“USDA Confirmed the Cougar Incident: Two Years Later, the BCPSA Questions Remain”

A newly released USDA inspection report raises serious questions about accountability, enforcement, and public safety at Bear Creek Feline Center in Panama City, Florida.

According to USDA inspectors, in early 2024 the facility allowed members of the public to enter the enclosure of an adult cougar with no barrier separating people from the animal.

USDA cited the facility under 2.131(c)(1) – Handling of Animals, stating:

"There is more than minimal risk of harm when allowing members of the public to be in close contact with dangerous animals."

Inspectors also emphasized that dangerous animals, including cougars and other big cats, become too large, too fast, and too strong for public exhibition at approximately 12 weeks of age.

The inspection documented another concern as well. USDA cited Bear Creek Feline Center under 3.125(a) – Facilities, General after finding a bobcat enclosure in disrepair, including an electrical cord that had been pulled into the enclosure and apparently clawed or chewed by the animal.

But there is another part of this story that deserves scrutiny.

When this cougar encounter occurred in 2024, I submitted a complaint to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service alleging that allowing members of the public inside the enclosure violated the Big Cat Public Safety Act (BCPSA)—a federal law enacted to restrict direct public contact with covered big cats and strengthen protections for both animals and people.

Now, more than two years later, USDA inspectors have documented that members of the public were indeed allowed inside the enclosure of an adult cougar with no barrier.

Yet despite filing a complaint with USFWS at the time of the incident, I have received no confirmation that an investigation was opened, no notice of enforcement action, and no indication that charges were pursued.

That raises important questions:

-Was a BCPSA investigation initiated?

-Was the complaint closed without action?

-Were warning letters or compliance notices issued?

-How many BCPSA complaints nationwide have resulted in investigations or prosecutions?

-How many have simply disappeared from public view?

Federal wildlife laws are only as meaningful as their enforcement.

The public deserves transparency.

The animals deserve protection.

And facilities that profit from dangerous wildlife encounters deserve oversight—not silence.

I filed a FOIA request (Freedom of Information Act) with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in May 2026 and am awaiting a response.