NEW JERSEY – Senator Jon Bramnick (R-21) Monday called for the swift passage of sponsored legislation, S-581 to establish the criminal offense of trespassing into a zoo enclosure and set forth penalties and liability for any harm caused to a wild animal or property.
A recent video captured a woman nearly bitten by a tiger after jumping into a restricted area at a Bridgeton zoo.
“We need to pass this bipartisan bill to ensure that people who trespass into restricted animal enclosures face legal and financial consequences,” Bramnick said. “This type of reckless behavior endangers the life of the trespasser and often results in law enforcement killing the animal.”
Bramnick’s bill was inspired by a 2021 incident in Florida that resulted in a reckless zoo employee losing his arm and law enforcement taking a tiger’s life.
The offense of reckless trespass involving a wild animal would be classified as follows: a disorderly persons offense if the trespass results in no harm to the wild animal, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both; a crime of the fourth-degree if injury is caused to the wild animal, punishable by a term of imprisonment of up to 18 months, a fine of up to $10,000, or both; or a crime of the third-degree if the wild animal is killed, punishable by a term of imprisonment of three to five years, a fine of up to $15,000, or both.
The bill also provides that a person convicted of committing the offense, in addition to any other fine, penalty, or restitution which may be imposed by law, would be liable for the cost of any damage to, and loss of, property connected to the reckless trespass, including, but not limited to, the injury or death of the wild animal.
If a juvenile committed the offense, the parents or legal guardian of the juvenile would be liable if it was shown that the parents or legal guardian of the juvenile recklessly or negligently allowed the juvenile to commit the reckless trespass.
