Abu Dhabi: The UAE Cabinet has approved executive regulations of the Federal Law for the Regulation of the Possession of Dangerous Animals, setting controls and conditions for the possession, trade and transfer of these animals.
The Cabinet decision No. 15 of 2019, approving the executive regulation, aims to regulate the possession and trade of dangerous animals and ensure greater security and safety to the community.
The decision also aims to preserve these animals as a treasure that needs to be taken care of and guarantees that only specialists and experienced people can handle them.
According to the executive regulation, it is not permissible for individuals to possess dangerous animals. However, only licensed facilities such as zoos, animal parks, circuses, specialised animal welfare and shelter centres and scientific research centres are allowed to do so.
The Ministry of Climate Change and the Environment is in charge of licensing animal-related facilities.
The decision prohibits organising public exhibitions, competitions or dangerous animal shows for any purpose, without obtaining a prior consent from the competent authority.
It also prohibits displaying dangerous animals in case of an epidemic or contagious disease and transporting these animals except after getting an approval from competent authorities, and will be subject to precautionary measures and contingency plans.
As per the executive regulations, dangerous animals shall not be transferred from one place to another inside the country or pass though the UAE territories without obtaining a prior consent from competent authorities. and the transportation means must be safe and comply with a number of requirements. These includes animal welfare principles, clean place and good ventilation.
The decision states that licensed facilities shall provide animals with necessary health care and immunisation against diseases. It also set a number of conditions for sheltering dangerous animals, including that shelters should be free of pollution sources, easy to clean, protected from weather fluctuations, stray and loose animals. Shelters should also have adequate space, adequate ventilation, and provide general safety conditions.
The executive regulations also specified measures for the custody and care of dangerous animals. Accordingly, the ministry or the competent authority may detain any endangered, abandoned, or unlicensed animal in an appropriate healthy place and will be provided with veterinary care. The ministry has the right to dispose of the detained animal after the passing of 15 day, through transferring its ownership to any licensed and specialised centre.