ORD-2001-016 Proposed Ordinance Prohibiting the Display of Wild and Exotic Animals within Orange County

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a �sJ - a.od�� a� � approve the ordinance. c�lG ✓� G �, A motion was made by Commissioner Jacobs, seconded by Commissioner Carey to defer consideration of this ordinance until some of the questions raised by citizens are answered. VOTE: UNANIMOUS 2. Hosemary Summers said that the primary purpose of this ordinance is to protect the welfare and safety of the public. There are a number of small circuses that travel through some of the neighboring counties with scheduled performances. There have been two injuries in North Carolina in the past 10 years due to circus animals. Both of these happened to be leopards. Worldwide, since 1990, there have been 44 human deaths and over 100 injuries as a result of attacks by captive elephants, and 75 attacks by captive wild felines. Roughly one -third of these have resulted in fatal injuries. These numbers are not large, but they do indicate that there is a risk to public safety. One point of clarification is that this ordinance does not prohibit the ownership of wild and exotic animals, but only the display of wild and exotic animals for purposes of entertainment and amusement. Commissioner Brown made reference to page five and the enforcement of the ordinance. She said that it would be difficult, in the event of traveling shows to notify someone by mail as to a violation. Geoffrey Gledhill said that civil penalties would not be effective for traveling circuses. Commissioner Carey asked why the civil penalty of $50.00 per animal was selected. He feels that this may not be a significant penalty. Geoffrey Gledhill said that this amount was consistent with some other ordinances that the County has that have civil penalty provisions. Geoffrey Gledhill said that the only way that a county could permit a traveling circus is to provide for that process through the ordinance. John Link clarified that this ordinance only applies to the unincorporated areas of Orange County. Commissioner Jacobs asked if the Board of Health would pursue requesting the municipalities to consider adoption of the ordinance and was told that the ordinance will be forwarded to the municipalities but not actively promoted. PUBLIC '' COMMENTS'` Ellen Whitaker, member of the Committee for Human and Animal Safety, spoke in support of this ordinance stating that wild animals that are used for entertainment are forced to exist in conditions which cause them to suffer. These animals are denied the expression of natural behavior patterns that are essential for their wellbeing. She said that it was standard practice to train and control them using pain and fear even within the most famous circuses. She read a prepared statement. She spoke about the documents from the committee that include Letters and sworn testimony from former circus employees, USDA inspectors, zoo officials, public safety officials, and veterinarians, as well as USDA inspection reports, newspaper articles, eyewitness accounts given under oath, and various legal documents. She said that there was strong local support for this ordinance. She presented a petition with 1,000 signatures of people from Orange County. Bob Blackmar said that he travels with a children's zoo. He said that the ordinance should be rejected because the majority of exotic animals that are now being exhibited by traveling zoos and many circuses are captive -bred and are not wild or dangerous. He feels that the banning of all wild and dangerous animals is too broad.