COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Sen. Troy Balderson (R), Dist. 20, has introduced Senate Bill 310 regulating the sale and keeping of dangerous wild animals in the state. The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), which will probably oversee the regulatory program if the legislation becomes law, is supportive.

“We’re going to protect the citizens of Ohio; we’re going to protect the rights of the citizens of Ohio and current owners but also protect the animals,” Balderson said. “That is the goal of this bill.”

A task force, under the direction of the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, had been looking at the state’s regulations pertaining to the sale and ownership of exotic animals even before the Muskingum County incident when Terry Thompson released 56 wild animals from cages on his farm before taking his own life.

“After that incident, the task force became very involved,” said Balderson, whose district includes Muskingum County. “That’s when it became ‘game time’. There is a difference between the task force recommendations and the bill that I introduced.”

In the bill, Balderson created three categories: Dangerous and Wild Animals, Restricted Primates, and Restricted Snakes.

In the Dangerous and Wild Animal category:

•An immediate ban on acquiring new animals as of the bill’s effective date

•Will be required to register their animal(s) within 60 days of the bill’s effective date

•Current owners must acquire a Wildlife Shelter Permit or a Wildlife Propagation Permit by Jan. 1, 2014, if they wish to keep their animals (this includes obtaining insurance, microchipping the animal, constructing proper facilities, etc.)

For the Restricted Primates category:

•Immediate ban on acquiring new animals as of the bill’s effective date

•Must abide by all care standards outlined by the Federal Animal Welfare Act

•Current owners must acquire a Wildlife Shelter Propagation Permit by Jan. 1, 2014, if they wish to keep their animals

•Subject to caging standards outlined in the bill 

In the Restricted Snakes category:

•Can continue to be procured, bred and sold

•Will be subject to all care standards as outlined by the Zoological Assoc. of America

•Must apply for a Restricted Snake Possession Permit or a Restricted Snake Propagation Permit (this includes obtaining insurance, obtaining proper anti-venom and preparing a plan in the event of an escape.

“We have set in place, with these three categories, ways for current owners to abide by and keep the ownership of the animals that they have now,” Balderson said. “There are requirements in there that they can follow. It will be moderate to difficult. There will be some issues but we needed some rules and regulations.”

Prior to his introduction of the bill, Balderson visited many owners of dangerous animals. Many of them were already meeting many of the conditions of the bill.

“With their caging, microchipping, their insurance and veterinary care, the good owners already did those things,” he said.

“We’re supportive of the bill in its current form,” said Erica Pitchford, ODA spokesperson. “We understand the want for the regulatory program to come here (to ODA). We’re the only state agency that employs field veterinarians. We have that expertise here about animal care and animal health and the complex issues involved with housing and taking care of animals ... We’ll continue to work with the legislature as it goes through and see what the final product is.”

The bill had its first hearing on March 15. A United Press International report some animal owners said that because of the costs and likely unavailability of insurance the bill amounted to a ban on exotic animal ownership.