People Who Own These Forbidden Animals in Maine Could Face Big Trouble

Let's talk about animals, the exotic ones. I never really thought of a turtle as exotic but I guess it is. Turtles are my favorite animal. I once went to Costa Rica and helped preserve sea turtle eggs from being taken and sold on the black market by poachers, yeah, I was a badass.

We would walk up and down this black sand beach with our guide on a small island in the middle of the night. When our guide turned around and made a hand signal, we would all run in to the lining of the forest because that meant poacher, with manchettes were spotted. I was 17 years old. But I felt like I was doing something worthy for these animals. Turtle eggs sell for a lot on the black market and we wanted to prevent that as much as we could.

Now, in Maine you may ask if it's legal to own certain types of turtles. The answer is no, according to the Saco Wild Life River Center, 

I spoke to my friend, Mr. Drew and his animals too and he has taught me recently about the animals that are banned in Maine.

He recently rescued a box of a variety of different turtles that were being held.

These all come from different sources by different means. Some where family pets that they can could no longer keep (reasons all vary) and they were legal when they got them, Mr. Drew told me.

The box had many turtles including snapping turtles, bought without permits from Florida.

Mr. Drew said,

"Maine laws are different than the other states. We have the most restrictive laws regarding exotic animals in captivity. The most common turtle I get in is the red ear slider. Before 2010 they were legal to sell in pet stores in Maine. 2017 the became a prohibited species due to being highly invasive and we are now finding them in Maine lakes."

We thank Mr. Drew for always keeping animals safe, domestic or exotic. He's the very best at loving all animals!

Now, according to The Spruce Pets, 

Maine. Permits are needed to possess or breed wild animals in Maine. You may not own deer, bears, moose, or wild turkeys. Other forbidden animals include lion, cheetah, wolf, monkeys, camel, alligator, monk parakeet, and mute swan.

So to keep you updated on the pets you cannot own in Maine, I created a gallery to share with you! I might've gotten a little out of hand, but you know me!

People Who Own These Pets In Maine Could Face Big Trouble

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