Madison, WI Animal Ordinances: Exotic Pets (2026)

49, created by Ord. 13,328 in 2003 and amended through 2013, prohibits possessing, selling or purchasing an 'exotic or wild animal' anywhere in the City of Madison. The Common Council's stated finding is that wild animals are inherently dangerous and do not adjust well to a captive environment, and the ordinance protects public health and safety rather than regulating zoos or research. The code defines 'Wild Animal' by an enumerated list rather than a general standard: nonhuman primates and prosimians such as chimpanzees and monkeys; felids other than domesticated cats; canids such as wolves, coyotes and foxes (domesticated dogs excluded); prairie dogs; elephants; crocodilians including alligators and crocodiles; marsupials other than sugar gliders; ungulates such as hippopotamuses and rhinoceroses; hyenas; mustelids other than ferrets; procyonids such as raccoons and coatis; anteaters, sloths and armadillos; mongooses, civets and genets; reptiles over ten feet long including boa constrictors and pythons; and venomous reptiles.

The list treats the named animals as examples, not an exhaustive cap, so a species fitting one of these families but not individually named can still be prohibited. Five categories of possessor are exempted: anyone licensed by the state under Wis. ch. 169, a veterinarian treating a wild animal, a public zoo or aquarium (including any accredited member of the American Zoo and Aquarium Association), a licensed traveling circus, and anyone authorized by the Wisconsin DNR. 49 is subject to a forfeiture of not more than $500.