Now You Need a Licence for a Lion
By Linda McKee
New laws governing dangerous wild animals kept in captivity come into force today.
New laws governing dangerous wild animals kept in captivity come into force today.
Owners of such animals will now have to apply for a licence and pay a licence fee of £80, quelling the underground trade that has being growing in Northern Ireland.
Environment Minister David Cairns has granted a 90-day amnesty period, allowing owners to apply for the licence - or hand in the animal to the DOE.
The USPCA has welcomed the long-awaited legislation, pointing out the absurdity of an unregulated system that allowed private individuals to keep anything from lions to diamond-backed rattlesnakes.
Spokesman David Wilson said: "We've been waiting for this for a considerable period of time and we welcome its arrival.
"In Northern Ireland, you had to pay a fiver for the privilege of keeping a poodle, but you could keep a panther for nothing."
Mr Wilson said the USPCA's concerns go beyond the risk to public safety.
"We are concerned about animal welfare. We feel a lot of people are not keeping the animals in the right conditions and that they don't have the right knowledge to care for them and the animals are suffering as a result," he said.
From now on, it will be an offence to have a dangerous wild animal without a licence - attracting a fine of up to £5,000. Selling such an animal to anyone without a licence will also be an offence.
Belfast Telegraph: 4th December 2006