After
considering 33 wild animals – equals 120 species - harmless enough to be kept as pets without the
need of a license, a recent review in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act in the UK ended
up raising the complex implications behind having exotic animals at home,
thinking they are just like cats and dogs.
by Jaqueline
B. Ramos (final article - Wolfson College Press Fellowship - University of Cambridge/UK - November 2007)
Christmas is coming. Suzanne and Bill want to surprise
their two children with unusual presents. A breeder in the neighborhood is
selling the cutest black lion tamarin. What a catch! No other kids in the
school have a pet from the far away rainforests of South
America . Tamarins are more exotic than cats and there is no need
at all to apply for a license anymore since it was recently listed as a non-dangerous
wild animal in the UK
What an exciting Christmas Eve. The kids are crazy
about the animal and spend all their time handling and manipulating it to
exhaustion. Crackers, so they named the tamarin, tries to escape the stress of being
constantly handled by the kids. Some of the behaviours perceived as cute and
playful are no more than expressions of distress and fear. Sooner or later jumping
results in accidental crockery breaking. Spots of urine and faeces start
appearing all over the furniture. Finally one of the kids is accidentally bitten
when handling the monkey which screams in distress.
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