New data reveals the alarming number of hazardous wild animals legally kept as “pets” in the UK. The survey by Born Free, an international wildlife charity, claims that more than 2,700 dangerous wild animals are being kept privately in Britain under licences permitted by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.
This number includes more than 200 wild cats, 250 primates and 400 venomous snakes (ten times more than the number of venomous snakes than are kept in zoos in the UK).
Among the disturbing array of wild animals kept legally in people’s homes are bush vipers in Bedfordshire, cheetahs in Cheshire, caiman in Kent and lynx in Lincolnshire, the charity said.
The research also revealed several troubling trends, including the continued popularity of owning small wild cats, or hybrids (crosses between a wild and domestic cat).
There were 53 servals (across 29 different licences) and 43 hybrid wild cats (across 21 different licences), making them the most, and second-most, licensed species on the list.
The surprising results of the study show how serious it is that people keep exotic animals as pets, a spokesperson for the charity said, adding: “This highlights the urgent need for better rules to protect both people and these animals, which are often in danger of extinction.
According to the experts, keeping such animals poses risks to the safety of both people and other animals and leads to significant suffering.
Unlike domesticated animals, which have been bred over generations to coexist with humans, these wild animals have intricate physical, psychological, nutritional, social, and environmental requirements that cannot be fulfilled in captivity.
Consequently, these often endangered creatures may experience poor health and psychological harm.
The charity is calling for an urgent action to tighten legislation to minimise risk to the public and safeguard the welfare of wild animals.
Dr Mark Jones, Born Free’s Head of Policy said, “It is unbelievable that, in this day and age, so many dangerous animals, including big cats, large primates, crocodiles and venomous snakes, continue to be legally kept in people’s homes in the UK. Increasing demand for and trade in all kinds of wild animals as exotic pets puts owners and the wider public at risk of injury or disease. It also results in serious animal suffering, and the demand increases the pressure on many wild populations which are often already under threat.
“The UK likes to claim to be at the forefront of efforts to protect nature and improve the welfare of animals, yet our legislation governing the keeping of and trade in exotic pets is woefully outdated. The Dangerous Wild Animals Act should be overhauled as a matter of urgency, in order to phase out the private keeping of those species that clearly don’t belong in people’s homes.”
It is calling on the UK government to review the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, and introduce improved regulation that will ensure far greater restrictions on the trade in and keeping of wild animals as ‘pets’ in the UK.
Chris Lewis, Born Free’s Captivity Research Officer added, “The Dangerous Wild Animals Act was intended to make the keeping of such animals categorised as “dangerous” a wholly exceptional circumstance. However, Born Free’s ongoing research paints a very different picture. Many members of the public will rightly be shocked to learn of so many animals being kept by private keepers. Yet, at its core, the Act is based upon the assumption that it is possible to keep dangerous wild animals in a way that minimises or eliminates risk to the public and in a manner that meets an animal’s welfare needs.This has resulted in legislation being reactionary, struggling to keep pace with ever-changing scientific evidence and becoming increasingly out-of-date. The regulations pertaining to the keeping and trading of wild animals kept as pets are in urgent need of review.”
