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Exotic
pets

Serval Xirus was kept as a pet
and did not receive proper care.

Exotic pets in the EU

Keeping a primate or some other exotic animal as a pet? You may think that’s a thing from the past, but it is still very common. Like chimpanzee Marria, who lived with a family for years, with appalling consequences. Or serval Xirus, who developed deformities as a result of not receiving proper nutrition and care.

In most EU countries, it is unfortunately legal to keep all kinds of exotic species as pets. In fact, the European Union is one of the largest markets in the world for exotic pets. This leads to several significant problems.

Animal suffering

It is estimated that tens of millions of exotic animals live in European households, despite being totally unsuitable for such environments. Things often go wrong, of which we see the evidence daily in our rescue centres. The exotic pets we rescue almost always have health or behavioural problems due to inadequate care, nutrition and/or housing.

Pressure on local ecosystems

The trade in exotic animals poses a threat to the conservation of wild species. Animals are regularly captured from the wild (especially in Africa, Asia, and South America) and transported to Europe and other parts of the world, where they end up as pets. This trade reduces the number of animals in the wild and even puts some species at risk of extinction.

Loss of biodiversity

Exotic pets often escape or are released into nature. These animals displace native species and disrupt local ecosystems, thus damaging European biodiversity. The European Union spends 12 billion euros annually to control these so-called invasive exotic species.

Risk to public health and safety

Keeping and trading exotic animals also carry risks to public health. For example, some exotic species can cause serious injuries to humans or other animals through bites or scratches. Exotic pets are also more likely to carry (potentially dangerous) zoonoses: infectious diseases transmissible from animals to humans. On average, 1 in 7 exotic animals with a pet background at AAP carries one or multiple zoonoses.

The solution

At AAP, we advocate for the implementation of a Positive List for pets throughout Europe. Such a list comprises animal species that independent experts deem suitable to be kept as pets. All species that are not on this list are automatically not allowed as pets.

We are pushing for more EU member states to implement this instrument and to ultimately create a Positive List for the entire European Union. We are convinced that using such a Positive List is the best way to prevent the suffering of exotic mammals in captivity.

Questions and answers Positive List

Data on trade and zoonoses

Our report and dashboard outline the risks of Europe’s exotic animal trade for pet keeping to animal welfare, biodiversity, and public health.

The dashboard presents the trade in numbers across Europe, and highlights the potential risks of the wild animal trade so that the next pandemic is not due to a zoonotic disease.

Visit the dashboard
screenshot dashboard

The Dutch positive list for pets

Thanks to the efforts of AAP and other animal welfare organisations, the Dutch government introduced a Positive List for mammals on 1 July 2024. Now that this is in place, hopefully a list will soon be drawn up for animals other than mammals, such as fish, birds, amphibians and reptiles.

Our work is not over yet, because we want more EU countries to work with such a list. That is why we are simultaneously working towards a European Positive List that applies to all Member States. This instrument could prevent a lot of animal suffering.
Read more

The positive list in Europe

AAP advocates for an EU-wide Positive List that applies to all Member States. Such a list can help prevent exotic animals from being brought across borders simply because neighbouring countries use slightly different lists. It can also avoid situations where you travel with your legally owned exotic pet, only to find that it is considered illegal in your destination country.

A European Positive List is the most effective approach to animal suffering, public health risks and (illegal) animal trade in Europe and beyond. Ensuring that the EU introduces this regulation is one of AAP's main goals.
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Results & impact

AAP advocates the development of Positive Lists, both at national and European level. We exchange knowledge with partner organisations across various countries to achieve our goal. Curious to know which EU countries already use a Positive list—or which ones don’t yet? Hover over the map below or tap on a country to see the status for each EU member state.
The story of serval Xirus
Serval Xirus was kept as a pet and received improper nutrition by his previous owner. A lack of calcium caused multiple bones in his body to deform. In addition, he had a number of old bone fractures.

At AAP, Xirus received the professional care he needed to regain his strength. Regular medical check-ups were necessary to monitor his recovery. As a result, Xirus is doing much better now.

Publications

Wild Animals not Pets

The case for an EU Positive List
Read report

A single list for the single market? (2025)

Assessing the impacts of a EU Positive List for pets
Read report

EU Positive List (2024)

A proposal to regulate the trade in animals destined for life as a pet
Read report

Infected & undetected (2021)

Zoonoses and exotic pets in the EU
Read report

Under their skin (2020)

Zoonotic threats from exotic mammal pets
Read report

Analysis of National EU Exotic Pet Legislation (2020)

Read report

Solving the European Wildlife rescue crisis (2019)

Read report

Discover all our publications

AAP has (co)published many reports on exotic pet trade, wild animals in entertainment, and zoonoses.
Find out more
AAP at CITES CoP20
From 24 November through 5 December 2025, we will attend CITES CoP20. We will (co-)host three side events: Uplisting to Release, Rethinking Trade Data, and Wild Animals Not Pets.
More information
Explore our other activities