Las Vegas entertainment industry makes exotic animal ban unlikely
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The escape of two chimpanzees is prompting many to take a closer look at Nevada's exotic pet laws. Video by ktnv.com
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What happens now to the surviving chimp who escaped? Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV)- It was a tense couple of hours Thursday morning in the northwest part of the Valley. The calls to police started pouring in just after 10:00 in the morning. Neighbors reported seeing the two chimps wandering the streets near Ann Video by ktnv.com
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After two chimpanzees escaped in a Las Vegas neighborhood on Thursday, activists say more regulations are needed. Video by ktnv.com
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One chimpanzee is dead and another is back in captivity after the animals escaped in a Las Vegas neighborhood on Thursday morning. Video by ktnv.com
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As questions surround how two chimpanzees escaped from their owners, a local veterinarian discussed what the animals are really capable of. Video by ktnv.com
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Many are calling for changes to Nevada's exotic animal laws after two chimpanzees escaped in a Las Vegas neighborhood on Thursday. Video by ktnv.com
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Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Many are calling for changes to Nevada's exotic animal laws after two chimpanzees escaped in a Las Vegas neighborhood on Thursday.
How the two chimps escaped their enclosure, and the events that led to one being shot and killed, isn't what concerns animal activists right now. It's how Buddy and CJ got into that situation in the first place.
"I want to get a ban on private ownership of dangerous animals here in Nevada," animal rights activist LInda Faso said.
But Ken Foose, owner of Exotic Pet, disagrees with Faso and other activists. He doubts state regulation will ever happen because animals bring in big bucks in the Las Vegas Strip and local entertainment industry.
"That's why laws are the way they are in Nevada, because of the casino industry," Foose said.
Many shows on the Las Vegas Strip feature exotic animals.
At the local level, whether you can own an exotic animal depends on where you live. They are banned in the city of North Las Vegas and in Henderson. They are allowed in the city of Las Vegas. In Clark County, restrictions vary by zones.
Foose says activists are overreacting to Thursday's chimp escape incident.
"We don't see people trying to ban dogs because a person's dog got loose," Foose said.
Faso says a state ban on exotic animal ownership must be put in place.
"You're going to have a very small fraction of people that are gonna be unhappy with that," Faso said. "Tough. The animals pay with their lives."
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