CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A simpler list is the goal of the technical subcommittee for West Virginia’s Dangerous Wild Animal Board. On Wednesday, that subcommittee will be working through a different list of animals that could one day be banned in the Mountain State without a permit.
Last week, after reviewing public comments, the Dangerous Wild Animal Board threw out an earlier, more extensive list and, instead, substituted in the list of dangerous wild animals already banned in Ohio.
That Ohio list includes tigers, lions, bears, elephants, certain monkeys, rhinos, alligators along with venomous snakes and anacondas and pythons that are more than 12 feet long.
“That was a good, sound list to start with. (They’ll) Use that as, kind of, the baseline,” said Chris Ferro, chief of staff for the state Department of Agriculture, of the substitution. “If it needs to be refined, we’re not working with families or orders or species.”
With the proposed regulations, permits for harboring the animals covered in the Act would cost $100 and would be subject to the approval of the Dangerous Wild Animal Board which would review the permits each December.
“This is not something where we’re talking about air regulations or something that’s highly, highly technical,” Ferro said. “Let’s bring this list down to something that people can pick up and read and understand if they want to know if the animal that’s in their house is going to be on this list and will have to be registered.”
That subcommittee will make a recommendation to the Dangerous Wild Animal Board which is charged, under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, with developing the list of banned animals for the Legislature’s consideration.
The Legislature will ultimately have to give final approval to what does and what does not make the list.
A public comment period continues through Aug. 1.
All comments on the proposal can sent via email to jodeemartin@wvda.us or regular mail to the following address :
West Virginia Department of Agriculture
Attn: Jodee Martin
1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East
Charleston, WV 25305