DUBAI — The private ownership of wild animals has been outlawed in the United Arab Emirates, where keeping exotic creatures as pets is a status symbol for some, reports said Wednesday.
Wildcats including endangered cheetahs are known to have been domesticated in the UAE and neighboring Gulf countries, with some even spotted being taken outside in the middle of big cities.
In October, one such outing with five tigers on a beach near Dubai’s iconic Burj Al-Arab hotel was captured on video and went viral on social media, while others have been filmed driving around with lions.
The new law bans dealing in and ownership of “all types of wild and domesticated but dangerous animals,” Gulf News daily said.
Such animals can only be kept at zoos, wildlife parks, circuses, breading and research centers, the newspaper said. “Anyone who takes a leopard, cheetah or any other kind of exotic animal out in public will face a jail term of up to six months and a fine” of up to 500,000 dirhams ($136,000), it added.
Al-Ittihad, an Arabic daily, said those who use wild animals to “terrorize” others would face jail or fine of up to 700,000 dirhams.
The legislation also imposes new restrictions on traditional pets. Dog owners are required to get permits and keep the animals on leashes in public, the reports said, adding that those who fail to obtain the licenses face fines of up to 100,000 dirhams.
UAE President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan issued the Federal Law No. 22 of 2016 which aims to regulate the possession, trading and breeding of dangerous animals.
The law was published in the latest issue of the country’s official gazette. It states that any person who uses dangerous animals to assault humans and causes permanent disability will be punished by three to seven years in prison. The discipline shall be life imprisonment if the attack leads to death. If the dangerous animal attacked others without the intention of his master at the time of an incident, the owner will be charged with manslaughter or unintended injury. — Agencies
