Nevada Senate considers outlawing dangerous pets

(AP) — Lawmakers are considering whether lions and tigers and bears —and several others species — should be legal to own in Nevada.

Large crowds filled legislative meeting rooms Thursday afternoon to hear the Senate Natural Resources Committee discuss SB245.

The bill would ban the ownership of a slew of animals defined as “dangerous wild animals.” Legal owners of such animals could keep their pets if they have never had any animal abuse or neglect offenses, and if they keep liability insurance of at least $250,000 per incident.

A second bill up for review outlaws the feeding of wild animals other than birds, but it’s likely the bill will be altered to only ban feeding large animals.