Pet animals-hippos!

Did anyone know that the UK has change its law on certain exotic animals and these can now be kept as pets, does anyone know what animals this affects? I know sloths are one of the animals.
 
The relevant law in the UK is Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. The DEFRA webpage is Defra, UK - Wildlife & countryside - Global wildlife - Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 and it includes the revised schedule of species covered for download.
I'm not too impressed by its logic. Why have they added woolly lemurs to the list of possible pets? They may not be very big, but I don't think many have ever been kept in captivity (although I am willing to be corrected here) and so I doubt if much is known about their temperament. Likewise gentle lemurs, the name is reassuring, but anything with the teeth and jaws required to eat bamboo is potentially dangerous.
Of course there are also overwhelming conservation reasons why these species should not be kept as pets, but that is quite separate from the DWA.

Alan
 
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