Cumberland County, ME Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

12 MRS § 12152 provides that 'a person may not import wildlife into or possess wildlife in the State or receive or possess wildlife imported into the State' without a permit issued by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW). Limited resident exemptions allow native reptiles, amphibians, and invertebrates without a permit, subject to possession limits of up to 5 amphibians per species, 2 reptiles per species, or unlimited invertebrates. MDIFW issues several permit categories — importation, exhibition, possession, wildlife rehabilitation, research, and educational collection — each with specific fees and conditions. The statute expressly bars MDIFW from issuing permits to possess 'deer, bear, moose, wild turkey' or related hybrids, and prohibits importation of any wild-turkey species. Wolf hybrids are separately regulated under 7 MRS § 3911-A and 12 MRS § 12160: abandonment of a licensed wolf hybrid is a civil violation with a fine up to $1,000. Cumberland County itself imposes no ordinance on exotic pets; municipalities may impose stricter rules through zoning, but the state's wildlife-in-captivity framework is the operative legal floor.