Calls for review of 'outdated' exotic animals law

A wild animal rescue and a charity have criticised "outdated" legislation introduced 50 years ago that regulates how exotic animals are kept in the UK.

Lindsay McKenna, owner of Wildside Exotic Rescue in Herefordshire, said the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWA) compounded the issues caused by the "very cruel practice" of people keeping exotic animals.

She said: "Wild animals should be in the wild, they're not for our entertainment."

A spokesperson for the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said UK applicants hoping to keep an exotic animal were "carefully vetted" and licences set out "strict conditions".

McKenna's Ross-on-Wye rescue centre has been running for 17 years and now cares for more than 200 wild or dangerous animals that have been rescued from people's homes.

Her rescued animals include zebras, raccoons, monkeys and big cats.

McKenna pointed to the issue of enclosure sizes as an example of what she felt was wrong with the DWA.

"The minimum recommended enclosure size for a mountain lion is 28sqm, smaller than an average lounge.

"I wouldn't even put one of my 11 mountain lions in a 28sqm enclosure for an hour, let alone a lifetime."

Discussing the DWA, McKenna also criticised the act for not evolving since its inception.

She said: "I think the fact that there hasn't been a change [to the legislation] reflects a lot on humanity. They'd rather possess an animal than protect its habitat."

She added: "I wouldn't want to say we're the solution to this big problem, which is the wild animal trade.

"This is probably better than where they were in garages and cages, but it's not the wild."

Kirsty Gallacher, broadcaster and patron for wildlife charity Born Free, said: "We at BornFree are asking for a review of this quite outdated Dangerous Wild Animals Act.

"We're asking people to get behind our campaign for this to be reviewed and for people to sign the petitions so that we can look at stopping this."

Figures from the charity show there are still more than 2,200 active DWA licences or applications made in the country.

That includes about 300 dangerous primates, 79 crocodilians, 166 wild cats and more than 500 venomous snakes, meaning there are 10 times more dangerous snakes in people's homes than in zoos.

Of those active licences, 190 are based in the West Midlands.

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