NJ lawmaker: Stupid, dangerous zoo antics not treated seriously enough

A New Jersey lawmaker is calling for the swift passage of S-581 to make it a criminal offense if someone trespasses into a zoo enclosure.

The legislation was first introduced by state Sen. Jon Bramnick, R-Union, in 2021, following an incident in Florida that resulted in a reckless zoo employee losing his arm and law enforcement killing the tiger.

The bill did not see the light of day for many reasons, mainly due to a lack of interest or motivation.

Recently, a 24-year-old Millville woman was captured on video jumping into a restricted area at a Bridgeton zoo, and was nearly bitten by a tiger.

Now, Bramnick is calling for action.

“We need to pass this bipartisan bill to ensure that people who trespass into restricted animal enclosures face legal and financial consequences. This type of reckless behavior endangers the life of the trespasser and often results in law enforcement killing the animal,” Bramnick, who is running for the Republican nomination for governor, said.

The history

Bramnick spoke to the president of the zoo in Naples, Florida, when zoo officials had to shoot a rare tiger after an employee lost an arm while trying to feed a Pop Tart to the tiger.

Bramnick learned that there were no legal consequences against the person who tried to feed the tiger. Legally, he was on the premises because he was an employee so he couldn’t be charged with trespassing. There are also no specific laws on the book in Florida that state you can’t put your hand in the tiger cage. He wasn’t charged although the rare tiger had to be killed.

When Bramnick first introduced the bill in New Jersey, he found out that in New Jersey, if someone enters a zoo enclosure, all that person is charged with is trespassing. He said trespassing is similar to walking on someone else’s property, and there are almost zero consequences.

The woman charged in the Cohanzick Zoo incident in Bridgeton was charged with defiant trespassing. Since it’s not a significant statute, she was also charged with the local ordinances, Bramnick said. If they are going to local or town ordinances, that means there’s not enough at the state level. The consequences are not significant, he added.

Bramnick’s bill

Bramnick’s bipartisan bill has many levels.

If someone puts their hand in an animal enclosure and there is no harm to the person, the animal or the zookeeper, then it’s a disorderly person’s offense, up to $1,000 for the first offense. The judge could put that person in jail for up to six months, but Bramnick said it’s unlikely.

However, if there is injury to the trespasser, the animal, or the zookeeper, it’s up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

If the animal is killed, it’s a crime of the third degree, and punishable by up to three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.

“And you have to reimburse the zoo for the costs. It goes from a simple trespass to a crime depending on how stupid you are,” Bramnick said.

One thing Bramnick did not add in the original bill but plans to do so now is that a good Samaritan will not be charged for entering an animal enclosure to save a trespasser.

The message

For those people who think it’s a joke to put their hands in a tiger or a lion’s cage at the zoo, it’s not. Now, there will be serious penalties for their actions, he added.