(a) Every person who enters into an animal enclosure at a zoo, circus, or traveling animal exhibit, if the zoo, circus, or exhibit is licensed or permitted to display living animals to the public, and if signs prohibiting entrance into the animal enclosures have been posted either at the entrance to the zoo, circus, or traveling animal exhibit, or on the animal enclosure itself, without the consent of the governing authority of the zoo, circus, or traveling animal exhibit, or a representative authorized by the governing authority, is guilty of an infraction or a misdemeanor, subject to Section 19.8. This subdivision shall not apply to an employee of the zoo, circus, or traveling animal exhibit, or to a public officer acting within the course and scope of his or her employment.
(b) For purposes of this section, “zoo” means a permanent or semipermanent collection of living animals kept in enclosures for the purpose of displaying the animals to the public. The term “zoo” includes a public aquarium displaying aquatic animals.
(c) For purposes of this section, an “animal enclosure” means the interior of any cage, stall, container, pen, aquarium or tank, or other discrete containment area that is used to house or display an animal and that is not generally accessible to the public.
(d) Prosecution under this section does not preclude prosecution under any other provision of law.
(Added by Stats. 2010, Ch. 536, Sec. 2. (AB 1675) Effective January 1, 2011.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018