This Cute Pet

Pet Elephants in the UK

The Guardian Unlimited is reporting that the UK is not allowing people to keep elephants as pets.

More than 650 signatories supported a petition which argued that children could get a better understanding of the giant creatures if they were kept as pets.

African male elephants, much larger than their Indian cousins, can stand up to 3.6m (12ft) tall at the shoulder and can weigh more than 6800kg (15,000 lbs).

In response to the petition, "The government agrees that keeping a pet has many benefits, not just for children but people of all ages.However, the government does not think elephants would make good pets. They are very large animals that are not used to being kept as pets, and have welfare needs that would be impossible to meet in pet shops or people's homes."Elephants can also be dangerous and it would not be safe for people to be able to keep them in their backyard."