European countries regulate exotic pets via positive lists; Croatia lacks such rules, raising animal welfare concerns.
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Many European countries maintain “positive lists” specifying which animals can be kept as pets, while all others are prohibited; Croatia lacks such clear regulation, allowing exotic animals like monkeys and royal pythons to be bought easily. Animal welfare groups warn that these unregulated conditions cause chronic stress and health issues for exotic pets, calling for the adoption of positive lists in Croatia. They also highlight risks such as invasive species, which can threaten local biodiversity, and zoonotic diseases transmitted from wild animals to humans. Various EU nations have implemented different regulations: Belgium initially had a list but recently removed it; Italy severely restricted imports of wild and exotic animals; the Netherlands has a risk-based positive list for mammals; Cyprus only permits explicitly listed pets; Luxembourg allows certain non-mammals with size limits; Austria mandates training for keeping some exotic animals and imposes significant fines; and Lithuania is increasing its requirements for obtaining permits for keeping wildlife.
