Crocodiles, snakes, wildcats and Bisons... oh my! Dangerous animals are being kept LEGALLY as pets

More than 100 dangerous wild animals are being kept legally as pets in Scotland, wildlife charity Born Free has revealed.

Crocodiles, venomous snakes, wildcats and Bisons are among dozens of species being housed across the nation due to lenient legislation on wild pet keeping.

Born Free revealed that at least 135 animals are either licensed or under application in Scotland in 2026.

The nation is home to the most licensed wildcat hybrids in Britain, the charity’s research found. At least nine Savannah cats and four dangerous African servals are in Moray.

Meanwhile, two American alligators and four venomous Gaboon vipers are under application to be kept in Angus - alongside two Nile crocodiles and one rhino viper. Other species being kept with a licence across Scotland include wild boars, ostriches and Mouflon sheep.

Many exotic or wild animals can be kept in homes or private settings without a licence unless the species is specifically protected, prohibited or classed as dangerous - meaning some won’t be on the local authority’s radar.

Scotland differs from England, which introduced strict licensing for privately kept primates in April 2026 - meaning animals must be kept to high, zoo-like welfare standards. Scotland has not adopted that change or its proposed wider ‘permitted pets’ list.

Broadcaster and Born Free Patron Kirsty Gallacher, from Edinburgh, stressed wild species ‘suffer greatly in captivity’.

‘It is staggering and deeply troubling that in 2026, dangerous wild animals are still being legally kept behind closed doors in Britain,’ she said.

‘Big cats, crocodiles, venomous snakes and primates are not pets, they are wild creatures that suffer greatly in captivity. Keeping them in private hands puts both people and the animals at risk.

‘This should not be normal, and it should not still be legal. Fifty years on, these animals are still wild, still dangerous, and still being failed by the law. The government must urgently review this outdated legislation and ultimately bring an end to the private keeping of wild animals as pets.’

Many people are likely keeping dangerous, non-native creatures in private homes across Scotland, potentially posing a risk to public safety and causing suffering.

Born Free said a social media-fuelled craze to own small wild cats and hybrids - among the most frequently licensed species - has been behind the rise in wild animals being kept as pets.

The Dangerous Wild Animals Act (DWAA) was introduced in 1976 to control the private keeping of animals considered to pose a risk to the public.

Born Free said that DWAA licence rules did not mean animals were being kept in appropriate conditions, and the law needed to be reviewed and reformed to protect people and wild animals.

Chris Lewis, Born Free’s captivity research and policy manager, said: ‘These animals are still wild, still dangerous, yet still legal to keep.

‘The Government must urgently review and reform the laws governing the trade in, and keeping of, wild animals as pets.’

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: ’We are committed to the highest standards of animal welfare and understand public health and conservation concerns around the keeping of exotic pets.

‘The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission has explored the issues surrounding the keeping of exotic pets and we will continue to consider the steps that could be taken in this area.’