Wild Animal Public Contact Ban (California)
A.B.892
Would prohibit public encounters with animals such as handfeeding, petting, holding, or playing with nonhuman primates, bears, elephants, sloths, otters, kangaroos, wallabies, servals, and caracals held in captivity.
Status
The Animal Legal Defense Fund supports this bill.
Sponsors: Assemblymember Nick Schultz (D-44)
Introduction Date: February 19, 2025
If enacted, the Public Contact Safety Act (A.B.892) would prohibit public encounters with animals such as handfeeding, petting, holding, or playing with nonhuman primates, bears, elephants, sloths, otters, kangaroos, wallabies, servals, and caracals held in captivity.
Public contact with wild animals is on the rise and jeopardizes their welfare, public health and safety, and conservation. Breeding wild animals for the purpose of forcing them to be handled by the public leads to a surplus because these exhibitors require an ongoing supply of new animals as they quickly grow too large or are injurious or uncooperative.
If A.B.892 passes, California would join 14 other states in prohibiting public contact with specific animals.
Why is this legislation important?
Wild animal encounters are not safe for people or animals. Surplus animals all too frequently end up in backyard menageries, poorly run facilities, or are sent to auction.
Wild animals can also spread viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic infections that pose serious health risks to people. Public handling is largely unregulated by any agency, resulting in wild animals injuring the public, including children.
Coalition Support
We are co-sponsors of this legislation with Humane World for Animals (formerly the Humane Society of the United States) and Performing Animal Welfare Society.
For more information about animal protection legislation in California and opportunities to take action for animals, visit aldf.org/california.
