Charity warns thousands of dangerous wild animals are living with private owners in Britain
New figures have been released by Born Free, which is urging lawmakers to bring in tougher legislation
Last updated 22nd Feb 2024
It's emerged that there are almost 3,000 dangerous wild animals living with private owners across Britain.
Data obtained by Freedom of Information requests, show there are around 400 venomous snakes - ten-times more than the number kept in zoos.
Primates, crocodiles and wild cats were also registered with councils.
Charity Born Free says it puts both animals and people at risk. The organisation is now calling for a change in the law.
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and improve the welfare of animals, yet our legislation governing the keeping of and trade in exotic pets is woefully outdated.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.”
Chris Lewis, Born Free’s Captivity Research Officeradded,
“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legislation being reactionary, struggling to keep pace with ever-changing scientific evidence and becoming increasingly out-of-date.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.”
You can take a look at the Dangerous Wild Animals Map here.