[Animals] Is it legal to have an exotic animal as a pet?

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Mexican laws do allow exotic animals to be kept as pets, according to the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources; are the steps to follow according to these authorities.

Mexican laws followed a process for a person to process permission to have exotic animals as pets. (Darkroom/Armando Monroy)

 

The death of a spider monkey – who was dressed in a diaper and a camouflage suit, during a confrontation between elements of the armed forces and alleged members of organized crime in Texcaltitlán, State of Mexico – raised the question of whether it is possible to have exotic animals as pets .

Yes, you can have a wild animal as a pet, as long as it is not an endangered species, in accordance with the Official Mexican Standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010.

The objective of the regulation is to identify the species or po[CENSORED]tions of wild flora and fauna that inhabit the country and that are at risk in order to grant them the corresponding protection.

Animals such as: toads, frogs, tlaconetes, swans, ducks, pigeons, hawks, eagles, sparrows, among many others, can be found on the list of species at risk.

How to process the permit to have an exotic animal as a pet?
The Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Semarnat) establishes that people who are interested in having a wild animal as a pet must complete Procedure 08-056, which is used to obtain authorization.

According to the Semarnat, Procedure 08-056 must be carried out when "there are specimens of exotic wildlife species that, due to their behavior or natural behavior, derivatives or natural microbiological po[CENSORED]tion, can coexist with man in a domestic environment under management and it does not represent physical, health or safety risks for its owners, possessors or any person or other animals, and the authorization of exotic specimens as a pet or companion animal is required for them”.

 

On its website, Semarnat does not clarify what documents must be submitted to request the permit. It only indicates that applications must be made, participate in the administrative procedure, file appeals, withdraw and waive rights, be accredited by means of a public instrument or with a power of attorney signed before two witnesses.

 

Who can carry out the procedure?

Permission to have exotic animals does not give the owner the right to take them out for a walk. (Armando Monroy/Armando Monroy)
The federal agency details on its website that any natural or legal person can carry out Procedure 08-056. The applicant must complete the procedure in person, using the duly required format that can be downloaded from the electronic section of Semarnat Procedures, in addition to being essential to comply with all the requirements.

The request to have an exotic animal as a pet or companion animal can be carried out all year round and it is a free procedure, whose resolution has a maximum term of 15 business days, according to information from the Ministry of the Environment. Environment and Natural Resources.

Once permission is obtained from the Mexican authorities, the person who carried out the procedure may have an exotic animal as a pet for an indefinite period of time without the need to renew the document.

What legal basis gives rise to the procedure?
On its website, Semarnat establishes that the procedure to have an exotic animal as a pet is based on Article 27, Second Paragraph of the General Wildlife Law, published in the DOF on July 3, 2000.

 

It is also based on Article 131 Bis, First Paragraph, of the Regulations of the General Wildlife Law, published in the DOF on November 30, 2006 and its amendments.

Can I walk my wild animal freely?
Even if you have completed the procedure and have the current permit, the document does not give you the right to walk your pet freely.

Semarnat is clear in stating that the "management of exotic specimens and po[CENSORED]tions may only be carried out under conditions of confinement, in order to prevent and minimize the negative effects on biological and ecological processes, as well as the substitution or displacement of po[CENSORED]tions of native species that are naturally distributed on the site”.

For that reason, "release to the natural environment is strictly prohibited."

You should also know that permission to keep an exotic animal as a pet can be revoked.

"Those specimens of species that due to their nature, due to improper handling or an event that puts the civilian po[CENSORED]tion at risk, must be relocated by Semarnat," says the federal agency.

 

Link: https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/el-preguntario/2022/06/17/es-legal-tener-un-animal-exotico-como-mascota/