The Internet was abuzz this week with news that New York has banned "tiger selfies," as popularized on the dating app Tinder -- but that's not quite what happened.
Certainly, Tinder profile pictures with tigers have gained enough popularity on the app to merit their own Tumblrs, like Tigers of Tinder and Tinder Guys With Tigers.
The app doesn't have figures for this, but some Tinder users estimate tigers appear in 10% of men's profiles, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Tinder users make snap judgments based on profile photos, and the men interviewed for the piece hopes a tiger would help them stand out from the crowd.
A few women embrace the Tinder tiger too. One female user who preferred not to be named in conjunction with Tinder, explains "I have it because I work with them [tigers], and it kind of tells something about me - there aren't really any words on Tinder."
But the New York state legislation, which passed both state houses this week, targets something entirely different -- the dangers posed to public safety by traveling menageries and roadside zoo attractions.
The bill's author, New York Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, told CNET there have been a surprising seven instances in the last 15 years of a tiger escaping or hurting New Yorkers at one of these shows, and two serious maulings in the past decade.
Wild animals also suffer from the constant touching, handling and photographs. The legislation states that many are prematurely separated from their mothers and endure painful declawing and defanging procedures. "There is no safe or humane result when direct contact with wild animals is allowed," it reads.
When the animals grow too big for easy handling they are permanently leashed, or "dumped at substandard facilities," creating a constant demand for younger animals. Any contact between a member of the public and a jaguar, tiger, lion, leopard or cougar is punishable by a $500 fine for the first offense, increasing to $1000 for each subsequent violation.
The bill does not specifically target the posting or sharing of pictures taken with big cats. Even if it did, it would be difficult to prove that a particular tiger picture was taken in the state of New York, rather than a tiger conservation center in Southeast Asia, a popular source of the photos.