Title 26. Fisheries and Game. Department of Environmental Protection (1). Wildlife Pen Specifications

Sec. 26-54-1. Wildlife pen specifications

(a) Any bird or quadruped possessed under the provisions of section 26-54 or 26-55 of the General Statutes shall be cared for and held in pens conforming to specifications established by the department of environmental protection.

(b) Raccoons possessed under the provisions of section 26-54 or 26-55 of the General Statutes shall be held in pens conforming to specification established by the department of environmental protection. Permits shall not be granted to individuals not meeting the required minimum pen specifications.

(Effective January 1, 1983.)

Title 26. Fisheries and Game. Department of Environmental Protection (1). Importation of Fish, Birds and Quadrupeds. Sec. 26-55-2. Importation of birds and quadrupeds

(a) No person shall import or introduce into the state or possess or liberate therein without a permit, any live wild birds or any of the following wild quadrupeds: those on the threatened or endangered species list; and those in the family Castoridae, beavers; in the family Canidae, foxes; in the family Mustelidae, fisher, otter, mink, martens; in the family Cervidae, sika and white tailed deer; in the family Capromydae, nutria; or any wild hare or rabbit in the family Leporidae except as provided in Section 26-56 of the General Statutes as amended. For the purposes of this Section, a bird or quadruped which results from the crossbreeding of any animal with one of the species listed above in this subsection or in Section 26-40a of the General Statutes as amended shall be considered to be a wild bird or quadruped of that species, and the egg of any wild bird shall be considered a wild bird of that species.

(b) No permit shall be required to import live caged non-game birds, provided (1) such birds were legally acquired and were legally exported from the state or country where captured or raised; (2) the importation, interstate transportation and sale of such live birds is not contrary to any federal law or regulations; and (3) the importation of any live wild birds shall conform with the regulations of the Connecticut State Department of Health Services and statutes on importation of poultry of the Department of Agriculture.

(c) Permits shall be required to import live caged hawks, owls and all birds on the threatened and endangered species list.

(d) All importation applications shall give the full name, address and telephone number of the vendee and vendor, the species and quantities of birds or quadrupeds to be imported and the purpose of such importation.

(e) No monk parakeet shall be imported or liberated.

(f) No wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) shall be imported, possessed or liberated to the wild except by Department of Environmental Protection personnel engaged in turkey management programs.

(g) Each permittee shall, within twenty-four hours of time of arrival inform the Commissioner in writing of the receipt of any such bird or quadruped.

(h) Any imported bird or quadruped shall be kept in quarantine for a period of thirty days whenever so required by the Commissioner.

(i) Any bird or quadruped that shows signs of sickness or disease within the quarantine period after being imported shall be immediately taken to the Animal Disease Laboratories, the University of Connecticut, Storrs, or such other laboratory as shall be determined by the Commissioner, for examination, and a request shall be made that a copy of the laboratory's findings be sent to the Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Agriculture.

(j) No imported bird or quadruped shall be liberated if it is known to be sick, infected with disease or infested with parasites which, in the opinion of the Commissioner, would make the liberation of such animal inadvisable in the interest of protecting human beings, domestic animals or wildlife from disease or parasitism.

(k) No permit shall be required to liberate any wild bird or quadruped unless so specified in this section.

(l) All research laboratories, colleges or universities, zoos, municipal parks, public nonprofit nature centers, or museums where wild birds or quadrupeds are held in strict confinement shall be exempt from the importation and possession permit requirements.

(m) No skunks or raccoons may be imported except as provided in subsection (l) above.

(n) No mute swan shall be imported, offered for sale for possession in Connecticut, exchanged or liberated into the wild. All captive-reared mute swans shall be pinioned to prevent escape into the wild.

(o) No potentially dangerous animal as defined in Section 26-40a of the Connecticut General Statutes as amended shall be imported or introduced into this state by any person. This subsection shall not apply to municipal parks, zoos and nature centers, or museums, laboratories and research facilities maintained by scientific or educational institutions.

(p) No person shall import or introduce into this state or possess, offer for sale or exchange or liberate therein any raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides).

(Added effective January 1, 1988; Amended effective February 16, 1994.)