on the show, benefit from the loosely regulated cub petting and private cat ownership business. The legislation could dramatically affect how businesses like these operate, stripping away a large portion of the revenue earned through petting attractions. <\/p>\n