The keeping of big cats is subject to regulations in Germany. Compliance with these must be monitored by the responsible authorities. Following the escape of a tiger in Dölzig near Leipzig, the question arises as to whether all requirements have been met.
According to the Saxony State Directorate, these were regularly checked by the food monitoring and veterinary office of the district of North Saxony in the case in question.
Can big cats be kept privately in Germany?
The animal rights organization Peta points out that the private keeping of big cats is permitted in most EU countries if the animals do not come from the wild but from breeding - as is the case in Germany. However, the nationwide minimum requirements for keeping big cats are only guidelines that can be interpreted differently by authorities, federal states and municipalities.
Officially, private owners must obtain a permit from the relevant authorities to keep tigers privately. According to the organization, private keeping is permitted in 7 out of 16 German federal states.
