SCOTLAND'S stunning native wildlife is having a moment in the spotlight with the BBC series Highlands: Scotland’s Wild Heart.
But it has now been revealed that exotic species including Nile crocodiles and American alligators – which are living in Lanarkshire – wild boar, snakes and a host of unusual cats now call Scotland home.
They have been detailed in a study of the grant of dangerous wild animal (DWA) licences across the UK.
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DWA licences are granted to allow people to keep undomesticated animals as pets, providing they have the requisite safety measures at their home and pay a small fee.
Councils revealed their figures and the type of animals kept after freedom of information requests.
Among the most popular are lemurs, a small monkey, 115 of which are kept in domestic settings.
Fifteen wolves are registered at UK addresses. And more than 2000 wild boar are living in private fields, along with a score of zebras.
The RSPCA are concerned about the number of DWA licences, saying they are worried licences too often focus on protecting the public, rather than on the well-being of the animals.
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A spokeswoman said: “We are deeply concerned about the number of exotic animals, including dangerous wild animals, now being kept as pets.
“People may buy them with little idea of how difficult they can be and the animals are sometimes neglected when the novelty wears off.”
Where in Scotland currently holds dangerous wild animal licences?
Aberdeenshire - Three bison, two capuchin monkeys, one ostrich, one serval cat, 45 Bengal cats, one caracal cat, four Asian leopard cats
Aberdeen city – One cobra, one rattlesnake, four bearded lizards.
East Ayrshire – 13 wild boar
East Lothian – 200 wild boar
Fife – Two rattlesnakes, two cobras, one taipan, one death adder
Highland – Three wild boar
Moray – Four serval cats and eight Savannah cats
North Lanarkshire – Two caimans, two American alligators, two Nile crocodiles, two dwarf crocodiles, two rattlesnakes, two cobras, seven vipers, five gila monsters
Perth and Kinross – Seven Preszwalski horses, 36 mouflon sheep, six bison, 35 wild boar, two elk, two Savannah cats, one serval cat
Scottish Borders – 14 black and white ruffed lemurs, six ring-tailed lemurs
Stirling – 56 wild boar
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