Sec. 22.
(1) Sections 4, 5, and 6 do not apply to any of the following:
(a) An animal control shelter or animal protection shelter.
(b) A person licensed or approved by the department of natural resources of this state or by the United States fish and wildlife service of the United States department of the interior. This subdivision does not apply to a person in possession of 1 or more black bears under the authority of a permit to hold wildlife in captivity issued by the department of natural resources.
(c) A zoological park approved or accredited by the American zoo and aquarium association.
(d) A person approved by the association of sanctuaries or the American sanctuary association.
(e) A law enforcement officer acting under the authority of this act.
(f) A veterinarian temporarily in possession of a large carnivore to provide veterinary care for or humanely euthanize the large carnivore.
(2) Sections 4, 5, 6(1)(d) to (5)(d), 8, and 14(3) do not apply to a person who is not a resident of this state and who is in this state only for the purpose of travel between locations outside of this state.
(3) Subject to subsection (2), this act does not apply to a person who meets all of the following requirements:
(a) Is conducting a for-profit or nonprofit business, if the primary purpose of that business is the presentation of animals including large carnivores to the public for education or exhibition purposes.
(b) Is a class C licensee that possesses and maintains a class C license under 9 CFR parts 1 and 2.
(c) Meets or exceeds all standards, including but not limited to standards for training, housing, care, and transport of large carnivores, required of a class C licensee under 9 CFR parts 1 and 2.
(d) Except as provided in subsection (4), does not allow a patron to do any of the following:
(i) Come into direct contact with a large carnivore.
(ii) Come into close enough contact with a large carnivore over 20 weeks of age so as to place the patron in jeopardy of being harmed by the large carnivore.
(e) Does not sell large carnivores, except to another person that meets the requirements of this subsection.
(f) Does not breed large carnivores.
(4) This act does not apply to a person who allows a patron to come into contact with a large carnivore under subsection (3)(d)(i) or (ii) if the large carnivore is a bear less than 36 weeks of age or a bear weighing 90 pounds or less if the person otherwise meets the requirements of subsection (3) and satisfies 1 of the following:
(a) The person was in possession of a bear on the effective date of the 2013 amendatory act that amended this section.
(b) The person acquired a business described in subsection (3)(a) from a person who was in possession of a bear on the effective date of the 2013 amendatory act that amended this section.
(5) This act does not apply to a circus.
History: 2000, Act 274, Imd. Eff. July 7, 2000 ;-- Am. 2013, Act 8, Imd. Eff. Mar. 26, 2013
Last modified: October 10, 2016