Lions, tigers and deadly snakes: Thousands of dangerous animals are being kept as pets in the UK (so are there any near YOU?) 

Tigers, wolves and deadly venomous snakes are among thousands of dangerous animals being kept on private properties across the UK, figures have revealed.

Big cats including 13 tigers, two lions, eight leopards, seven cheetahs and nine pumas are prowling behind the fences of addresses up and down the land.

Hundreds of poisonous snakes are also being kept, including more than 300 killer cobras, vipers and rattlesnakes registered at UK addresses.

And lurking beneath the waters of domestic enclosures are 10 alligators, nine crocodiles and 17 caimans - a smaller member of the crocodile family.

Tigers, wolves and deadly venomous snakes are among thousands of dangerous animals being kept on private properties across the UK, figures have revealed. This graphic shows where some of them are

Thirteen tigers are being kept on private properties in the UK, new figures have revealed (file picture)

More than 100 councils have given people licences to keep a host of deadly predators, with some keeping a variety of different species at their homes.

Animal welfare experts condemned the findings, saying it was 'deeply concerned' at the numbers and that animal welfare was being put at risk.

The data was obtained from freedom of information (FOI) requests sent to every council in the UK, of which 363 replied. In Northern Ireland, the Environment Agency provided the figures for the whole country.

Dangerous wild animals (DWA) licences are granted by councils to allow people to keep undomesticated animals as pets, providing they have the requisite safety measures at their home and pay a small fee.

The unconventional menageries can be found in several major cities, including London, Swansea, Stoke, Sheffield, Hull and Portsmouth.

Among the more exotic areas is Cornwall, where the council has issued licences for pumas, lynxes, ocelots, lemurs, vipers, ostriches and an assortment of wild cats.

Wolves are being kept at properties in Bedfordshire along with black widow spiders and alligators

Seven cheetahs (left) are prowling behind closed doors in Britain while there are also nine crocodiles (right) being kept as exotic pets (file pictures)

Investigation: More than 100 councils have given people licences to keep a host of deadly predators, with some keeping a variety of different species at their homes. The data was obtained by the Press Association

In Central Bedfordshire, meanwhile, wolves, alligators, caimans, black widow spiders, venomous snakes and short-clawed otters are being kept.

Among the most popular dangerous pets are lemurs, a small monkey, 115 of which are kept in domestic settings, while smaller cats, which are often crosses between domestic and larger wild cats, such as Savannahs, are also in high demand.

For those who prefer canine company, wolves are allowed under DWA licences, with 15 registered at UK addresses.

But DWA licences are also issued to properties where animals may be receiving care after being rescued, or living at small private farms, where people keep wild beasts for breeding purposes.

This means that as well as inhabiting garden enclosures, exotic wildlife also grazes on the greens of the British countryside, with 412 bison and more than 2,000 wild boar living in private fields, along with a score of zebras.

WOULD-BE OWNERS URGED TO TAKE PRECAUTIONS ON DANGEROUS PETS

An animal lover who has had a dangerous wild animal (DWA) licence for more than two decades has warned prospective owners to ensure they properly educate themselves before purchasing a predator.

Iain Newby claims to have kept almost every deadly animal there is under his roof at various stages in the past 20 years.

Starting with an 8ft alligator called Rolex in the 1990s, to a house full of wild cats such as servals and Savannahs in 2016, the 49-year-old has helped care for a wide variety of creatures through rescue work.

Iain Newby, pictured with his serval cat Squeaks, has had a dangerous wild animal licence for more than two decades

Squeaks, right, and Savannah cat Imogen, left, are two exotic animals Mr Newby keeps at his Essex home

His body bears the scars of his years of experience handling unorthodox tenants - with 642 stitches, largely from playful big cat cubs.

Speaking from his home in Essex, where he runs a rescue facility for dangerous animals, he said that people should be allowed to get licences if they are responsible, but suggested some get the pets for the wrong reasons.

He said: 'I know people who keep crocodiles and alligators and they keep them perfectly, but I also know people who keep a hamster and never clean it out.

'People who get licences and treat their animals responsibly deserve it.

The 49-year-old, pictured, has cared for a variety of creatures through animal rescue work but has warned anyone looking to take on a predator to educate themselves properly about caring for them

'So it's not a case of because it's on the DWA list it is not going to be looked after, but there are so many people who get them through a one-upmanship and a prowess thing and that is when the animals end up suffering.'

Mr Newby has spent his entire life around animals after growing up in Africa, where a lion, an elephant and a trained chimpanzee all lived at his property.

Upon moving to England, he chose to help in the rescuing of neglected or abandoned exotic animals after realising that few other people were doing so.

In his years of experience, he has recovered only one animal from a DWA licence holder - the rest have all been kept illicitly.

He said: 'If you mention 300 licences which are kept for venomous snakes, you can probably treble that and say that is how many venomous snakes that are out there that are unlicensed.'

Mr Newby, pictured, grew up in Africa where a lion, elephant and trained chimpanzee all lived on his property

He added that the differing charges in different council areas often put people off from parting with their cash for an official licence.

'If my council's licence and fee was the same as everywhere else, then maybe people that are keeping dangerous wild animals in Brentwood or Yorkshire - because their licence is £900 or £2,000 a year - they would probably get their licence,' he said.

In a message to people considering investing in an exotic pet, the animal expert said they should ensure they have the proper knowledge of the animal and how it should be kept.

He said: 'Educate yourself about the animal you want to take on, not only on the animal itself but what is required to care for the animal.' 

The RSPCA said it was concerned that licences too often focus on protecting the public from harm, rather than on the well-being of the animals themselves.

A spokeswoman said: 'We are deeply concerned about the number of exotic animals, including dangerous wild animals, now being kept as pets. 

'People may buy them with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep and the animals are sometimes neglected when the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home. 

'This is why we would encourage anyone thinking of getting an exotic pet to find out as much as possible about the animal's needs and whether they're a realistic pet.'

The RSPCA said it was 'deeply concerned' about the number of exotic animals, including cobras, pictured, being kept as pets in the UK (file picture)

She added: 'Licences for exotic animals classed as Dangerous Wild Animals - such as cobras, ostriches and caiman crocodiles - are granted by local authorities and the details are also held locally. 

'There is no centrally-held list to determine how many are kept across the country. 

'The emphasis of this legislation is on making sure the owner takes reasonable steps to prevent the animal from being a threat to the public, rather than the welfare of the animals concerned.

'Exotic animals have specialist needs and this includes the ones listed on the Dangerous Wild Animals Act list.'