Exposing ‘exotic pet’ ownership in the UK

King cobras, crocodiles and pumas – we reveal the wild animals that are kept nearby.

New data, published by Born Free, exposes the shocking number of dangerous wild animals that are legally kept as ‘pets’ in the UK. Today, we are calling for urgent action to strengthen legislation to minimize risk to the public and safeguard the welfare of wild animals.

Our research, which was carried out in 2023, revealed more than 2,700 dangerous wild animals that are privately kept in Britain under licenses allowed by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. This number includes more than 200 wild cats, 250 primates and 400 poisonous snakes (ten times more poisonous snakes than those kept in zoos).

Among the disturbing variety of wild animals kept legally in people’s homes are bush vipers in Bedfordshire, cheetahs in Cheshire, caimans in Kent and lynx in Lincolnshire. Full regional data, collected by local authorities, is available to view on Born Free’s ‘Dangerous Wildlife Map’.

SEE THE MAP HERE

The astonishing fact that there are almost three thousand wild creatures classified as ‘dangerous’ under UK law, which are kept as ‘pets’ throughout Great Britain, is of great concern to Born Free. Keeping such animals threatens the safety of people and other animals, and results in considerable animal suffering. Unlike domestic animals, which have been bred over generations to live alongside humans, these wild animals have complex physical, psychological, nutritional, social and environmental needs that cannot be met by a life in captivity. . As a result, these, often threatened, creatures can suffer from poor health and psychological damage. The growing demand for exotic “animals” is also putting pressure on the wild populations of many already threatened species.

Cobra (c) Musthaq Nazeer, Pixabay

Keeping wild animals in domestic environments also presents a very real risk to public safety. These animals retain many of their natural and wild behaviors, and being kept in stressful, unnatural, confined environments can potentially make them more dangerous. There is also great concern about the potential transmission of zoonotic diseases from animals to humans associated with keeping wild animals in captivity.

Dr Mark Jones, Head of Policy at Born Free, said: “It is incredible that, in this day and age, so many dangerous animals, including big cats, great primates, crocodiles and venomous snakes, continue to be kept legally in people’s homes in the UK.The increased demand for and trade in all types 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 pressure on many wildlife populations that are often already threatened.”

Disturbingly, our research also discovered that some councils are not aware of the exact species of animals that are kept, despite a requirement to identify this in the legislation, which raises even more serious concerns for animal welfare , and health and safety.

Born Free has campaigned to protect the welfare of exotic wild animals kept as ‘pets’ since 2005 and has regularly monitored the scale of ownership of dangerous wild animals since 2017. Research published today shows that it remains a huge problem that urgently needs to be addressed.

Mark Jones continued, “The UK likes to claim to be at the forefront of efforts to protect nature and improve animal welfare, but our legislation governing the keeping and trade of exotic animals is woefully out of date . The Wild Dangerous Animals Act must be revised as a matter of urgency, to gradually eliminate the private custody of those species that clearly do not belong in people’s homes.”

DANGEROUS WILD ANIMALS: FIND OUT MORE

TAKE ACTION

As a result of our findings, we are calling on the UK government to review the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, and introduce improved regulations that will ensure far greater restrictions on the trade and keeping of wild animals such as “animals” in the United Kingdom.

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