U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., announced Monday that had joined three fellow senators in introducing bipartisan legislation that would ban the private ownership of lions, tigers and other big cats by unlicensed individuals. 

The Big Cat Public Safety Act would also make it illegal for exhibitors to allow public contact with cubs.

In announcing the legislation, Blumenthal said it is estimated that thousands of big cats are privately owned and held captive in insecure and unsafe conditions and that cub-handling attractions cause irreparable harm to the cubs and pose a danger to humans. The legislation is endorsed by numerous animal welfare, conservation, and law enforcement organizations. A similar version of the bill has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives.

"This bipartisan measure would help stop exploitation of big cats like tigers and lions, and reduce safety risks,” said Blumenthal. “My Big Cat Public Safety Act would prohibit private ownership of these beautiful but powerful predators, which deserve to live in the wild. They should never be pets, even as cubs, kept in captivity dangerously for entertainment."