COTTONWOOD HEIGHTS, Utah — The Cottonwood Heights City Council held a meeting Tuesday to discuss the law regarding owning exotic animals in the community.
Dr. Brian Barber, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at Weber State University, talked to the council about owning exotic animals, and the dangers it poses to the general public.
“It’s minimal to me,” he said. “I know there’s horror stories and you have all these news stories that come out, but again it’s a pretty limited, minimal risk to most people.”
In the end, the council didn’t make any changes to the city’s existing exotic pet ordinance.
The recent debate over the exotic pet ordinance began in April. It was sparked when neighbors of Cottonwood Heights resident Thomas Cobb said his 29 boa constrictors were a danger to the community, and they feared for the safety of their children and pets.
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