Exotic Animals & Endangered Species

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)

Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act 1981

Rüppell's parrot. The Isle of Man has agreed to adhere to the principles of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, otherwise known as the Washington Convention or CITES. These principles are enshrined in law through the Endangered Species (Import & Export) Act 1981. This legislation provides for the control and licensing of movements of restricted species and items from the Island overseas, or from overseas into the Island. This includes movements to and from the UK and also Eire. It allows the monitoring of trade and protection of species or populations that are vulnerable due to over-exploitation through trade.

A licence application form can be downloaded below. Completed forms should be returned to the Department, leaving at least two weeks for a response. Consult the department's Wildlife & Conservation Division for further advice or to check whether a species is on the current list of Scheduled Endangered Species. This list is the same as Annexes A, B and C (not D) of the EC CITES Regulations (Regulation 338/97), available from the UK DEFRA website.

Please note that there may also be health considerations for such movements: advice on health restrictions can be obtained from the Animal Health Division.

You may require similar licences for the same movements, from the other jurisdiction involved. For UK CITES advice, look at the UK DEFRA website.

Wild Animals (Restriction on Importation, etc.) Act 1980

In addition to the restrictions mentioned above, the Wild Animals (Restriction on Importation, etc.) Act 1980 restricts the import to the Island of animals on the schedule downloadable below. Such animals may only be imported under licence from the Department, for the purposes prescribed under the Act. These tend to be dangerous or venomous species, but two domestic types of dog are prohibited, the Pit Bull Terrier and Japanese Tosa. An application form for an import licence for zoos, circuses or the film industry can be found below. Other reasons for import are not accepted.

Downloadable Documents