A new Dutch regulation came into force on 1st February 2015 which now limits the type of animals that can be kept as pets.
 
The list, which currently only covers mammals, means that any mammals not included on the ‘Positive List’ cannot be legally kept or may only be kept with a special permit. Therefore owners of prohibited species can keep their animals until they die but trading or breeding from them is not allowed. And anyone who acquires a prohibited species risks prosecution and having their animal confiscated.
 
Stichting AAP (AAP Foundation), a leading rescue facility in Almere in The Netherlands that specialises in primates and other exotic mammals, has been campaigning for a positive list for 22 years. The Foundation sat on the expert panel that gathered available scientific and practical information about the animals. The State Secretary for Economic Affairs made the final decision as to whether to place an animal on the positive list.
 
Says David van Gennep, Executive Director of Stichting AAP: “We’re very happy with this list. AAP is faced on a daily basis with owners who want to get rid of their exotic pet, because the animal was an ill-conceived, impulsive purchase. Raccoons, skunks or even kinkajous: You wouldn’t believe the range of animals that get brought in here. The situation is so serious that the demand for housing facilities is considerably higher than the capacity of our rescue centers. We expect the Positive List to improve the welfare situation of the animals.”
 
Here in the UK, ENDCAP members; The Animal Protection Agency (APA) have been pressing for the adoption of positive lists in the UK for years. The UK pet trade offers a diverse range of exotic mammals, including meerkats, sugar gliders, sloths, skunks, kinkajous, fennec foxes and several primate species, which can be purchased without the need for a licence.
However the recent news that the scottish government plans to undertake a review of exotic pet welfare, including the breeding and sale of animals for the exotic pet trade, is encouraging.
 
The Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment, Richard Lochhead, has indicated the Government commitment to a review of current legislation relating to exotic pet animals in Scotland and to examine whether tighter controls on exotic pet ownership are necessary.
 
ENDCAP continues to support the enforcement of a UK positive list of exotic species, which are essentially wild animals that do not adapt to captivity.
 
See the appendix below for a full list of permitted animals included within the Dutch positive List.
 

APPENDIX: COMPLETE LIST OF ALLOWED ANIMALS

Table 1 Positive list: animal species that can be held without application of species-specific regulations for keeping animals.
 

 
Table 2: animal species that can be held with application of species-specific regulations for keeping animals.