(a) No person shall keep, possess, harbor, maintain, or have care, custody, or control of any of the following exotic or wild animals within the City:
(1) Any animal listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered or listed on Ohio’s Endangered Wildlife list;
(2) Any animal, the keeping of which is prohibited by state or federal law;
(3) Antelope, bison, deer, elk, and moose;
(4) Badgers, martins, minks, skunks, weasels, otters, and wolverines;
(5) Bats;
(6) Bears;
(7) Beavers, groundhogs, and porcupines;
(8) Coyotes, foxes, and wolves;
(9) Any cat of the family Felidae, including by way of example and not by way of limitation, lions, tigers, jaguars, leopards, cougars, and ocelots, except commonly accepted domesticated house cats;
(10) Any primate, including by way of example and not by way of limitation chimpanzees, gorillas, lemurs, and monkeys;
(11) Alligators, crocodiles, caimans, and related crocodilians;
(12) Snakes:
A. That are venomous;
B. That are of the family Boidae (all species, including by way of example and not by way of limitation, all boas, pythons, and anacondas) and more than three feet long; and
C. That, regardless of species, are more than eight feet long.
(13) Monitor lizards, Gila monsters, and Mexican beaded lizards;
(14) Scorpions and spiders with venom sufficiently potent to cause serious physical harm to a person.
(b) The prohibition in division (a) of this section does not apply to:
(1) A person licensed or otherwise expressly authorized by state or federal law to keep, possess, harbor, maintain, or have care, custody, or control of an animal identified in divisions (a)(1) through (a)(14);
(2) A public zoo;
(3) A traveling circus performing within the city;
(4) A humane society;
(5) A veterinary hospital or clinic;
(6) A college, university, museum, or like institution engaged in bona fide scientific or educational study and research; or
(7) A person temporarily transporting an animal identified in divisions (a)(1) through (a)(14) through the city if the transit time within the city is not more than 24 hours and the animal is at all times maintained within a confinement sufficient to prevent the animal from escaping.
(c) Any animal found in violation of this section is subject to impoundment, and its owner is responsible for all costs associated with that impoundment.
(Ord. 06-9. Passed 7-25-06.)