The Cornwall cheetahs and UK’S exotic pet menagerie
Lions, tigers and elephants are among the dangerous creatures living in private homes without a permit
WHEN became a hit on Netflix last year, viewers expressed amazement that Joe Exotic could keep dangerous big cats in his back garden.
However, it appears that the same is happening in the UK.
More than 300 big cats are being kept without zoo licences across the country, from cheetahs in Cornwall to jungle cats in Aberdeenshire, analysis by the Born Free Foundation has found.
The Government is working on plans to ban people from keeping primates as pets, but the new regulations do not cover other wild animals.
The Daily Telegraph understands that sources inside No 10 are pushing for the Government to include the dangerous creatures in the legislation.
Born Free, an animal welfare and conservation charity, found that almost 4,000 dangerous wild animals were being kept on private land without zoo licences.
They include 320 wild cats (including 61 big cats: 11 lions, eight tigers, 11 leopards, 18 pumas, 10 cheetahs, two ligers and a jaguar), 274 primates (including more than 150 lemurs), 158 crocodilians, 508 venomous snakes (including 57 diamondback rattlesnakes), 332 scorpions, 106 venomous lizards and two elephants. The number seems to be on the rise. In 2000, the majority of species were registered on farms – including ostriches, boars and bison – and only 1,323 (11 per cent) were pets. In 2020, the number of exotic pets had almost doubled to 2,100, making up 56 per cent of licences.
Dr Mark Jones, Born Free’s head of policy, said: “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and improve the welfare of animals, yet our legislation governing the keeping of and trade in exotic pets is woefully outdated.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, many other species 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 keeping of and trade in those species that clearly don’t belong in people’s homes.”
Since 2000, the charity has seen a rise in the number of exotic pets in private ownership, including a 94 per cent increase in the number of venomous snakes, a 57 per cent increase in wild cats, a 198 per cent increase in crocodilians and a more than 2,000 per cent increase in scorpions.
These figures are likely to represent the tip of the iceberg, as they only concern animals kept under a dangerous wild animals licence; Born Free believes many more animals are being kept without a licence.
It is believed that social media could be playing a part in the increase, with many Instagram and Tiktok accounts displaying large exotic cats and venomous snakes.
Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, anyone can keep such an animal as long as they obtain a licence from their local authority.
The licensing process requires the applicant to demonstrate that their animals are properly contained to prevent escape and protect the public, but this does little to ensure the welfare of the animals or the protection of the owner or anyone visiting the property.