This is Planet Earth with Nada Farhoud

This is Planet Earth with Nada Farhoud

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This is Planet Earth with Nada Farhoud
This is Planet Earth with Nada Farhoud
Is the Dangerous Wild Animal Act out of date?

Is the Dangerous Wild Animal Act out of date?

Nada visits a rescue sanctuary in Lincolnshire which is picking up the pieces after exotic pet purchases go wrong.

Jul 03, 2025
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This is Planet Earth with Nada Farhoud
This is Planet Earth with Nada Farhoud
Is the Dangerous Wild Animal Act out of date?
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The Ark Wildlife Park and Cat Rescue sanctuary in Stickney, Lincolnshire has seen a massive increase in dangerous animals (Image: Andy Stenning)

New movies and adverts are driving a surge in exotic pet ownership but then are turfed out after people realise they can't cope with their complex needs.

More than 300 dangerous, large cats are living across the UK, according to the Born Free Foundation. Many are in regular homes, with owners who don't have zoo licences.

Jamie Mintram, who runs The Ark wildlife sanctuary near Boston, Lincolnshire also blamed social media for fuelling the new craze.

He said: “The demand now is for exotic wildcats which is being driven by posts on You Tube, Facebook and Instagram.

“We saw the trend really kick-off after that horrible documentary Tiger King came out in the first lockdown.

"When people realise they can't get a lion or a tiger in the UK, they look for the closest thing and we've had a lot of cases of wild cats such as serval and lynx cats being bought on a whim.

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