This includes a vast amount in Oxfordshire. From hippos to lions to one Gila Monster.
Today, international wildlife charity Born Free is releasing new data exposing the number of dangerous wild animals being kept legally as āpetsā in the UK.
Research undertaken by Born Free foundĀ that in 2023 more than 2,700 dangerous wild animals were being kept privately in Great Britain under licences permitted by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.
The charityĀ has been campaigning to protect the welfare of exotic wild animals kept as āpetsā since 2005 and has regularly monitored the scale of dangerous wild animal ownership since 2017.
The Dangerous Wild Animals Act was intended to make the keeping of such animals categorised as ādangerousā a wholly exceptional circumstance. But our research shows over 2,700 dangerous wild animals kept privately under license in Great Britain https://t.co/UYHInKlXfb
ā Born Free Foundation (@BornFreeFDN) February 22, 2024
Here we take a look at the dangerous animals being kept in private properties in Oxfordshire:
Oxfordshireās dangerous pets:
- Wild Boar: 75
- Lion: 6
- Tiger: 4
- Leopard: 4
- Wolf: 5
- Moreletās Crocodile: 2
- Cuvierās Dwarf Caiman: 1
- Alligator: 1
- Beaded Lizard: 2
- Gila Monster: 1
- Cobra: 1
- Dromedary Camel: 2
- Bactrian Camel: 4
- Zebra: 4
- Pygmy Hippo: 2
- Rhesus Monkey: 8
- Ring-Tailed Lemur: 10
- Red Kangaroo: 8
Dr Mark Jones, Born Freeās Head of PolicyĀ said,Ā āIt 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 peopleās homes in the UK.
āIncreasing 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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āThe 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and improve the welfare of animals, yet our legislation governing the keeping of and trade in exotic pets is woefully outdated.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 donāt belong in peopleās homes.ā
Chris Lewis, Born Freeās Captivity Research OfficerĀ added,Ā āThe Dangerous Wild Animals Act was intended to make the keeping of such animals categorised as ādangerousā a wholly exceptional circumstance. However, Born Freeās ongoing research paints a very different picture.
āMany 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 animalās welfare needs.
āThis 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.ā