could anyone send me a link for all the exotic pet species you can keep in the UK (england) i know you can get capybaras, sugar gliders and loads of different repts, inverts!
Marmosets, squirrel monkeys and many reptile species don't need a DWA, you don't even need one for a komodo dragon :-s
Theoretically you can keep anything. Realistically there are restrictions that you have to deal with. Without a DWA licence you can only legally keep animals not on the DWA list and additionally certain animals are subject to CITES restrictions. There's also the fact that some animals would be impossible to source (e.g. some of the smaller (wild) cat species can be kept without a DWA licence, but have never/hardly ever been kept in captivity). Interestingly, there' some really cool mammals that can be kept without a DWA licence and are sometimes available in the UK (to some extent or other)- Coatis, Armadillos, Raccoons, Civets, Skunks, Genets, and many, many rodent species
my mate has a pair of meerkats, i will be visiting his house soon and if i do, i will tell you if it is good or bad
i strongly say if they are being kept they have to be kept with suitable enrichment+numbers, coz meerkats by themselves aren't that happy ;s
I disagree somewhat. The happiest seeming meerkat I've ever seen was Mia at Cardiff reptile centre. She just runs around the shop and the enrichment and socialisation she gets from the public is awesome. She didn't seem lacking in anything, just behaving like a meerkat should. However 99% of people who only buy one on it's own would not be able to spend this much time with it, so it doesn't work in most cases so I agree with you on some level.
i was meant said its good to have number but nessercary to have enrichment a bored meerkat isn't a happy meerkat. (my grammar aint good ^^) ive found a list on the DEFRA website of wat can be legally owned with a license, its quite scary
Not really, part of the purpose of the licensing system is to ensure the animals are properly kept and that there is no risk to the general public.
this is the link for what you need a license for in the uk - http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/wildlife/protect/documents/dwa-animallist.pdf . But most people dont bother with a license and keep them anyway. Most of the animals that have been mentioned in this thread are easy to get as pets plus a whole lot of other species.