On May 28th, the reality of visitor safety and animal protection in today’s society among zoos tragically surfaced with the shooting of Harambe, a Lowland Gorilla; critically endangered species. These tragedies & associated public safety incidents continue to rise in numbers.
Revise/Rewrite the AWA with explicit regard for zoos and public safety. Require all zoos to allocate capital funds to abolishing & updating enclosures within reasonable time frames that poses safety risks for the public or animal. Give the AZA authority and enforcement powers over zoos, or incorporate into the AWA. Removed critically endangered species from exhibit that cannot be properly protected. Require critically endangered species be of top priority within the AWA & AZA.