UAE bans wild pets

The private ownership of wild animals has been outlawed in the United Arab Emirates, where keeping exotic creatures as pets is a status symbol for some, reports said yesterday. Wildcats including endangered cheetahs are known to have been domesticated in the UAE and neighbouring Gulf countries, with some even spotted being taken outside in the middle of big cities.

In October, one such outing with five tigers on a beach near Dubai's iconic Burj Al-Arab hotel was captured on video and went viral on social media, while others have been filmed driving around with lions.

Anyone who takes a leopard, cheetah or any other kind of exotic animal out in public will face a jail term of up to six months and a fine of up to 500,000 dirhams ($136,000), sources said. Al-Ittihad, an Arabic daily, said those who use wild animals to "terrorise" others would face jail or fine of up to 700,000 dirhams.