Handling, Training, and Exhibition of Potentially Dangerous Exotic or Wild Animals

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

[Docket No. 97-001-3]

Handling, Training, and Exhibition of Potentially Dangerous

Exotic or Wild Animals

AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of reopening and extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: We are reopening and extending the comment period for our

notice requesting information concerning what practices are currently

used for handling and training potentially dangerous exotic or wild

animals used in exhibition (such as, but

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not limited to, elephants, lions, or tigers), and what training and

experience levels trainers and handlers of such animals have. This

reopening and extension will provide interested groups and individuals

with additional time to prepare comments on the request for

information.

DATES: Consideration will be given only to comments on Docket No. 97-

001-1 that are received on or before December 12, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Please send an original and three copies of your comments to

Docket No. 97-001-1, Regulatory Analysis and Development, PPD, APHIS,

Suite 3C03, 4700 River Road Unit 118, Riverdale, MD 20737-1238. Please

state that your comments refer to Docket No. 97-001-1. Comments

received may be inspected at USDA, room 1141, South Building, 14th

Street and Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC, between 8:00 a.m.

and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except holidays. Persons wishing

to inspect comments are requested to call ahead on (202) 690-2817 to

facilitate entry into the comment reading room.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Stephen Smith, Staff Animal Health

Technician, Animal Care, APHIS, 4700 River Road Unit 84, Riverdale, MD

20737-1234, (301) 734-7833.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

On July 24, 1997, we published in the Federal Register (62 FR

39802, Docket No. 97-001-1) a notice requesting information concerning

the training and handling of potentially dangerous wild and exotic

animals used in exhibition in order to obtain a better understanding of

the issues pertaining to their welfare. Comments on the request for

information were required to be received on or before September 22,

1997. On September 22, 1997, we published in the Federal Register (62

FR 49468-49469, Docket No. 97-001-2) a notice that reopened and

extended the comment period for an additional 45 days, to November 6,

1997.

In the notice requesting information, we said we were most

interested in receiving information that is in the form of published

industry standards, published reports in peer-reviewed journals,

studies, and objective scientific data. We have been made aware that

several industry associations interested in submitting information have

been unable to complete their consultation with members of their

associations in order to compile information on accepted industry

standards for the handling and training of exotic or wild animals. We

believe this information would be helpful to us in obtaining a better

understanding of the issues pertaining to the welfare of exotic or wild

animals used in exhibition.

In order that these groups can have time to compile the requested

information, we are reopening and extending the comment period on

Docket No. 97-001-1 to December 12, 1997. This action will also allow

any other interested groups and individuals additional time to prepare

and submit comments.

Authority: 7 U.S.C. 2131-2159; 7 CFR 2.22, 2.80, and 371.2(g).

Done in Washington, DC, this 7th day of November 1997.

Charles Schwalbe,

Acting Administrator, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service.

[FR Doc. 97-29991 Filed 11-13-97; 8:45 am]

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