RALEIGH, N.C. — The aunt of Alex Black, the 22-year-old intern who was attacked at killed by a lion at the Conservators Center in December, wrote state lawmakers about beefing up regulations on zoos and sanctuaries.
House Bill 577 aims to prohibit most homeowners and certain organizations from keeping or owning exotic animals, such as lions, tigers, hyenas and apes.
North Carolina is one of only a few states in the country that doesn't have a statewide law regulating exotic animals, although many counties and other municipalities have already set their own rules. USDA licensed facilities, research centers and certain wildlife sanctuaries would be exempt from the law if the bill passes.
As it stands now, House Bill 577 wouldn't change anything at the Conservators Center. The Conservators Center is properly licensed and regulated by the USDA. A USDA report after the attack found not issues at the facility.
Black's letter says she hopes lawmakers will consider strengthening the bill by including these three points:
- Safety plans should be reported to and approved by a law enforcement agency, and safety drills should be routine for zoos and sanctuaries.
- Sanctuaries and zoos where a person has been killed or injured where investigation has revealed a lack of proper safety drills, equipment and protocols should no longer be able to keep dangerous wild animals.
- Such centers should be required to maintain liability insurance in an amount not less than $250,000 for each occurrence of property damage, bodily injury or death by a wild animal in its possession.
The bill passed unanimously in the House Judiciary Committee Monday. Representative Pricey Harrison (D-Guilford) says she hopes to work on an amendment that would address some of Virginia Black's concerns.
"It’s a real tragedy," explains Rep. Harrison. "It’s a really tragedy that could have been avoided. A horrible accident and this young lady's life was cut short. I just really feel for the family."
Any amendments to the bill would need to be approved by lawmakers before they are added to the bill.
Virginia Black starts her letter, sent to lawmakers Sunday night, by addressing what happened to her niece. She writes that Alex was outside the animal enclosures in a public area prepping food when a lion escaped its enclosure, attacked her niece and dragged her back inside.
The Conservators Center has maintained since the incident happened that Alex Black was cleaning an enclosure when the lion escaped from a separate pen.
When asked about the discrepancies with the story, an attorney for the Conservators Center says no one at the Center has ever spoken with Virginia Black, but says Center Leadership has been in touch with Alex's parents and siblings and will "continue working with them to ensure Alex is honored and remembered in accordance with their wishes."
The Conservators Center was closed for several weeks after the attack, but reopened to the public in February.
The State Department of Labor is still conducting an OSH investigation into what happened.
