Emiratis banned from keeping wild pets

The private ownership of wild animals has been outlawed in the United Arab Emirates, where keeping exotic creatures as pets is a status symbol for some, reports said on Wednesday.

Wildcats including endangered cheetahs are known to have been domesticated in the UAE and neighboring Gulf countries, with some even spotted being taken outside in the middle of big cities.

In October, one such outing with five tigers on a beach near Dubai's iconic Burj Al-Arab hotel was captured on video and went viral on social media, while others have been filmed driving around with lions.