Estonian Wildlife Society calls for fines on keeping wild animals in apartments

The Estonian Wildlife Protection Society has raised concerns about the growing trend of people keeping wild animals in their homes. The organisation is calling for financial penalties to be introduced for those who house wild animals in residential apartments. The issue is becoming increasingly common across Estonia.

The Estonian Wildlife Protection Society has sounded the alarm over a rising trend of wild animals being kept in private homes and apartments across Estonia, calling on authorities to introduce fines for such practices.

According to the society, the number of cases where wild animals end up in domestic settings has been growing steadily, posing serious risks both to the animals themselves and to their human keepers. Wild animals have complex behavioural, dietary, and social needs that simply cannot be met in a home environment.

The organisation argues that financial penalties would serve as a meaningful deterrent, discouraging people from taking in wild animals out of impulse or misguided compassion. Currently, the legal framework in Estonia does not provide sufficiently strong incentives for people to avoid this practice.

Experts from the society emphasise that wild animals kept in captivity frequently suffer from stress, malnutrition, and behavioural disorders. In some cases, the animals also pose a direct safety risk to their owners and neighbours, particularly as they grow older and stronger.

The Estonian Wildlife Protection Society is urging lawmakers to review existing animal welfare legislation and introduce clear, enforceable rules that would make it financially and legally costly to keep wild animals in residential settings.