In August 2012, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation, drafted by Born Free USA, that tightens oversight on the dwindling number of New Yorkers who possess exotic “pets.” While keeping exotic animals as pets is illegal in New York, people who owned exotic animals prior to the ban have been allowed to keep the animals. Assembly Bill 10041/Senate Bill 7078 requires those individuals to report any animal escapes and pay for the associated damages.