A new survey conducted by Born Free has revealed that nearly 4,000 dangerous wild animals are being privately kept across Britain – 463 of which are living in Wales.

That is a rise of 59 per cent since 2000.

The international wildlife charity is calling on the UK Government to immediately review the law and put a stop to some of the world’s most remarkable, but often deadly, creatures being kept as ‘pets’ in unsuitable captive conditions.

Born Free’s research reviewed the number of Dangerous Wild Animal (DWA) Act licences granted by local authorities in 2020 across England, Scotland and Wales, and the variety of species being privately kept.

Local authorities in Wales revealed that the licences granted cover 463 dangerous wild animals residing in the area.

Included in that total are at least:

• seven venomous snakes, including a carpet viper and an Arizona black rattlesnakes
• two Asian elephants
• one Gila monster (venemous lizard)
• two primates including a cotton-top tamarin and a spider monkey
• one serval cat
• ten ostrich, including nine in Monmouthshire
• 40 bison, including ten in Monmouthshire
• 400 wild boars

The serval cat in Wales, is one of 320 wild cats being kept across the UK, which includes 11 lions, 8 tigers, 11 leopards, 18 pumas, ten cheetahs, two ligers and a jaguar.

Other species on the DWA list that are being kept as pets or in private collections in the UK include zebras, camels, hyaena, sun bears, wolves, and otters.

Dr Mark Jones, Veterinarian and Born Free’s head of policy, states: “Born Free has been collating and analysing DWA data for over 20 years.

"Since the millennium the wild animal welfare and conservation charity has seen a dramatic increase in the number of exotic pets in private ownership, including a 94 per cent increase in the number of venomous snakes, 57 per cent increase in wild cats, 198 per cent increase in crocodilians and over a 2,000 per cent increase in scorpions.

"However, these figures are likely to represent only the tip of the iceberg.

"They only record those animals being kept and registered with a DWA licence. Born Free believes that many additional dangerous wild animals are being kept without a licence.”

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Dr Jones added: “It is unbelievable that, in this day and age, so many dangerous animals, including big cats, large primates, crocodiles and venomous snakes, are in private ownership in the UK.

"Increasing demand for all kinds of wild animals as exotic pets puts owners and the wider public at risk of injury or disease.

"It also results in serious animal suffering, and the demand increases the pressure on many wild populations which are often already under threat.”

Last year a hybrid Savannah cat escaped in Hampstead, London, while a seven-foot-long Boa constrictor appeared in someone’s back garden and then turned on its rescuer biting his hand and wrapping itself around his wrist on the Isle of Sheppey.

There have been other horror stories where a woman was bitten in the eye by a python at Mayfair club and almost blinded, while a man in Hampshire was killed by his 8ft African rock python.

Dr Jones said: “The UK likes to claim to be at the forefront of efforts to protect nature and improve the welfare of animals, yet our legislation governing the keeping of and trade in exotic pets is woefully outdated."