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Dangerous wild animals licence

Copies of these licences should generally be on public display at the premises to which they relate. If you don't see one ask 'why?' and try to find somewhere that is licensed.

Applications for new licences, or where there are substantial changes to an existing licence, must be advertised in order that residents can be given the opportunity to object to the application and appear before the licensing applications panel.

Persons wishing to keep a dangerous wild animal must first obtain a licence from the local authority.

Apply

To make an application contact:

The Licensing Partnership
Council Offices
Sevenoaks
Kent
TN13 1GP

Or complete a licensing enquiry form.

Fees and charges

Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 - Keeping of a wild animal

  • new licence application £1,029
  • renewal of licence £737
  • complaint visit (recharged to licence holder) £300
  • midterm licence visit (recharged to licence holder) £300* 
  • duplicate licence £35
  • minor variation (minor changes to licence not requiring a site visit) £222
  • major variation (more substantial changes to licence requiring a site visit £520
  • general admin charge - for work on applications which cannot be resolved/made valid (to be deducted from any refund of application fee - where this exceeds the application fee then no refund shall be given) £54

* to be charged with new and renewal application fee upfront

Animals Covered by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 include:

Mammals

  • marsupials - Tasmanian devil, grey kangaroo, red kangaroo, wallaroo, euro
  • primates - Tamarins, New World monkeys (Capuchin, Howler, Saki, Spider, Squirrel, Titi, Uakari, Woolly and the Night Monkey), Old World monkeys (Baboons, Drill, Colobus Monkeys, Gelada, Guenons, Langurs, Leaf Monkeys, Macaques, Mandrill, Mangebeys, Patas Monkey, Proboscis Monkey and Talapoin), Leaping lemurs (Indri, Sifakas and Woolly lemur), Large lemurs (except the broad-nosed and grey gentle lemurs), anthropoid apes (chimpanzees, gibbons, gorilla, orang-utan)
  • edentates - Sloths, the giant armadillo, the giant anteater
  • rodents - North American porcupine, capybara, crested porcupines
  • carnivores - Giant panda, red panda, jackals, wild dogs, wolves, coyote. (except foxes, the raccoon-dog and domestic dogs), bobcat, caracal, cheetah, jaguar, lion, lynx, ocelot, puma, serrval, tiger and all other cats (except domestic cat breeds), Hyenas (except the aardwolf), badgers (except Eurasian), otters (except Eurasian), tyra, wolverine, fisher, ratel, cacomistles, raccoons, coatis, olingos, little coatimundi, kinkajou, bears, civets, binturong and the fossa
  • pinnipedes - The walrus, eared and earless seals, sea lions (except the common and grey seals)
  • elephants
  • odd-toed ungulates - asses, horses and zebras (except domesticated horses, hybrids and donkeys), rhinoceros, tapirs
  • hyraxes - The tree hyrax and rock hyrax
  • aardvark
  • even-toed ungulates - The pronghorn, antelopes, bison, buffalo, cattle, gazelles, goats, sheep camels, guanaco, vicuna, moose, elk, caribou, reindeer, giraffe, okapi, hippopotamus, pygmy hippopotamus, Old World pigs (wild boar, warthog), New World pigs (peccaries) any hybrids of this list (except domesticated breeds)

Birds

  • Cassowaries, emu, ostrich

Reptiles

  • crocodilians - alligators, caymans, crocodiles, the false gharial, the gharial (gavial)
  • lizards and snakes - mole vipers, some rear-fanged venomous snakes (the moila, montpellier, sand, twig, mangrove, boomslang, red-necked keelback, yamakagashi snakes), some front-fanged venomous snakes (the cobras, coral, desert black, kraits, mambas, sea snakes and all Australian poisonous snakes (including death adders), adders, barba amarilla, bushmaster, copperhead, ferde-lance, moccasins, rattlesnakes and vipers), the gila monster and the Mexican beaded lizard

Invertebrates

  • spiders - Wandering, the Sydney funnel-web (and relatives), Brazilian wolf, brown recluse (violin), black widow (redback and relatives) spiders
  • scorpions - buthid scorpions

The purpose of the licence is to protect the health and welfare of the animal and ensure its security.

Will tacit consent apply?

No. It is in the public interest that the authority must process your application before it can be granted. If you have not heard from the local authority within a reasonable period, please contact the Licensing team.

Conditions for keeping dangerous wild animals

1. While any animal is being kept under the authority of the Licence:

  • a. the animal shall be kept by no person other than the person or persons specified above
  • b. the animal shall normally be held at such premises as are specified above
  • c. the animal shall not be moved from those premises
  • d. the person to whom the Licence is granted shall hold a current insurance policy which insures him and any other person entitled to keep the animal under the authority of the Licence against liability for any damage which may be caused by the animal, the terms of such policy being satisfactory in the opinion of the authority

2. The species and number of animals of each species which may be kept under the authority of the Licence shall be restricted to those specified in the Schedule above.

3. The person to whom the Licence is granted shall at all reasonable times make available a copy of the Licence to any person entitled to keep any animal under the authority of the Licence.

4. The person to whom the licence is granted shall at all reasonable times make available a copy of the Licence to any person entitled to keep any animal under the authority of the Licence.

5. The person to whom the licence is granted shall ensure that all reasonable precautions are taken

  • a. to protect the public safety,
  • b. to ensure that no nuisance is caused to the public

6. While any animal is being kept under the authority of the Licence;

  • a. it shall be held in accommodation which secures that the animal will not escape, which is suitable as regards construction, size, temperature, lighting, ventilation, drainage and cleanliness and is suitable for the number of animals proposed to be held in the accommodation
  • b. appropriated steps will be taken to ensure the protection and extrication of animals in case of fire or other emergency. The name, address and telephone number of the licence holder or some other responsible person must be displayed in a prominent position on the outside of the premises and instructions as to the action to be taken in case of an emergency must also be prominently displayed on the outside of the premises, where appropriate suitable equipment for handling animals must be available at all times
  • c. all reasonable precautions must be taken to prevent and control the spread among animals of infectious or contagious diseases. Veterinary first aid equipment and medicines shall be provided and maintained on the premises
  • d. while at the premises where it will normally be held, accommodation shall be such that each animal may take adequate exercise

7. There must be adequate provision for storage of food, bedding and equipment.

8. There must be provision for disposal of manure and spoiled bedding etc.

Animals will be maintained in a good state of health.