Jaguarundis, caracals and lynxes are among the dozens of dangerous wild animals being kept as pets in Cornwall, a new report has revealed.
According to the international wildlife charity Born Free, some 54 such animals are legally being kept in people’s homes in the county. Nationally it is more than 2,700 dangerous wild animals which are being kept privately under licences permitted by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. This number includes more than 200 wild cats, 250 primates and 400 venomous snakes.
Among the array of wild animals kept legally in people’s homes are bush vipers in Bedfordshire, cheetahs in Cheshire, caiman in Kent and lynxes in Lincolnshire. In Cornwall, the charity uncovered 13 ruffed lemurs, 15 ring-tailed Lemur, four lynxes, four servals, four Asian short-clawed otters, two collared brown lemurs, two ocelots, two fishing cats, two caracals, two jaguarundis, four camels and four ostriches.
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Dr Mark Jones, Born Free’s head of policy said the fact there are nearly 3,000 wild creatures classified as dangerous under UK law being kept as ‘pets’ across Britain is of great concern.
Born Free said keeping such animals threatens the safety of people and other animals, and can result in considerable suffering. Unlike domesticated animals, which have been bred over generations to live alongside humans, these wild animals have complex physical, psychological, nutritional, social, and environmental needs which cannot be met by life in captivity.
As a result, these often threatened, or endangered creatures can suffer poor health and psychological damage. Increased demand for exotic ‘pets’ also puts pressure on wild populations.
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The charity said wild animals are by nature ‘wild’ which means they can present a real risk to public safety. There are also major concerns about the possible transmission of zoonotic diseases from animals to humans associated with the keeping of captive wild animals.
Dr Jones added: “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.
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“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.”
Below is the list of wild animals being kept in captivity in Cornwall:
- Ruffed Lemur (lemurs are from the primate family and are native to Madagascar): 13
- Ring-Tailed Lemur: 15
- Lynx: 4
- Serval (a wild cat native to Africa): 4
- Asian Short-Clawed Otter: 4
- Collared Brown Lemur: 2
- Ocelot (a medium-sized wild cat native of southwestern United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Margarita): 2
- Fishing Cat (a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia): 2
- Caracal (a medium-sized wild cat native to Africa and the Middle East): 2
- Jaguarundi (a type of wild cat native to the Americas): 2
- Camel: 4
- Ostrich: 4
The full regional data, collected from local authorities by Born Free, is available to view on Born Free’s ‘Dangerous Wild Animals Map’ here: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/dwamap/.
