Alaska Republican Rep. Don Young on Wednesday invited curious congressional types to take on the wild side, carting a trio of would-be predators into Longworth for a well-attended photo op and some animal-assisted lobbying.

Staffers were offered the opportunity to cuddle up to a pair of cute but growly tiger cubs and a bright-eyed chimp, courtesy of the Rare Species Fund. RSF Director Dr. Bhagavan “Doc” Antle’s group was in town to advocate against any regulations that might hamper the ownership of exotic pets such as the ones he brought along to crawl all over Hill aides.