Worldwide wildlife charity Born Free releases information revealing the true extent of harmful wild animal possession in Britain. The surprising analysis confirms the size and seriousness of unique animals being saved as ‘pets’ and highlights the pressing want for higher regulation to guard the general public and these, typically threatened, wild creatures.
“It’s unbelievable that, these days, so many harmful animals, together with large cats, giant primates, crocodiles and venomous snakes, proceed to be legally saved in folks’s houses.”
Dr Mark Jones, Born Free’s Head of Coverage
- Greater than 2,700 harmful wild animals licensed for personal possession.
- Ten instances extra lethal venomous snakes saved in British houses than in zoos.
- Born Free is looking for pressing motion to tighten laws to minimise threat to the general public and to safeguard the welfare of untamed animals.
On the twenty second Feb 2024: Worldwide wildlife charity Born Free launched new information exposing the variety of harmful wild animals being saved legally as ‘pets’ within the UK.
Analysis undertaken by Born Free discovered that in 2023 greater than 2,700 harmful wild animals had been being saved privately in Nice Britain below licences permitted by the Harmful Wild Animals Act 1976. This quantity consists of greater than 200 wild cats, 250 primates and 400 venomous snakes.
Among the many disturbing array of untamed animals saved legally in folks’s houses are bush vipers in Bedfordshire, cheetahs in Cheshire, caiman in Kent and lynx in Lincolnshire. The complete regional information, collected from native authorities, is on the market to view on Born Free’s ‘Harmful Wild Animals Map’ right here: https://www.bornfree.org.uk/dwamap/. Anybody can log-on and see if there’s a harmful wild animal, akin to a lion, alligator or venomous reptile, dwelling close to them.
The staggering undeniable fact that there are almost three thousand wild creatures labeled as harmful below UK legislation, being saved as ‘pets’ throughout Britain, is of nice concern to Born Free. The protecting of such animals threatens the security of individuals and different animals, and leads to appreciable struggling. In contrast to domesticated animals, which have been bred over generations to dwell alongside people, these wild animals have advanced bodily, psychological, dietary, social, and environmental wants which can’t be met by a life in captivity. In consequence, these, typically threatened, creatures can undergo poor well being and psychological harm. Elevated demand for unique ‘pets’ additionally places strain on wild populations of many already threatened species.
Wild animals being saved in home settings additionally presents a really actual threat to public security. These animals retain a lot of their pure, wild behaviours, and being saved in hectic, unnatural, confined environments, can doubtlessly make them extra harmful. There are additionally main considerations concerning the attainable transmission of zoonotic ailments from animals to people related to the protecting of captive wild animals.
Disturbingly, Born Free additionally found that some councils are unaware of the precise species of animal being saved, regardless of a requirement to determine this throughout the laws, which raises additional severe animal welfare, and well being and security, considerations.
The analysis reveals a number of troubling developments, together with the continued recognition of proudly owning small wild cats, or hybrids (crosses between a wild and home cat). There have been 53 servals (throughout 29 completely different licences) and 43 hybrid wild cats (throughout 21 completely different licences), making them essentially the most, and second-most, licensed species on the checklist. This present craze seems to be pushed by their presence in posts throughout social media, and is especially alarming. As soon as the hybridised animals produce offspring, they not require a Harmful Wild Animals licence, regardless of the excessive illustration of untamed genes which stay throughout the animals. It’s also of concern to Born Free that the variety of lemurs has elevated from 151 to 175 since 2020, highlighting the continued want for larger restrictions on the protecting of primates as pets.
Born Free has been campaigning to guard the welfare of unique wild animals saved as ‘pets’ since 2005 and has frequently monitored the size of harmful wild animal possession since 2017. The analysis launched at the moment reveals that it stays an enormous challenge that urgently wants addressing.
Because of its findings, Born Free is looking on the UK authorities to assessment the Harmful Wild Animals Act. The charity is asking the general public to hitch them in campaigning for change by writing to their native MP utilizing the shape discovered right here: bornfree.org.uk/dangerous-wild-animals/ to demand improved regulation that may guarantee far larger restrictions on the commerce in, and protecting of, wild animals as ‘pets’ within the UK. The nation wants higher laws which totally considers:
- Whether or not particular person animal welfare wants could be totally met, and house owners have the mandatory {qualifications} and expertise and might present the appropriate setting to satisfy these wants
- Whether or not the commerce is more likely to compromise the conservation of species within the wild
- Potential environmental considerations, such because the escape of probably invasive species
- Dangers to public and animal well being & security, together with the unfold of zoonotic ailments
Harmful animals are usually not ‘pets’ to be saved by non-public house owners, however wild creatures that deserve safety and to dwell as nature meant.
Dr Mark Jones, Born Free’s Head of Coverage stated, “It’s unbelievable that, these days, so many harmful animals, together with large cats, giant primates, crocodiles and venomous snakes, proceed to be legally saved in folks’s houses within the UK. Rising demand for and commerce in every kind of untamed animals as unique pets places house owners and the broader public susceptible to harm or illness. It additionally leads to severe animal struggling, and the demand will increase the strain on many wild populations which are sometimes already below menace. The UK likes to say to be on the forefront of efforts to guard nature and enhance the welfare of animals, but our laws governing the protecting of and commerce in unique pets is woefully outdated. The Harmful Wild Animals Act ought to be overhauled as a matter of urgency, as a way to part out the non-public protecting of these species that clearly don’t belong in folks’s houses.”
Chris Lewis, Born Free’s Captivity Analysis Officer added, “The Harmful Wild Animals Act was meant to make the protecting of such animals categorised as “harmful” an entirely distinctive circumstance. Nevertheless, Born Free’s ongoing analysis paints a really completely different image. Many members of the general public will rightly be shocked to be taught of so many animals being saved by non-public keepers. But, at its core, the Act relies upon the belief that it’s attainable to maintain harmful wild animals in a approach that minimises or eliminates threat to the general public and in a way that meets an animal’s welfare wants. This has resulted in laws being reactionary, struggling to maintain tempo with ever-changing scientific proof and changing into more and more out-of-date. The rules pertaining to the protecting and buying and selling of untamed animals saved as pets are in pressing want of assessment.”
