The story of the man who released his 56 exotic animals into Ohio farmland and then took his own life has brought US animal ownership laws to the attention of the world. Here we take a look at what it really takes to get an exotic pet into an American home.
What types of exotic animal can you own in the US?
Eight states have no laws at all governing the ownership of exotic animals. Elsewhere, dangerous beasts from bears to primates to crocodiles are allowed as pets in much of the country. But even in states with ownership laws, the types of animals allowed vary widely. Arkansas, for example, has a ban on owning large carnivores like lions, tigers and bears, but each citizen can own up to six bobcats. Similarly lax laws in Colorado allow for ownership of up to six kangaroos.
These lenient rules don’t come without consequences. The Exotic Animal Incidents database compiled by animal protection organisation Born Free USA cites 75 human deaths since 1990 and over 1500 other incidents. Most occurred in Florida.
How many exotic animals are privately owned in the US?
There are no good numbers because there are no federal regulations on animal ownership, and each state keeps records separately. Leigh Henry is a US-based tiger expert at the conservation campaign group WWF and says, “There’s no way to know at any given time where they are.” WWF estimated in 2004 that about 5000 tigers were kept in captivity in the US and only 5 per cent of those were in accredited zoos. » Read more: Exotic pets USA: Tigers, big bucks and organised crime
