TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Ministry of Agriculture on Friday announced that keeping 641 high-risk animals as household pets will be banned starting May 1, with existing owners facing steep fines if they fail to register them.

The ministry said most of the animals have been prohibited from import since 2022. Examples of high-risk species that will be banned as pets for the general public include raccoons, estuarine crocodiles, vipers, and elapids, many of which are venomous or aggressive, per EBC News.

The ministry warned that abandoned or escaped animals could pose threats to public safety and the environment. After consultations with stakeholders and a public notice period, authorities decided to expand the existing import ban to include household ownership.

Current owners who possessed such animals before May 1 this year must complete registration by April 30 next year through the Ministry of Agriculture’s Pet Registration Information System, per CNA. Failure to do so could result in fines ranging from NT$50,000 (US$1,500) to NT$250,000 and confiscation of the animal.

Following registration, city or county governments will send personnel to inspect the site and verify the animal’s condition. Once approved, owners may legally keep the animal for the rest of its life.

Animal exhibition businesses, academic research institutions, and those raising the animals for economic purposes, such as saltwater crocodile farming, may still apply to local governments for approval.

According to ministry statistics, as of Monday, 83 raccoons, 23 estuarine crocodiles, five elapids, and five vipers had been registered.