Taipei: The Ministry of Agriculture said owners will have to register meerkats, snapping turtles, Cayman crocodiles and pythons and owners will not be allowed to breed those animals, the department said after a meeting.

According to Focus Taiwan, the rules were outlined at a meeting held by the ministry’s Department of Animal Welfare with representatives of groups for animal welfare, pet owners, businesses, scholars and experts earlier in the day.

Chen Chung-hsing, deputy director of the department, told media after the meeting that owners will have to meet ownership conditions and register their animals with government authorities.

He said owners will be prohibited from breeding the animals.

Chen said sellers and breeders will have to obtain government approval, provide facilities that meet standards and accept non-scheduled inspections carried out by local governments.

Chen said officials will discuss details and implementation at meetings to be held and gave no timeline for the policy.

Image taken from Pixabay for illustrative purposes

Image taken from Pixabay for illustrative purposes

Chen responded to a statement released Tuesday on the internet by the Taiwan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Environment and by the Animal Society of Taiwan that criticized the department’s placement of meerkats on a “grey list.”

At present, law regulates import and quarantine of meerkats. If placed on the grey list, meerkats may be kept, bred and traded under provisions that can be enforced.

The groups said media exposure of meerkats could increase demand, fuel illegal trade and cause poor care and they urged a ban.

Chen said since some people already keep meerkats as pets, a total ban is “incompatible with the status-quo.” He said that by including meerkats under the policy, officials can manage owners and the industry and make improvements that would raise animal welfare.