Sedona city officials are trying to find a way to ban the display of exotic animals in public places, a concern that was shared during a recent City Council meeting.
The ordinance would probibit exotic wildlife such as reptiles or rats from being displayed throughout town.
Patrol Cmdr. Chris Dowell told the City Council that Sedona has seen an increase in wild animals displayed within its popular uptown tourist area.
"If you’ve been up there, you’ve probably seen them sitting on the benches and such. Animals placed on the sidewalks create obstructions and safety concerns," he said.
And the handling of those animals by tourists creates additional safety concerns, he said.
The council wrangled over the definitions such an ordinance could contain, such as whether it could impact a circus coming to town. Or animals displayed on private property by someone licensed to do so.
The proposed ordinance needs several steps before it can be enacted. Next up is a public hearing June 24.
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National Park Service officials expect to restore a reliable water supply in the Grand Canyon in weeks — not months — as the deadly flash flood didn’t damage most of a near-complete pipeline project, they said Tuesday. -
The park remains open despite some trail and campground closures, but park staff are issuing conservation efforts after Transcanyon water pipeline was damaged. -
A professor at Northern Arizona University teamed up with Navajo communities to test water quality in remote wells. The map is meant to help tribal members still struggling with the effects of past uranium mining. -
Grand Canyon National Park staff and partner agencies continue to assess damage from last week’s deadly flash flood. The park is now expanding its temporary closures. -
The Arizona Department of Transportation has opened a new tunnel as part of a project to construct a free-flowing interchange that will reduce delays on the main route between Phoenix and Las Vegas.
