Lions, wolves and deadly venomous snakes are among thousands of dangerous animals being kept on private properties across the UK, figures have revealed. Big cats including 13 tigers, two lions, eight leopards, seven cheetahs and nine pumas are prowling behind the fences of addresses up and down the land, an investigation by the Press Association has found. Hundreds of poisonous snakes are also being kept, including more than 300 killer cobras, vipers and rattlesnakes. And lurking beneath the waters of domestic enclosures are 10 alligators, nine crocodiles and 17 caimans - a smaller member of the crocodile family. More than 100 councils have given people licences to keep a host of deadly predators, with some keeping a variety of different species at their homes. Animal welfare experts condemned the findings, saying it was "deeply concerned" at the numbers and that animal welfare was being put at risk. 10 Deadliest Animals In The World The data was obtained from freedom of information (FOI) requests sent to every council in the UK, of which 363 replied.

In Northern Ireland, the Environment Agency provided the figures for the whole country. Dangerous wild animals (DWA) licences are granted by councils to allow people to keep undomesticated animals as pets, providing they have the requisite safety measures at their home and pay a small fee. The unconventional menageries can be found in several major cities, including London, Swansea, Stoke, Sheffield, Hull and Portsmouth.Kohler Undermount Tub Installation Instructions Among the more exotic areas is Cornwall, where the council has issued licences for pumas, lynxes, ocelots, lemurs, vipers, ostriches and an assortment of wild cats.Commercial Smoke Eater Air Cleaner In Central Bedfordshire, meanwhile, wolves, alligators, caimans, black widow spiders, venomous snakes and short-clawed otters are being kept.Swimmer'S Itch From Hot Tub

Among the most popular dangerous pets are lemurs, a small monkey, 115 of which are kept in domestic settings, while smaller cats, which are often crosses between domestic and larger wild cats, such as Savannahs, are also in high demand. For those who prefer canine company, wolves are allowed under DWA licences, with 15 registered at UK addresses. But DWA licences are also issued to properties where animals may be receiving care after being rescued, or living at small private farms, where people keep wild beasts for breeding purposes. This means that as well as inhabiting garden enclosures, exotic wildlife also grazes on the greens of the British countryside, with 412 bison and more than 2,000 wild boar living in private fields, along with a score of zebras. The RSPCA said it was concerned that licences too often focus on protecting the public from harm, rather than on the well-being of the animals themselves. A spokeswoman said: "We are deeply concerned about the number of exotic animals, including dangerous wild animals, now being kept as pets.

People may buy them with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep and the animals are sometimes neglected when the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home. This is why we would encourage anyone thinking of getting an exotic pet to find out as much as possible about the animal's needs and whether they're a realistic pet." She added: "Licences for exotic animals classed as Dangerous Wild Animals - such as cobras, ostriches and caiman crocodiles - are granted by local authorities and the details are also held locally. There is no centrally-held list to determine how many are kept across the country. The emphasis of this legislation is on making sure the owner takes reasonable steps to prevent the animal from being a threat to the public, rather than the welfare of the animals concerned. "Exotic animals have specialist needs and this includes the ones listed on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act list." These are the places in the UK which currently have dangerous wild animal licences issued in them:

Below is a list of dogs that currently need a home in the UK. To view the full details for any dog, simply click on the photo or the "More Info" link to view the dogs full details and the contact information for the rescue where the dog is located. 1 2 3 4 Age: 2 and a half years Age: about 2 years Age: 2- 3 years Age: about 18 months Age: 3 and a half years 1 2 3 4 I can really understand why this play is getting so many mixed reviews. We sort of stumbled upon this place and having seen the leaflets we were a bit surprised at what we arrived at really. It needs lots of TLC, the overall first impression isn't so good. i was interested to read other reviews because it is a bit... Looks tired, but it's a credit to the people looking after the falcons & owls, they rescue the birds from different circumstances from injury ..to mistreatment from people. We got to walk threw the woods with the birds, such beautiful creatures, we had them for a good hour or more, even though it was raining I loved it.

when we arrived we almost didn't go in, as it all looked rather scruffy and 'odd' but i am so glad that we did.! the number and range of birds was amazing and we had few minutes to handle a bird each, which was really an experience to remember. the staff were very knowledgeable and certainly had the birds best... I'm a bit funny about captive animals I sit on the fence as I understand most of the reasons why regarding breeding etc and I love that it gives our children get the chance to see rare and non native animals up close but I'm still not comfortable with it so I did go half heartedly hoping to be pleasantly... From visiting the falconry a few times now my advice is to ring before you go. Find out if there is anything on that day that might stop you from seeing all the birds, and what time the falconry display is on Depending on these criteria, it can be and an amazing day or slightly pricey for what is an... Mixed reviews for this visitor centre made us wonder whether to go, but I'm really glad we did.

Yes, it's a bit dilapidated, but for goodness sake, the owner is looking after beautiful birds and rehabilitating injured birds just on what the centre makes from visitors. Our grandkids thought it was wonderful, and had a very memorable visit. Paid £12 to wander around the falconry centre for about 45mins only to find the birds in random shoddy cages that could do with a massive update.. one of the owls was in a corner trying to dig its way out!! Myself and my partner felt really sorry for the birds sat on posts under corregated shelters. Took my wife for her birthday after some cracking reviews from my friends. Tour guide was extremely knowledgable and clearly passionate about what they do there at Rutland. Loads of birds to choose from, we had the owl Experience which was thoroughly engaging and hands on ending with flying the bird at the end of the tour.... It is worth the visit a bit out of the way to find but when you do it is in a quiet nice place. Very interesting for children to see and many will enjoy it.