I mean, no one wants a bear...

I grew up watching Grizzly Adams when I was a kid, but at no point did I ever think it would be a good idea to keep a big-ass black bear as a pet. I mean, I thought it was cool, but I also somehow inherently knew I'd never grow up to be cool enough to own a bear. Oh well...

Read More: Maine was Home to Many Animals That No Longer Live in Our State

Then I went through a period where I thought it would be awesome to have a skunk, provided you could remove the stink sack. I've heard they can be trained to a cat box, under the right circumstances. But at the end of the day, can you even have either one of those things in Maine, at all?

Again, no one wants a bear.

Close up fox cub in grass
Byrdyak
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I remember watching a Facebook saga unfold once, as someone posted photos from a rehabber that was taking care of a fox that had been hit by a car. It was absolutely gorgeous. I wanted to bring him home so badly, and cuddle him and protect him. But in Maine, you simply can't do that.

skunk in nature during fall
karlumbriaco
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Like, at all. Maine actually has some of the strictest laws in the entire country, when it comes to owning wild animals. And not just the exotic kinds. Sure, with some special paperwork, you could own something like a hedgehog. But there's no path to victory at all, if you wanted to own a Maine fox.

hedgehog autumn leaves forest
Kichigin
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Does anyone even want a bear, anyway?

In some ways, one could argue that it's kind of too bad we can't have these wild creatures. But Maine keeps strict tabs on freshwater fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, regardless of where they're from. Even if not from Maine. Furthermore, if you were to get busted with these critters, there are penalties.

Read More: These Are Quite Possibly The Three Most Dangerous Animals In Maine

You could face fines and all sorts of other legal hassles you really don't want. So while it might be nice to have one of these super cute critters, you're probably just better off with a dog or a cat. Or whatever, just bear in mind that using your back yard as a pet store could put you in some seriously hot water.

See some more of what we're talking about right here...

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh

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