U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) introduced legislation today (Feb. 9) to outlaw importing and confining animals for "canned hunting" — the practice of putting exotic animals into enclosures for hunters to kill.

"Canned hunts make a mockery of the sport of hunting," Lautenberg said. "There is nothing sportsmanlike or skillful about shooting an animal that cannot escape. The idea of a defenseless animal meeting a violent end as the target of a canned hunt is, at the very least, distasteful to many Americans. In an era when we are seeking to curb violence in our culture, canned hunts are certainly one form of gratuitous brutality that does not belong in our society."

If enacted, the bill would protect exotic (non-native) mammals in areas smaller than 1,000 acres. Lautenberg said his bill would not affect the hunting of native mammals or birds. 

—Donald H. Harrison