CT- DEP creates list for banning wild, exotic animals by public
 

Nearly two years after a chimpanzee mauled its owner's friend in
Stamford, the state Department of Environmental Protection has
released a proposal to ban possession of dozens of wild and exotic
animals by the general public.

The list contains the obvious -- elephants, lions, bears, hippos,
rhinos, large primates, harbor seals and alligators. It also includes
perhaps the less obvious -- deer, black-tailed prairie dogs, striped
skunks, raccoons, rattlesnakes and bats.

There are some specific members of species that also would be banned
as pets: mangrove snakes, cat-eyed snakes, Muscovy ducks, swamp, rock
and nail-tailed wallabies, tree kangaroos and monk parakeets.

A hearing has been scheduled at the agency's headquarters in Hartford
for Feb. 15, the eve of the second anniversary of Travis the chimp's
rampage.

"We're just trying to put these regulations in place," DEP spokesman
Dennis Schain said. "That was the first best date to have that public
hearing."

Travis, who lived with owner Sandra Herold for years and was a common
sight in Stamford, got loose on Feb. 16, 2009, attacking and severely
injuring friend Charla Nash before being shot dead by police.

The incident brought to light the fact the state has a patchwork quilt
of animal possession laws and the DEP had no permitting process in
place, even though legislation passed in 2004 instructed the agency to
do so.

"The theory is, `Yes we were'," said Rick Jacobson, the DEP staffer
who put together the new regulations, admitting there are no permits
on file from prior years.

After considering a highly debated, wide-ranging ban, the General
Assembly following Travis' attack instead outlawed large primates and
charged the DEP with developing a thorough list.

The agency focused on cataloguing those animals that pose potential
dangers to humans, crops and Connecticut's flora and fauna. The agency
also tried to define the entities -- aquariums, zoos, circuses, nature
centers, schools and laboratories -- exempted from the ban on
importation and possession.

But, Jacobson noted, DEP is not going to require permits.

"It reduces our workload and the workload of the vast groups out there
being able to possess various animals," Jacobson said, adding the
state would be unable to charge enough to make up for administrative
costs.

The list of banned animals was initially developed in-house, then
updated in response to hearings last March in Derby, Old Lyme and
Rockfall. Feedback also came from academics and the state departments
of health and agriculture.

"We did change substantially from our initial draft," Jacobson said.

For example, he said, the DEP had never thought to make sure
veterinarians were on the exemption list.

The original list was also far more inclusive. So initially all
pythons made the list of banned animals before the decision was made
to exclude Burmese pythons because they are not considered an
immediate threat to humans.

The DEP did not attempt to deal with invertebrates like spiders.

"You could have more species added but we were fearful if they began
to appear to some as nonsensical we might not get the regulatory
structure passed," he said. "There are poisonous tarantulas that
aren't deadly (but) they make you sick. Does that meet the prohibiting
threshold? We didn't want these kinds of nuanced questions to
compromise" the project.

Interested parties who cannot attend the Feb. 15 public hearing on the
regulations have until close of business on March 1 to submit their
views to the DEP.

Enforcement will be mainly complaint-driven, Jacobson said, with
penalties ranging from fines between $500 and $2,000 and three months
to a year in prison.

Jacobson said once the new ban is in place, the DEP is considering
again asking Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport to host an
amnesty day for residents to turn in illegal pets without penalty.

The first effort, held in August 2009, netted 135 different creatures,
many of them reptiles.

Staff Writer Brian Lockhart can be reached at brian.lockhart@scni.com
http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/...als-972125.php

Here we go again. I thought this was over when it was fought last year.
Goes to show just how stupid these people are. Burms are OK but BP's will be banned. I am sick of stupid regulators creating laws when they are clueless about the animals.
The chimp atteacked because the idiot owner was negligent. She medicated it with human drugs. She caused the isse. NOT THE REST OF US.
Time to go to Hartford AGAIN!

Yes I seem to remember something about large doses of xanax . What kind of idiot does that?

CONNECTICUT TO REGULATE “WILD ANIMAL” POSSESSION
** PUBLIC HEARING FEBRUARY 15th **
*** COMMENT DEADLINE MARCH 1st ***

The Issue:
The Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection has issued a proposed rulemaking regarding the establishment of a list of wild animals to be banned from possession and import/export from the state. The department will hold a public hearing on the proposal on February 15th and will accept written comments until March 1st.
The Impact:
This proposed regulation creates new state rules pertaining to the importation and possession of wild birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.
Lists.
The proposal creates four lists, dividing species into four different “wild animal” categories. The listings of the four categories can be found by clicking HERE.
Prohibitions.
The proposal introduces the following prohibitions:
• No person may import or possess any “Category One Wild Animal” except for municipal parks, zoos, public nonprofit aquaria, nature centers, museums, exhibitors licensed or registered with the United States Department of Agriculture, laboratories registered with the United States Department of Agriculture, or research facilities registered with the United States Department of Agriculture;
• No person may import or possess any “Category Two Wild Animal” except for municipal parks, zoos, marine mammal parks, aquaria, circuses, nature centers, museums, exhibitors, laboratories, research facilities, or veterinarians for the purposes of treatment and care;
• No person may import or export any “Category Three Wild Animals” except for zoos, aquaria, circuses, laboratories, research facilities, municipal parks, museums, nature centers, exhibitors, or schools, or as provided for pursuant to CGS sections; and
• The proposal defines “Category Four Wild Animal” as “any wild animal, and gametes listed as endangered, threatened, or of special concern according to state law”. Under this proposed rulemaking, a permit would be required in order to “import, possess, or liberate any Category Four Wild”.
January 28, 2011
(CT Wild Animal Regs)
PET INDUSTRY JOINT ADVISORY COUNCIL (PIJAC)
1140 19th Street, NW, Ste 300, Washington, DC 20036
Tel: (202) 452-1525 / (800) 553-PETS, info@pijac.org
NOTE: The proposal sets forth the criteria necessary in order to be considered a “museum, nature center or exhibitor’ for purposes of exemption.
Key Definitions.
The proposal defines “wild animal” as “any bird, mammal, reptile, amphibian and invertebrate, which is now or historically has been found in the wild, or in the wild state, and is not otherwise a domestic animal”.
“Domestic animal” means “any animal that has been domesticated by having undergone a process of selective breeding in captivity to a degree which has resulted in genetic changes affecting the temperament, color, conformation, or other attributes of the species to an extent that makes them unique and distinguishable from wild individuals of their species, and raised in a life intimately associated with and advantageous to humans. Wild animals raised in captivity, even over many generations, which have merely become trained but are still wild by nature are not domestic animals.”
Notification Requirements.
Any person possessing a Category One or Two Wild Animal whose animal is lost through escape or release is required to notify the department no later than 24 hours after loss of an animal.
PIJAC Position:
This PetAlert is for informational purposes only. Please review the lists carefully to see if your pet or animals you may have imported/exported are affected. NOTE: The proposal does not provide any proposed fee costs for permits for Category Four Wild Animals.

Recommended Action:
As stated above, the department will accept written comments on this proposal until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 1st. Anyone who wishes to state their views in person may do so at a public hearing on Tuesday, February 15th at 6:00 p.m. at the Department of Environmental Protection, Phoenix Auditorium, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, Connecticut.

If you have any additional questions or comments please feel free to contact PIJAC Bambi Nicole Osborne at: 202/452-1525, ext. 105 or by email at: bambi@pijac.org.