The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, in plain English

What the Act does

The rule is short: no person shall keep any dangerous wild animal except under the authority of a licence granted by the local authority (section 1). The Act was passed to make sure that privately kept dangerous animals are held safely and without risk to the public. It is the council, not a national body, that grants the licence, inspects and enforces.

Which animals are covered?

The species that need a licence are set out in the Act's Schedule, which was substantially rewritten by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 (Modification) Order 2007. It covers a wide range, including big cats, many primates, venomous snakes, crocodilians and certain other species considered capable of causing serious harm. Because the list is long and is amended over time, always check the current Schedule for the exact species before you assume an animal is in or out.

What a licence requires

Before granting a licence, the council must be satisfied of a set of conditions, and it writes them onto the licence (section 1). In practice that means:

• Granting it is not contrary to the public interest on safety or nuisance grounds
• The applicant is a suitable person to hold it
• Accommodation is secure against escape and suitable for construction, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation, drainage and cleanliness
• The animal gets adequate food, drink and bedding and is visited at suitable intervals
• There are steps in place to protect the animal in case of fire or other emergency
• A current liability insurance policy covers any damage the animal may cause

The licence names the person who holds it and specifies the premises where the animal is normally kept. It runs for a fixed period and is then renewed, and the council can inspect to check the conditions are being met.

Who is exempt

Section 5 exempts several kinds of keeper. You do not need a Dangerous Wild Animals Act licence if the animal is kept in:

• A zoo licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act 1981
• Premises licensed for selling animals as pets (under the modern animal-activities licensing rules)
• A designated scientific establishment under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986

That first exemption matters a lot. If your animals are exhibited to the public on seven or more days a year, you are in zoo territory: you need a zoo licence instead, not a Dangerous Wild Animals Act licence, and with it comes a legal duty to keep records (the Zoo Licensing Act 1981 s.1A(f), detailed in SSSMZP 2012 §12 (Stock Records)). Our how to start a zoo guide walks through that route.

Penalties and where it applies

Keeping a listed animal without a licence, or breaching the conditions, is a criminal offence and can lead to a fine and to the animal being seized. The Act applies across England, Wales and Scotland, with some devolved differences. Northern Ireland has its own separate legislation. Your local council is always the first place to check the current position for your area.

Records: quietly central to every animal licence

Whichever licence you hold, the authority has to be satisfied the animal is kept safely and well, and good records are how you show it: health and treatment, husbandry, insurance and the animal's identity and origin. For a single private animal a notebook may be enough. For a collection that is shown to the public, that record-keeping is a legal duty in its own right, and it is checked at every inspection.

ZooLog is built for collections that keep records at scale, zoos, wildlife parks, aquariums and petting farms, rather than single-animal private keepers. If your animals are shown to the public, the section below is for you.

Quick answers