Selling and buying predatory and dangerous animals and birds, including big wild cats such as lions, cheetahs, tigers and leopards, as well as hyenas, crocodiles, predatory reptiles and vultures, will be outlawed in Dubai, UAE from July.

The ban aims to protect people's lives from dangerous animals, Zuhoor Al Sabbagh, director of Public Health Services Department at Dubai Municipality, was quoted as saying in an Emirates official news agency WAM report.

Under the new ruling, all predators should be registered at the Municipality, she noted.

Domesticated cats, dogs, rats, cows, sheep, camels, llamas, alpacas and other non-dangerous animals are not included in the ban.

The list also includes zebras, African wild asses, kiangs, giraffes, rhinoceroses, bears, weasels, aardvarks, mongooses, pronghorns, as well as wild birds such as ostriches, eagles and vultures, gulls, penguins, cassowaries, and marsupials, xenarthrans, bats, snakes, lizards, scorpions, spiders, and others.

In early January, the UAE passed a law banning the private ownership and trade of wild and dangerous animals.