Dangerous Wild Animals Act: What's being kept in Somerset?

Anyone who wishes to keep certain animals must apply to their local authority for a license under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

The act makes sure wild animals are kept in a way that minimises the risk to the public. Zoos, circuses and pet shops are exempt from the act.

Under the act, prospective owners of such species are required to be carefully inspected before they are given permission to keep them.

There are currently 42 animals living in the Somerset Council area that are registered with the authority under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act.

These include:

Asian short-clawed otter

These are native to countries across Asia, such as India, Indonesia and China, and generally live in streams, rivers, marshes or mangroves.

Bactrian camel 

These two-humped camels live in the rocky deserts of central and east Asia, where temperatures can range from 38°c in the summer to -28°c in the winter.

Grant's zebra

These are the smallest subspecies of plains zebra and can be found living in central and southern Africa in countries such as Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.

Bobcat

Also known as the red lynx, these cats are native to North America and feed on rodents, rabbits and some birds.

Serval

These boast the largest ears of any cat and live near streams and rivers in the savannas of central and southern Africa. Its diet includes birds, reptiles, frogs and large insects.

I like to move it, move it: ring-tailed lemurs found fame in 2005 children's film Madagascar. (Image: Richard Croft, Geograph)

Ring-tailed lemur

Stars of the Dreamworks Madagascar movie, these primates are native only to the island of the same name and stand out because of their long striped tails.

Ostrich

Ostriches are the largest and heaviest living bird, meaning they are flightless – but they can sprint at up to 43 miles per hour.

Caracal

A medium-sized wildcat, caracals roam the savannas, deserts and forests of Africa and parts of the Middle East. They are opportunistic predators that are capable of taking down birds, rodents, mongoose and small monkeys.

Asian leopard cat

This small cat has the widest geographic distribution of all felines and can live in tropical forests, scrubland, semi-desert and agricultural regions. 

Jaguarundi 

Another type of wild cat, the Jaguarundi is native to the Americas, ranging from central Argentina to northern Mexico. It is a medium-sized cat of slender build that generally feeds on birds, reptiles, rodents and small mammals.

In the five years to September 1, 2023, Somerset Council (and the former district councils it replaced) received seven applications to a Dangerous Wild Animal licence. Four of these were granted.

Born Free, an international wildlife charity, has revealed that over 2,500 dangerous wild animals were being kept privately under the act this year, including at least 219 wild cats, 256 primates and 420 venomous snakes.

The charity has called for the UK government to undertake a comprehensive review of pet ownership and dangerous wild animal legislation.

The government says people who want to keep an animal covered by the act must follow “strict conditions”, and it says the act is reviewed regularly to ensure it is “effective in keeping people and these animals safe”.