The legal responsibility goes to the new owners who are expected to register with their local councils.īut DWA licences can be issued retrospectively by councils, enabling reptile collectors to obtain venomous snakes before they become licensed, the RSPCA said.Ī gaboon viper (Bitis gabonica), an extremely venomous snake that has fangs up to 2 inches in length. A gaboon viper was advertised on the listings website Preloved by Staffordshire pet shop The Unconventional Menagerie
Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWA) it's legal to sell venomous snakes to people who don't have a licence to keep them. Many vets are not able to treat dangerous snakes, as it puts themselves and their staff at risk, as well as the animal. Kettlewell also said that there aren't any legal controls when it comes to purchasing venomous snakes in EU countries and bringing them into the UK.ĭangerous reptile species are given inadequate care, he added, as shown by high rates of those that are given to veterinary practices with diseases. 'BVZS believes that both the keeping of dangerous species by private individuals is likely to compromise both animal welfare and human safety, and as such, the selling of such species to private individuals should be carefully regulated and restricted,' said BVZS president Peter Kettlewell. Limiting the trade of exotic animals could also help avoid another viral pandemic akin to the current coronavirus crisis, which is thought to have originated from an animal market.
0 kommentar(er)
