There are almost 5,000 dangerous wild animals kept privately under licence across Britain, outside zoos. While some of these animals may be kept on farms, or by rescue centres, a worryingly large number are kept as pets.

The keeping of wild animals as pets has always been a concern to Born Free. Wild animals often have complex social, physical and behavioural needs, and specialist knowledge is needed to avoid significantly compromising their health and welfare.

Wild animals can also be powerful and unpredictable, posing a significant safety risk to both owners and the public. Those species categorised as dangerous under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 pose a particular threat to people.

Earlier this year, Born Free launched a petition urging the UK government to review the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, calling for changes to the law governing private ownership of dangerous wild animals. On 4th December 2018 we reached our target of 10,000 signatures (a huge thank you to everyone who signed), and received an official response from government to the petition.