Who needs a lap dog when you can have a sloth?

LOOKEY!

They are unlikely house companions but all manner of spiky, prickly and fearsome creatures are now officially loveable. Licences are no longer required to own a sloth, emu, racoon or squirrel monkey.

In a shake-up of the dangerous-animal laws 33 species are now considered sufficiently harmless to be kept as a pet. Children who were once content to play with a puppy or hamster may now yearn for a North American porcupine, a mangrove snake or even a Brazilian wolf spider.

Other exotic beasts that may be stocked by pet shops in future include woolly lemurs, tamarins, coatis and little coatimundis. The changes will save owners between ?100 and ?1,000 a year in licence fees charged by local authorities for any animal, bird or reptile listed under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.

But some animal welfare campaigners fear that it will lead to animals suffering with owners unable to cope with demanding creatures. Others also fear that unscrupulous dealers will breed these animals and that it could encourage illicit trade in endangered wild animals.

Even though woolly lemurs, tamarins, night (or owl) monkeys, titis and squirrel monkeys are now deemed harmless, their conservation status is important and ownership is covered by the Convention of Inernational Trade in Endangered Species (Cites). Owners must be licensed to care for these animals.

Also this bit was a little bit amusing

Can you now get them at regular pet-stores? o_O

Oh this is a law change in the UK, and no not yet... but soon

im gettin one and callin him Sid!

Will it happen in the US? o_O
I hope so...

Great, as if enough animals aren't tortured every year by people.

That is true of course and a good point, but this law was in place to protect the public from dangours animals. All the animals on that list could be pets anyway but you needed a licence before, plus most of them are still under "Convention of Inernational Trade in Endangered Species." Owners must be licensed to care for these animals.

So by making it easier, more people will do it, meaning more animals will be sold as pets. Anytime money and animals mix, the animals usually suffer, it's so wrong.

Just a wondering, do you ever look on the bright side?

sorry, I've probably seen too many animals skinned alive on youtube...lol I'm a bit jaded on the subject of people/animal interactions...lol

you dont want a sloth them? or an emu? But you are right, if an emu is availible as a pet...who the f*** has a garden big enough for that?!?

I personally love animals, it's most other people I don't trust. Not necessarily out of evil intent, but more out of ignorance. Who really knows how to take care of a sloth? or an emu? How many people even know what a coatimundi is, much less how to care for one? Those animals aren't intended for being pets, they care of themselves just fine in the wild as it should be.

I have a friend who is pet crazy, she has a dog, snake, chincilla, fish and rats and its a bloody lot of work. She takes really good care of them but vet bills, beddings, food and cleaning stuff wipes her out.

Keeping a pet where things like food and bedding arent availiable in the high street supermarket can be hard work.

Sloths are damn cute but i would imagine you would have to be a devoted owner.

the problem is, like treebee said, it's hard work, bt people don't realize it. Animals aren't nifty gadgets you buy and then toss out when you're bored with them, which is what many people do with novel pets like that. They see a cool animal and think, "Wow, that would be so cool to have one of those!" and buy one, and then get tired of the stress of caring for it's special needs and all the inconveniences that go along with that. Some people just drop animals off on the side of the road. That animals never learned to fend for itself, it's doomed. Or they forget to monitor their kids, and the kid ends up accidentally killing it or something. It's just wrong.

Wow! I'mma get me a raccoon!