The Los Angeles City Council recently voted to ban the use of wild, exotic and dangerous animals for entertainment. The vote was unanimous - 14-0 - which now makes it illegal to require such animals to perform tricks, give rides or be provided for “the entertainment, amusement, or benefit of a live audience, whether or not a fee is charged.”

The law covers a wide variety of animals, from lions, tigers, bears, gorillas, wolves, giraffes and certain species and lengths of snakes. State law already banned the use of exotic and wild animals in circuses but the city law covers a broader range of entertainment. Typically domesticated animals such as horses are not covered by this ban. Wildlife conservationists who obtain applicable permits and the Los Angeles Zoo, which exhibit animals for an educational purpose but do not require them to perform tricks, are exempt from the ban also.