PETS NEXT DOOR ARE SO EXOTIC
Show sparks wild trend
BRITAIN is packed with so many Joe Exotic-style animal owners anyone could be unwittingly living next door to a jungle predator.
Almost 4,000 wild beasts are being kept at private residences across the UK.
The 320 big cats currently held include 11 lions, eight tigers, 11 leopards, 18 pumas, 10 cheetahs and a jaguar, according to figures from animal charity Born Free.
Dr Mark Jones, a vet and the organisation’s head of policy, said: “We have seen a dramatic increase in the number of exotic pets in private ownership, including a 94% increase in the number of venomous snakes and 57% increase in wild cats.
“It is unbelievable so many dangerous animals are in private ownership.”
The soaring numbers are feared to have been fuelled by the popularity of Netflix’s Tiger King series. It told the story of Oklahoma zoo owner Joe Exotic who allegedly paid a hitman to try to kill rival big cat owner Carole Baskin. Among the other untamed beasts in homes are 274 primates, 158 crocodiles, 508 poisonous snakes, 106 venomous lizards, 332 scorpions and two elephants.
Born Free listed the amount and locations of wild animals in private UK homes after trawling through the 3,951 licences issued in 2020 under the Dangerous Wild Animals act.
Under the 1976 law anyone can keep a dangerous wild animal as long as they obtain a licence from their local authority.
The charity has released a searchable interactive map on its website showing every area of the country where wild animals are being kept.
Dr Jones added: “Increasing demand for all kinds of wild animals puts owners and the wider public at risk of injury.”
Deaths from creatures privately kept include a man in Hampshire being killed by his 8ft African rock python in 2018.