Subd. 1. Wild animals prohibited. A person must not keep, own, harbor or otherwise possess a wild animal within the city, except as provided in Subd. 2. below.
Subd. 2. Wild animals allowed. Wild animals may be brought into the city for the purpose of entertainment, education or display only by the following:
a. A zoo operated by a governmental agency or a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation;
b. The Department of Natural Resources;
c. Another similar public educational or charitable organization;
d. A circus; or
e. A city-licensed pet shop.
An organization listed above may bring a wild animal or animals into the city under this subdivision only if the organization can and does comply with the standards contained in Subd. 3. below. No organization covered by this subdivision may have wild animals within the city on more than seven days in a consecutive 12-month period, except that an organization listed above that has a wild animal within the city on the effective date of this section may continue to keep that animal as long as it lives, if the organization obtains a permit from the city and complies with the standards specified in Subd. 3. below.
Subd. 3. Standards for keeping of wild animals. An organization that has a wild animal must comply with the following standards at all times that it possesses a wild animal within the city.
a. A non-governmental organization must have liability insurance to cover potential personal injury or property damage caused by the animal(s), in an amount of at least $300,000 per person per occurrence.
b. The animal(s) must be kept in a locked cage or other secure enclosure at all times when the public is allowed to be near it(them).
c. The cage or enclosure must be constructed of sufficient materials so that a person, including a child, cannot put a finger, hand or another portion of the body into the cage or enclosure so that the animal(s) could touch it. Alternatively, structural barriers may be used to keep the public away from the cage or enclosure.
d. Only personnel with adequate training or experience in handling wild animals may have contact with the animal(s) while in the city.
e. The animal(s) must be transported to the display location in the city in a secure enclosure sufficient to prohibit potential contact with humans or other animals, except for the personnel identified under paragraph d. above.
f. No sale of a wild animal(s) may occur, nor may orders for the sale of wild animals be taken.
g. The display location must be inspected by authorized city personnel before the wild animal(s) may be brought into the city.
h. Authorized city personnel must be allowed to periodically inspect the display location during reasonable hours while the animal(s) is(are) in the city.
i. If a wild animal bites a person, the animal must be forfeited immediately to authorized city personnel for rabies testing.
(Ord. 493, passed 3-12-2012) Penalty, see § 104.01