There are many animals that are illegal to own as pets in the U.S., though few are universally outlawed. Instead, rules typically vary state by state.
The top most-banned animals tend to be large or overtly dangerous ones, like bears, big cats, or venomous snakes and spiders. However, there are many other reasons an animal could be off-limits as a pet: some animals are uniquely outlawed in cities because of the lack of space, while others carry diseases like Salmonella or Ringworm, and still, others won't fare well in certain states' environments.
For instance, although gerbils are usually a popular pet in most parts of the country, they are outlawed entirely in Hawaii and California, where the natural desert habitat could enable escaped gerbils to breed and become invasive. Out of fears that they will spread rabies, ferrets are barred as pets in many cities, though some states allow them so long as owners obtain a permit or rabies vaccination first.
Unfortunately, there are many stories of pet owners underestimating the 'wild' inherent to a wild animal. Many exotic species can never be entirely domesticated or trained, no matter how well they seem to settle in with humans. In 2009, despite having lived peacefully with a family of humans his entire life, Travis the chimpanzee unexpectedly mauled a family friend in Connecticut. This past March, an Ohio man was attacked by his pet zebra, which he had registered and owned legally.
Stacker compiled a list of 25 animals that are illegal to own as pets in the U.S. Read on to find out if your favorite animal is legal to own in your state, and what considerations it might need.
Wolves
Although many dog breeds—like German Shepherds or Siberian Huskies—pride themselves on sharing a large percentage of genes with wolves, pure wolves are illegal to own in the U.S. This is largely because it is impossible to domesticate a wolf, even if it is raised with humans from the time it is a pup. Wolves are often savvy enough to escape when in captivity, and display unpredictable and sometimes aggressive behavior.
