Friday could be a day of emotional goodbyes at Dick and Barbara Stephens’ Jefferson County farm near Oskaloosa.

The collection of exotic big cats the couple have owned for more than a dozen years is supposed to be taken away because of a new state law that went into effect in July.

“It’s going to be a sad day. Just a sad day,” said Dick Stephens, 67. “Old Tuffy is the hardest one to say goodbye to.”

Tuffy is a 700-pound Siberian tiger the couple have had since it was smaller. It is one of two Siberians they have, along with three cougars and two leopards.

They hope the animals will be picked up by the owner of a big-cat sanctuary in Colorado or Florida. Several months ago they gave away two African lions.

A law passed by the Kansas Legislature earlier this year sets requirements for anyone owning big cats such as African lions, tigers, cheetahs and leopards. It also sets a registration and permit process and requires animals to be kept in cages. The animals cannot be leashed, tethered or chained outside a fence.

The biggest problem for the Stephenses in keeping the cats, however, is the expense of carrying a $250,000 liability insurance policy. That would cost between $6,000 and $7,000 per year, the Stephenses said.

Barbara Stephens kisses one of her pet lions that she and her husband keep at their farm near Oskaloosa. Because of a recent change in Kansas law, the Stephenses will no longer be able to keep the animals at their home.

“There is no way we can pay for that, and I’m too crippled up to do anything about it,” said Dick Stephens, who gets around using crutches.

The law was passed in response to an incident last year at a southeast Kansas wildlife sanctuary near Parsons. A 17-year-old high school girl, having her senior class picture taken with a Siberian tiger, was attacked and killed by the animal.

Dick Stephens thinks it is unfair to punish all big-cat owners for one owner’s mistake.

“They don’t take into consideration that there are some people smart enough to raise these things and have them the way we have,” he said. “I think they should punish all politicians if one of them makes a mistake.”

Dick Stephens said he thinks there should be some requirements for big-cat owners. They should at least have some knowledge about how to handle them.

He admits, however, that he had to learn about cats when he got his first, a cougar named Stinky.

“Every mistake is a man-made one,” he said of the pitfalls of dealing with the animals. “I talk to them – the only thing is, you have to raise your voice to them, and they understand. They understand more probably than some of the politicians do.”

The Stephenses say their farm has been a popular stop for thousands of people, including families with children who wanted to look at the cats in their pens. They turned over a petition to the state bearing the signatures of 150 people who wanted them to be able to keep their cats.

“We showed it to them, but it didn’t do any good,” Dick Stephens said.

Dick Stephens is under the impression that state officials will come to inspect his farm if he doesn’t meet the legal requirements of owning the big cats by Sunday. He thinks the animals could be taken away and euthanized by the state.

Either a local animal control authority or the state could come and inspect the Stephenses’ animal facilities, said Kevin Jones, director of legal enforcement for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

If the animals are not registered with a local authority and don’t have the proper permits, they could be seized. If they are not returned because of noncompliance by the owner, an attempt would be made to place the animals with an authorized wildlife sanctuary, he said.

Whatever happens, the Stephenses plan on moving from their farm to Missouri. They will be taking along some goats, sheep and a miniature mule. Their days of raising big cats will end.

“My wife says she can’t drive down that driveway and not be able to say something to the cats,” Dick Stephens said.