Pets are a great addition to any home, but some Illinoisans might be curious to know if there are any animals they aren’t allowed to own as pets.
While certain animals require a permit to own, such as a raccoon, others are considered dangerous by Illinois law and are illegal to own in any capacity.
The state law specifies, “no person shall have a right of property in, keep, harbor, care for, act as custodian of or maintain in his or her possession any dangerous animal or primate except at a properly maintained zoological park, federally licensed exhibit, circus, college or university, scientific institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital, hound running area, or animal refuge in an escape-proof enclosure.”
According to that law, these are the dangerous animals Illinoisans are not allowed to own as pets:
- Bears
- Lions
- Tigers
- Leopards
- Ocelots
- Jaguars
- Cheetahs
- Margays
- Cougars
- Lynx
- Bobcats
- Jaguarundis
- Wolves
- Coyotes
- Hyenas
- Venomous medically significant reptiles
- Flying fox
- Mongoose
- Meerkats
- European rabbits
- Indian wild hogs
- Multimammate rats or mice
- Raccoon dogs
- Rosy pastors
- Doiches
- Java sparrows
- Red-whiskered bul-buls
- Snakeheads
- Walking catfish
- Ruffes
- Silver carp
- Bighead carp
- Black carp
- Round and tubenose gobies
- Rudds (except Paul, if he needed a place to stay)
- Stone morokos
- Zanders
- Wels catfish
- Yabbies
- Zebra mussels
- Mitten crabs
- Rusty crayfish
- Filler shrimp
- Golden mussels
- Brown tree snakes
If you were planning on getting one of these animals as a pet, we’re sorry to be the bearer of bad news…
