Can You Have a Baby Marmoset Monkey in Pa

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News 8 looked into what the law is in Pennsylvania for owning an exotic animal.

PHOTO: FILE PHOTO

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Anyone in Pennsylvania who has the means to buy lions, jaguars, cougars etc. can do so as long as they obtain a state permit and follow local regulations.

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The Pennsylvania Game Commission is charged with regulation in the state. The rules that they follow and enforce are laid out in state law called the Pennsylvania Game Code. While the code lays out rules for exotic animal ownership, there are also local rules that can apply. Township, borough or city regulations can trump the state code. For purposes of clarity, in this slideshow, we'll focus on the state regulations.

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The Pa. Game Code defines "exotic wildlife." The phrase includes, but is not limited to, all bears, coyotes, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, cougars, wolves and any crossbreed of these animals that have similar characteristics in appearance or features. The definition is applicable whether or not the birds or animals were bred or reared in captivity or imported from another state or nation.

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The Game Commission issues permits for exotic pet ownership. The Pa. Game Code states, "The commission may issue permits to persons to possess exotic wildlife which shall authorize the holder to purchase, receive or possess exotic wildlife from any lawful source from within or without this Commonwealth." However, in order for a person to get an exotic pet permit, the individual must show that they can care for the animal. "No permit provided for in this section shall be granted until the commission is satisfied that the provisions for housing and caring for such exotic wildlife and for protecting the public are proper and adequate and in accordance with the standards established by the commission," the code states. A person who owns an exotic pet without a license would likely face a summary offense (a petty criminal offense) and a fine. The fine can vary based on court findings.

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Even if a person has a license, it is illegal for that individual to release the animal into the wild. The penalty for such a violation would likely be a summary offense (a petty criminal offense) and a fine. The fine can vary based on court findings. Some animals are specifically prohibited for private ownership in Pa. -- primates. Permits are never issued for monkeys, chimpanzees, gorillas or other primates to be held as private pets, according to the Game Commission.

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Pennsylvania has separate rules in the Pa. Game Code governing wildlife dealers in the state. Pa. wildlife dealers must also have a state permit. "The commission may issue a permit to a person to act as an exotic wildlife dealer. The permit shall authorize the holder to import into this Commonwealth, possess, buy, sell, locate or find for a fee, barter, donate, give away or otherwise dispose of exotic wildlife. A dealer or third person who arranges any trades, sales or purchases set forth in section 2965 (relating to exclusions) for any type of a fee, reimbursement or commission shall be required to have an exotic wildlife dealer's permit," the Pa. Game Code states. However, even with a permit, these dealers are also subject to local regulations.

PHOTO: National Park Service

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The Game Commission is responsible for making sure permitted wildlife dealers have adequate facilities to care for the animals. After a 2006 incident in Straban Township where it was suspected that a wolf hybrid killed a dog, Mike Dubaich, Game Commission Bureau of Law Enforcement director, said that in Pennsylvania at that time, there were 35 licensed facilities permitted to either possess, breed and/or sell wolves and wolf hybrids in the state.

PHOTO: Robert Lex Barnett

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In 1999 and 2003, two different individuals in the Allegheny National Forest and Susquehanna County, respectively, killed wolves or wolf-hybrids that later were determined to have been surgically neutered, demonstrating that these two animals were once held in captivity.

PHOTO: USGS

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In 2004, two Pennsylvanians, one in Chambersburg and another in Philadelphia, pleaded guilty to illegally possessing wolves or wolf hybrids.

PHOTO: USDA

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In 2002, a Dauphin County resident was prosecuted for illegal possession of a cougar, according to the commission.

PHOTO: National Park Service

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An exotic African cat called a serval was shot and killed on a Chester County farm on the evening of Nov. 25, 2008, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission. The day after it was shot, Chester County WCO Scott Frederick collected the dead animal and took it to a regional office in Reading.

Can You Have a Baby Marmoset Monkey in Pa

Source: https://www.wgal.com/article/exotic-pets-in-pa-what-s-the-law/6163909#:~:text=Some%20animals%20are%20specifically%20prohibited,according%20to%20the%20Game%20Commission.

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