Are there any Wild Maine Animals that You could Keep as a Pet?

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.

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.

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.

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...