Welsh Labour has told Puma Watch North Wales it would introduce new regulation of exotic pet ownership in Wales if re-elected on 7 May, in what would be the most significant update to big cat legislation since the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976.
Labour also set out what support and guidance is available for farmers who lose livestock to big cat predation, directing them to the new Sustainable Farming Scheme and advising that any potential threat to safety should be reported to local police without delay.
A re-elected Labour government has committed to regulate “the keeping of exotic pets” (a category that includes big cats) under new Welsh legislation. Big cats can be owned legally in Wales under a council licensing scheme established by the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, a Westminster law that Welsh Labour would now supplement or replace with devolved Welsh regulation.
The party has not yet specified whether new rules would tighten licensing conditions or move toward an outright ban on new ownership. Given the manifesto’s broader direction, which also includes strengthening RSPCA enforcement powers and mandatory cat microchipping, tighter restrictions appear the likely intent.
The commitments emerged in Welsh Labour’s response to a questionnaire put to all six major Senedd election parties by Puma Watch North Wales ahead of polling day. Responses from Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Conservatives, Reform UK, the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Wales Green Party will be published as they are received.
The full response, with our original questions included for context, is below.
Q: Wales has a formal process for investigating big cat sightings through the Wildlife Team. Will your party maintain and properly resource this programme if elected?
The Welsh Labour Government has a long-standing, evidence-based approach to alleged sightings of big cats in Wales, which it keeps under review. This includes a previous statement that there is no conclusive evidence of big cats in the wild in Wales at present, but it is important that any alleged sightings are reported promptly to the Government’s Wildlife Team, as well as Natural Resources Wales, so that they can be properly investigated.
Q: Livestock farmers across Wales have reported sheep killings attributed to big cats. What support would your party offer to farmers suffering unexplained livestock losses of this kind?
This also applies to any alleged attacks on livestock and any potential threats to people’s safety, which should be reported to the local Police without delay. The Welsh Government works closely with the farming community and local police forces to deal with attacks on livestock and has put in place a comprehensive Wildlife and Rural Crime Strategy to help co-ordinate efforts.
With regards to unexpected livestock losses as a result of alleged big cat predation, all sources of support are set out in the new Sustainable Farming Scheme which our Welsh Labour Government has put in place.
The financial arrangements of the new scheme have been carefully negotiated with our farming communities and other stakeholders over a number of years and aim to support farmers to produce high-quality food while caring for the environment, adapting to climate change and building resilience for future generations. The scheme includes support for measures which enhance farm infrastructure and the security of livestock.
Q: The Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 is nearly 50 years old. Would your party support updating it to better regulate exotic animal ownership and reduce the risk of future escapes or releases in Wales?
In terms of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, the UK Government keeps all such legislation under review, as does the Welsh Government in terms of Welsh legislation. This is to ensure that all such legislation remains effective in keeping people and animals safe.
A Welsh Labour Government in the next Senedd will build on this approach by regulating the keeping of exotic pets and will explore strengthening the RSPCA’s statutory enforcement powers.
Q4: Would your party commit to commissioning a systematic, independent survey of non-native large cats in the Welsh countryside?
Welsh Labour did not provide a direct response to this question.
Background: How big cats are currently regulated in Wales
Big cats are not banned in Wales. Under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976, anyone wishing to keep a big cat, including pumas, leopards, cheetahs and lynx, must obtain a licence from their local council. That licence requires a veterinary inspection of the animal’s enclosure, costs between £238 and £653, and must be renewed every two years. Keeping a big cat without a licence is a criminal offence, carrying up to a £5,000 fine and six months imprisonment. Zoos, circuses and pet shops are exempt from the Act entirely.
It is this framework (licensing rather than banning) that is widely believed to have contributed to the presence of big cats in the Welsh countryside today. When the Act came into force in 1976, owners who could not or would not meet its enclosure standards, and could not find a licensed buyer for their animals, are widely believed to have released them into the wild rather than comply.
Animal welfare is a devolved matter for Wales, meaning the Senedd already has the power to legislate on exotic pet keeping without needing additional powers from Westminster. What Welsh Labour is pledging is to use that existing power to create Wales-specific regulation, rather than continuing to rely on the nearly 50-year-old Westminster Act.
The exotic pets pledge sits alongside a commitment in the same manifesto chapter to make cat microchipping mandatory — which, if extended in scope, could prove a useful tool for identifying escaped or released exotic animals in future.
Welsh Labour did not respond to the question of whether they would commission a systematic, independent survey of non-native large cats in Wales.
Puma Watch North Wales put the same questions to Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Conservatives, Reform UK, the Welsh Liberal Democrats and the Wales Green Party ahead of the 7 May Senedd election. Responses will be published as they are received.
Have you seen a big cat in Wales? Report your sighting to Puma Watch North Wales.