Can’t Be Tamed: Exotic Pets Get Nixed in Ohio

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Want a bear as a pet? If you live in Ohio, you’re now out of luck. (via Swampland)

In a last-minute order before he leaves office, Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland has restricted the sale, possession and transfer of animals like big cats, wolves, bears and non-human primates. The order comes after a 24-year-old was mauled to death by a bear who was kept as a pet by a coworker.

(See the top 10 animal stories of 2010.)

Not all Ohioans are happy about the measure. TIME’s Katy Steinmetz sums up the battle at Swampland:

Those against exotic animal ownership, like the Humane Society, say that owning these animals is bad for them, that most private owners can’t meet the animals’ needs in captivity and are putting themselves and their neighbors at risk. Those supporting ownership often say that all animals were once wild and that they’re being unfairly persecuted for a hobby or pet that they love.

See more about the pet ban at Swampland.