UAE bans keeping wild animals as pets

Wild Welfare is thrilled to hear that new regulations passed in the UAE ban keeping wild animals as pets.

Owning wild animals like tigers, lions and cheetahs is not uncommon in the Middle East and research has shown that the desire for cheetahs particularly, has been pushing critical populations of the wild cats to extinction, as illegal wildlife trafficking increases to meet demands.

This news is a hugely positive step in terms of animal welfare. Wild animals have complex species-specific needs that cannot be fulfilled within the confines of a domestic environment, making them unsuitable pets.

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