Think twice before buying that lemur, crocodile or piranha as your next pet. Ditto for hippos. They just might be on the list of Georgia’s verboten pets.
Driving the news: Last week, Atlanta rapper Rick Ross’ pet buffaloes escaped his Fayette County farm and wandered around his neighborhood.
- The incident — no one was harmed — became an early contender for 2023’s most “WTF, ATL?” stories.
- But it also got us wondering: What members of the animal kingdom are off-limits in Georgia when it comes to forever friends?
Details: The Georgia Department of Natural Resources keeps an extensive list of leave-them-alone animals.
- Nearly every kind of native animal you find in the wild is a no-go. That applies to black bears, bobcats, sea turtles and the one-toed Amphiuma, that ole rascal.
- For non-native or exotic species, politely decline offers to bring home freshwater stingrays, warthogs and manatees.
There are many, many more.
Flashback: State wildlife officials expanded Georgia’s list in November for the first time since the mid-1990s and added requirements for owners of non-domestic cats to carry liability insurance.
Of note: People are allowed to own some of these animals — but not as pets — with a license or permit or if they’re tagged and registered with the state.
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