Zebra, Camel and Ostrich among exotic pets being kept in Norfolk
An Animal Welfare Charity is calling for an overhaul of regulations.
Animal Welfare Charity, Born Free, has revealed there are 195 dangerous wild animals being kept as pets in Norfolk, in Suffolk it's 27.
Among the animals being kept in Norfolk are eight Tapir, 10 Zebra, 10 Wildebeest, four Ostrich, and a Ring-Tailed Lemur.
In Suffolk there's also 15 cats including Servals, Bobcats, and Jungle Cats.
You can see which exotic pets are being kept in your area on Born Free's interactive map.
Born Free's looked at the number of Dangerous Wild Animal (DWA) Act Licences granted by local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales, and the variety of species being kept.
In the UK, the research revealed nearly 4,000 are being kept, including:
- 320 wild cats, including: 11 Lions, 8 Tigers, 11 Leopards, 18 Pumas, 10 Cheetahs, 2 Ligers, one Jaguar
- 274 primates, including over 150 Lemurs
- 158 crocodilians
- 508 venomous snakes, including 57 Diamondback Rattlesnakes
- 332 Scorpions
- 106 Venemous Lizards
- Two Elephants
- Other species being kept privately included: Zebras, Camels, Fossa, Hyena, Sun Bears, Wolves, and Otters.
- Dr Mark Jones, Veterinarian and Born Free's Head of Policy, says: "Born Free has been collating and analysing DWA data for over 20 years.
- "Since the millennium the wild animal welfare and conservation charity has seen a dramatic increase in the number of exotic pets in private ownership, including a 94% increase in the number of venomous snakes, 57% increase in wild cats, 198% increase in crocodilians and over a 2000% increase in scorpions.
"However, these figures are likely to represent only the tip of the iceberg.
"They only record those animals being kept and registered with a DWA licence. Born Free believes that many additional dangerous wild animals are being kept without a licence."
- Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, anyone in Britain can keep a dangerous wild animal as long as they obtain a licence from their Local Authority.
- The licence requires the owner to prove the animals are properly contained to protect the public and minimise the risk of escape.
- Born Free says the licence does little to ensure the welfare of the animals or the protection of the owner or anyone else visiting the property though.
- Dr Mark Jones commented: "It is unbelievable that, in this day and age, so many dangerous animals, including big cats, large primates, crocodiles and venomous snakes, are in private ownership in the UK.
- "Increasing demand for 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."
A number of incidents involving exotic pets have been recorded in the UK.
- A woman was bitten in the eye by a python in a Mayfair club and almost blinded, a man in Hampshire was killed by his 8ft African rock python, and a hybrid Savannah cat escaped in Hampsted in London last year.
- The RSPCA report that their specially-trained exotics officers rescued over 4,000 exotic animals in 2018 alone.
- Born Free says due to the nature of the animals, most owners fail to report escapes or attacks for fear of the animal being removed or their licence being revoked.
- Mark continued: "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.
- "While the Government's recent proposal to ban the keeping of and trade in primates as pets is a welcome first step, there are many other species that need to be protected from this form of exploitation.
- "The Dangerous Wild Animals Act should be overhauled as a matter of urgency, in order to phase-out the private keeping of and trade in those species that clearly don't belong in people's homes."