For the most part, exotic animals are illegal in Hawaii. These include bears, big cats, wild dogs, hybrids of wild cats and wild dogs, kangaroos, wild cattle and deer, birds of prey, alligators, geckos and most lizards, hedgehogs, gerbils, hamsters and ferrets. Pets allowed include guinea pigs, chinchillas, domesticated mice and rats, parakeets and pigeons. If you want to own any of the animals on that state`s Dangerous Wildlife List, you must register it with the county where the animal is located. This list includes lions, tigers, ocelots, wolves, primates and venomous reptiles. You do not need a permit for chinchillas, yaks, servals or camels. It is illegal to own animals that pose a threat to humans, livestock or pets. For a complete list of animals that are illegal under the Dangerous Animals Act, please visit the definition page. Some of the animals that it is illegal to possess under this law are: Tiger Lions Cougars Wolves Bears Monkeys (non-human primates) Ouistitis Lemurs Cobra Rattlesnakes Crocodiles Alligators In Oklahoma, you can own any animal with a permit. The state calls it a wild animal breeder`s license.
A permit is not required to have exotic animals, fish and amphibians. As long as they are kept away from human homes, are not cornered, and their interaction with pets is limited, opossums are not dangerous. When an opossum enters your home, stay calm, close the surrounding interior doors, leave the room and let the animal find its own way through the animal`s door or an open door or window. If necessary, carefully use a broom to corolalate the opossum outside. Do not jam an opossum or force it to defend itself. Do not give opossums access to garbage. Hold the lid of your trash can firmly by fixing it with a rope, chain, elastic cords or weights. Better yet, buy trash cans with pliers or other mechanisms that hold the lids in place. To avoid tipping, attach side handles to metal or wooden piles that are driven into the ground. Or store your cans in airtight containers, a shed or garage. Turn off garbage cans to pick them up in the morning after the opossums return to their rest areas. Although opossums are widely considered wild animals, some states have no restrictions on the ownership of these animals by pets.
Arkansas, Wyoming and Wisconsin do not require a permit to keep a pet opossum. Oregon doesn`t need a permit if you keep a short-tailed opossum as a pet. However, if you plan to keep a Virginia opossum as a pet, you will need a special permit. In Pennsylvania, you must obtain a permit for exotic animals classified by the state as exotic wildlife. This list includes leopards, jaguars, bears, tigers, coyotes and wolves. Animals that are allowed as pets without the need for a permit include hedgehogs (if purchased in the state), non-native venomous reptiles, and ferrets. Opossums are nocturnal and spend the day in caves or other protected places. However, they can be seen at any time of the day, especially in winter when food is scarce. At night, opossums search for food in areas near their current caves, but can travel up to 2 miles in search of food. Opossums usually have many parasites that can cause illness and death, and women often have genital and urinary tract infections. Captive opossums often have a poor immune system and are prone to bacterial diseases. Opossums who live more than a year often suffer from cataracts, become obese and lose coordination, although scientists do not know why they age so quickly.
Many veterinarians do not have the knowledge and experience to effectively treat their health problems. If you find an opossum that cannot be released and decide to keep it as a pet, you will immediately find a veterinarian qualified to treat its health problems. North Carolina law allows counties and cities to issue ordinances regarding exotic animals. Depending on where you live in the state, you may or may not have regulations. You`ll need an entry permit from the state veterinarian to bring skunks, foxes, raccoons, foreign cats, coyotes, martens, and bushtail opossums. It is legal to catch an opossum and then release the animal to the place of capture. With this option, the opossum is enclosed and released on the spot after its reintroduction into a structure has been prevented by physical exclusion. (See “Opossums in or under Buildings” for exclusion techniques.) Ohio`s laws have changed since the Zanesville animal slaughter in 2011. More than 50 wild animals were released from a reserve where authorities had to euthanize lions, tigers, bears and wolves roaming the streets. Since then, the Dangerous Wildlife Act has made lions, tigers, bears, elephants, alligators, monkeys and servals illegal and requires a permit.
Animals that do not require a permit include lemurs, foxes, bobcats, alpacas and llamas.