More than 2,200 dangerous wild animals, including big cats, venomous snakes, and crocodilians, are being legally kept in private homes and other settings across Britain, according to research by the wildlife charity Born Free. The charity has called for a comprehensive review and overhaul of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWAA) 1976, which regulates ownership of such animals.
The DWAA requires individuals to obtain a licence to keep any animal considered potentially hazardous to public safety, including species such as tigers, lions, pit vipers, and alligators. Data obtained from local authorities, which are responsible for issuing licences, reveal that there are more than 500 venomous snakes privately held nationwide, nearly 300 primates, 79 crocodiles, alligators, and caimans, and 166 wild cats including lions, cheetahs, pumas, and tigers. In addition, three Asian elephants are licensed at an ashram near Carmarthen, Wales, and wild cat hybrids are most commonly found in Scotland under these licences.
While some of these animals are housed in sanctuaries, educational facilities, or as part of conservation projects, Born Free highlights that many are kept in private residences. The charity warns such practices can pose risks to public safety and result in significant welfare concerns for the animals involved. Chris Lewis, Born Free’s captivity research and policy manager, pointed out that the law’s original intent was to restrict the keeping of dangerous animals to exceptional cases, yet tens of times more venomous snakes, for example, are now privately kept compared to zoos.
Actress and Born Free patron Dame Joanna Lumley spoke out against the practice, stating that wild animals belong in their natural habitats and should not be kept as pets, regardless of intentions to provide good care. She described the continued legal ownership of such animals as “shocking” and part of a “cruel and ghastly trade.”
Recent incidents such as the discovery of a stressed and dehydrated marmoset on a London bus have raised concerns about the potential increase in exotic animal abandonments following new licensing requirements. The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) has also expressed fears about owners relinquishing exotic pets in response to tighter regulation.
The Department for Food, Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), responsible for enforcing the DWAA, stated that individuals wishing to keep an animal covered by the act must undergo careful vetting and obtain licences which specify strict conditions on animal care and housing.
Born Free has urged ministers to introduce evidence-based reforms to close legislative loopholes, strengthen enforcement, and prevent harm to both animals and the public. The charity also voiced concerns about unlicensed keeping of dangerous wild animals and called for increased scrutiny to address illegal ownership.