DWA Changes

[ratboy]

I would like to know why DEFRA believe that an animal like a racoon poses no danger to the public.

This is taken from an American web site...

Raccoons as pets
Some young raccoons, especially orphans, are responsive to human contact and it is tempting to try to make one into a pet. This is rarely a good idea. Young raccoons are adorable and their antics amusing but they have very specialized needs and their curiosity and stubbornness generally preclude making pets of them.

Raccoons do not recognize the word 'no' and if they decide they want something you'd better not try to take it away. Your priceless collection of Hummel figurines will be destroyed on the first day, your upholstery shredded and your refrigerator emptied of it's contents on a regular basis.

The biggest problem with attempting to make a raccoon into a pet comes when the raccoon gets a little older. Female raccoons reach sexual maturity at one year of age, males at two. At this point in their development or shortly thereafter, they sometimes become ill-tempered and aggressive. If they become unmanageable they must be released to the wild. Since they've lived in captivity all their lives, they cannot simply be taken out to the country and set free. They don't know how to survive in the wild and will probably suffer a slow death by starvation or, more likely, because they have no fear of humans.

Wildlife rehabbers devote countless hours to trying to 'wild up' raccoons who have been kept as pets so that they may survive on their own. Some never become releasable.
There are exceptions to every rule, and in some instances raccoons have been successfully made into pets. If you have a good reason to attempt to make a raccoon into a pet, i.e. the animal has a physical defect that would prevent it from surviving in the wild, do your homework and know what you are getting into. (The desire to have an exotic pet is NOT a good reason.) As my friend Don says, "It takes a special person to live with raccoons." To this I would add, "It takes a special raccoon to live with people."

Another compelling reason not to make a raccoon into a pet is the presence in many wild raccoons of a parasite called baylisascaris procyonis, otherwise known as 'roundworms' or 'brainworms'. The Journal of the American Veterinary Association has estimated rates of infestation to be as high as 80% in some areas. This parasite is harmless to the raccoon but when transmitted to a different host, such as humans (especially children) or domestic canines, it can cause blindness, central nervous system damage and death.


Raccoon facts and information

[SiUK]

There should be seperate legislation for primates, because I agree they shouldnt be on DWA but they should be protected under some law so not just anyone can get one with no hassle at all.

[leptophis]

an interesting debate, lol , but some what mute as its all ready done and dusted, is it a good thing for the mammals, no i dont think so, personally i think they should have a separate license that people have to do some course to get, on animals like racoons and such like, certainly numerous mammal people seem to be against it, and i for one hate the ease which birds of prey are sold in free papers, education is the only answer to better keepers, teaching people better ways of keeping all there animals is the way forward, the dwa has its floors, but taking these animals off in my opinion without anything else in place is just stupid, would have been much better to wait and get something else there and then change the system, however i dont believe as it has been suggested that all this is a ruse by the antis, that kind of thinking always reminds me of the cold war where americans saw communists everywhere, it is much better if everyone worked together rather than seeing them as the enemy, but hey ho the reptile world loves its paranoia, however most of these issues are always over taken by personal agendas and egos, and yet little is actually achieved, changing this bill now, is almost impossible , if there is anything done it should be by people voted for by the keepers, if this was within the reptile world then it should be people voted for by the cubs and organisations which already has happened as far as i am aware, i do not know how much unity and clubs there are within the mammal world, but the same should happen, personally i doubt anything will happen now,

[Nerys]

i don't believe it is done and dusted no.. not according to the powers that be at defra at least, or that is, the guy who wrote the ammendment... a guy who seemed oddly unfamiliar with some of the "louder" names that i thought represented our interests............ [which was an interesting discovery to say the least]

we have till the 26th to argue the toss..

the modification is currently sat in parliement, where it has been since the 14th May and where it stays for 40 working days, waiting to see if it is challenged, again, according to the guy who wrote the modification document itself, it is NOT a done deal as yet.

out of interest... do you have any idea who it was who sat around the table and decided things like racoons and mangroves should be taken off?

actually, that question to all of you who read this

who was at the discussion, where they decided what was coming off?

i have to say though, i do not agree with the way the battle has been fought so far.. i'm not saying i could have done it better, but *shrugs* there we go... its what i think and at least i will stand up and say so.

[exopet]

well, in my opinion the whole DWA list is a mess, species are on that shouldn't be, species aren't on that should be.

the main lizards that should be included are the larger monitors and giant snakes species should be included too.

I do agree that some small primates and procyonids should be excluded, but this does not mean I advocate them becoming a common pet species.

[SiUK]

Originally Posted by exopet

well, in my opinion the whole DWA list is a mess, species are on that shouldn't be, species aren't on that should be.

the main lizards that should be included are the larger monitors and giant snakes species should be included too.

I do agree that some small primates and procyonids should be excluded, but this does not mean I advocate them becoming a common pet species.

large moniters and snakes, thats one to throw in the melting pot

[Magpye]

In my opinion.....

It would be nice to believe that the Komodo Dragon will one day be added to the list, or indeed any non Odatrian species (including Bosc if not Odatria) of Varanid. I still find it frustrating that you can buy a Nile Monitor for 50 GBP from many reptile shops, whereas an Ackie will cost you over 100 GBP. There is no doubt which is the more dangerous varanid and more likely to suffer in captivity as a result of inappropriate enclosure.

The dingo should be added to the list, but dingo-hybrids should remain off of the list as with wolf-hybrids.

All primates should remain on the list. I have no problem with people keeping primates, but I do believe that any keeper should be subject to inspection, and sadly unless you buy a dog/cat from the RSPCA or other sanctuary, there is no inspection process for pet animals other than the DWAA. Inspection is the only means of ensuring that the owner is suitable for the animal, and the necessary knowledge and provisions are in place.

Racoons can be destructive and potentially dangerous, however I do not consider them to be any more dangerous than an angry Japanese Akita. And whilst 80% of the population may harbour zoonotic endoparasites, a suitable course of treatment will remove these parasites - in the same way that domestic livestock (ie sheep, cattle) are treated for endoparasites. Whatever the decision regarding racoons, I think the same tratment should be applied to coatis, kinkajou, coatimundi, binturong and olingoes.

What happened to removing the Dwarf Caiman from the list?

[snakelover]

I think all venomouse reptiles should be on except for the slightly venomous like hognose etc, but evrything that has a chance of killing you with VENOM should be on, other wise all reptiles houldnt be on, like anaconda...i dont think big boids should be on just because there big, as loads of people own them, whatever age and look after them, and may not be able/get a DWA.
I think evrything that is aggressive, or atleast known to be aggressive should be on there, most monkeys, if not all, and big mammals, like big cats, big dogs, pigs(BOAR pigs, not farm pigs) etc should be on also,

[brian]

The list could be endless what should be on or not on everybody has a different view if you like it or not I don't like iguanas so should they be on it ?? Anything over 8 foot could be very dangerous if not kept in correct conditions but if kept right a 20 footer could be as soft as a dead mouse i LOVE WDR snakes I don't want them on it but to see sence thay have to be on it ............Brian

[spider_mad]

I voted yes but depending on which species and only being available to well knowledgeable herpetologists and people with experience not to any tom, dick and harry