Gauteng, South Africa

• No wild or indigenous animal, including mammals, birds and reptiles, may be transported or be in the custody of someone without a transport or a keeping permit. In other words, it is illegal to own, keep, breed, trade or transport any indigenous animal or their eggs without a permit!

• Herptile (reptile & amphibian) permits are issued by the director of Nature Conservation and will only be issued through a Herpetological Society that is recognized by the director of Nature Conservation.

• Permits will only be issued for "problem animals" removed by a professional with a so-called "catching permit" or for newborn animals bred in captivity from parents that are already on permit.

• No permit will be issued for an animal that was caught or removed as a problem animal by a person without a catching permit.

• After a "professional catcher" has a problem animal on permit, the permit and the animal can be transferred to another persons name. Transfer application can only be done through a Herpetological Society.

• Permits can only be transferred to and from active members of a Herpetological Society.

• Application for permits must be approved by the chairperson of a Herpetological Society or someone else that was approved by the director of Nature Conservation.

• Catching permits will only be issued to experienced members of Herpetological Societies.

• Nature Conservation has the right to fine and remove any indigenous animal when no permit can be displayed, any of the conditions are not met or when the animal is kept in poor conditions.

Permits holders are subjected to the following:

• Breeding records of all animals must be kept

• Animals on permit can only be donated to another member of a Herpetological Society that is recognized by the director of Nature Conservation

• Venomous reptiles must be kept in locked enclosures with permanent locking facilities

Laws and regulations are currently actively under discussion by Nature Conservation and other bodies of the state. The abovementioned regulations may change at any time.

This section is based on rules and regulations set out for reptiles and amphibians by Gauteng Nature Conservation, but can be used as general guideline for other South African provinces.

Each province in South Africa are regulated by their own Nature Conservation. Kwazulu-Natal is not subjected to the conditions stated under the Gauteng regulations, (but is currently undergoing changes). Some wild reptiles and amphibians in this province can be kept and sold in pet shops without the need of keeping or transporting permits. There are however still a few species that needs permits.

Currently only exotic animal species, imported before the ban on further imports, are allowed in this province. Exotic animals obtained from a province other than Gauteng can only be transported into, or imported with the correct transfer and transport permits issued by Gauteng Nature Conservation.

There are no regulations on exotic species and as far as the author's knowledge, this province serves as at least one of the ports for the import of exotic animals into South Africa. Some people in the province advertise freely that they possess import permits and can import on request. Import was made illegal into South Africa a few centuries ago.