A Wild Animal as a Pet
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 578.023 — big cats, bears, wolves, primates and dangerous reptiles
A person commits the offense of keeping a dangerous wild animal by keeping a lion, tiger, leopard, ocelot, jaguar, cheetah, margay, mountain lion, Canada lynx, bobcat, jaguarundi, hyena, wolf, bear, nonhuman primate, coyote, any deadly, dangerous or poisonous reptile, or any deadly or dangerous reptile over eight feet long, anywhere other than a properly maintained zoo, circus, scientific or educational institution, research laboratory, veterinary hospital or the other places the section names.
Who handles this in Missouri: legal aid programs and the state offices, listed in the Missouri directory.
It is a class C misdemeanor.
Registration with local law enforcement and the other conditions under which an owner may keep one are in the section and others not set out here. Whether a particular animal can be kept is a question for local animal control or a licensed Missouri attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- Mo. Rev. Stat. § 578.023 — Keeping a dangerous wild animal
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of October 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Missouri attorney.