Dangerous wild animal licence

The keeping of certain species of wild animals is controlled by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

A licence is required to keep:

  • wild cats
  • primates
  • wild dogs, e.g. wolves
  • certain pigs, e.g. wild boar
  • marsupials

A full list of the animals that require a licence is available on the  Gov.UK web site.

This need for a licence aims to ensure that where private individuals keep dangerous wild animals, they do so in circumstances which create no risk to the public, and which safeguard the welfare of the animal.