Well, seriously, I´would be interested in some more info on this.
I mean, if people get these licenses and then end up handing over their leopards to "rescue centers" after being mauled while playing frisbee with the cats, doesn´t that ring a bell?
BTW
What about other European countries? Could you keep a tiger in your backyard in Germany, France, Poland, Holland or Denmark, for example?
In Denmark it is illegal for a private person to keep potentially fatally dangerous creatures as pets or "hobby animals". Only state-approved zoos have the legislation to keep animals such as large carnivores.
Well, all I'll say is there are about 65,000 accidents every year relating to dogs in the UK. To me that's a massive amount of accidents relating to a domesticated animal. If someone wants to keep a leopard/tiger/lion/polar bear in an enclosure out the back of their house then let them. A lot of private owners can look after animals exceptionally and house them just as well (Howletts for example).
Hmm... we agreed not to start a debate but it seems like we have done just that.
Really, you cannot be serious when you write "If someone wants to keep a leopard/tiger/lion/polar bear in an enclosure out the back of their house then let them."?
Just like that? A polar bear?! What happens to that polar bear when its rich benefactor (?) dies and the heirs maybe don´t want to support the bear anymore?
Is this a proper way to handle big carnivores in a supposedly civilized country such as The UK?!
And, again, what about those "licensed" leopard owners playing frisbee with their cats? Just "let them"?
Who's to say the rich guy will get sick of it? Damian Aspinall didn't when his father died, as a result Howletts (an essentially private animal collection) is still going strong. Plenty of people do it with venomous snakes, so if someone who has loads of money and land wants to keep a tiger in a zoo like enclosure then I don't see why they shouldn't, provided it's looked after. It's no different to me keeping my reptiles or you looking after your dogs, just on a larger and probably more secure scale.
Sorry if this offend you but that's how I feel.
Well I can only think of one so it must be doing alright
In a place like the US then there's going to be more surplus pet tigers and that as they're much more common as pets. In Britain they're not, so people put more money and research into it and because of that they're less likely to get bored of them.
No need for any "rescue center" whatsoever in a country where you are not allowed to play frisbee with a leopard in your backyard, though. Whatever "licenses" your no doubt wise local politicians are willing to approve of...
I actually don't know if the frisbee playing would be legal mind, as DWA licence stuff says that venomous snakes should never be handled, so I'm pretty sure they wouldn't let the do that with a leopard. But whatever, let's just disagree.
