Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
Animal rights experts explained that round fishbowls do not provide enough surface area for oxygen, slowly suffocating the fish. They also argued the curved glass causes fish to go blind. The city passed a sweeping statute to outlaw the classic bowl entirely.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
As the town grew from a rural farming area into a populated city, loose farm animals became a major nuisance. Chickens blocking traffic or destroying gardens led the city to draft an ordinance holding owners strictly liable.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
In 1924, a local merchant allowed his donkey to sleep in an abandoned porcelain bathtub near a dry riverbed. A flash flood swept the makeshift boat miles downstream with the donkey trapped inside. After an exhausting rescue operation, the town council banned the practice.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
In medieval England, these sea creatures were considered creatures of superior excellence, perfectly suited for the monarch's consumption. Historically, the King owned the head of the whale while the Queen took the tail for corset materials.
Status: technically enforceable
Why Is This a Law?
Following severe river flooding in 2018, the village was subjected to an apocalyptic invasion of mosquitoes. Angry residents demanded action from the mayor, who drafted a theatrical decree banning the bugs to show he was listening but powerless to control nature.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
Koalas are solitary, low-energy marsupials that require up to twenty hours of sleep a day. Being constantly lifted and held by strangers causes extreme psychological stress. Animal welfare scientists successfully lobbied governments to ban tourist cuddling to protect the species.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
As pet travel skyrocketed in the country, authorities needed to balance the comfort of families with the safety of strangers in confined passenger cars. To prevent bites and disputes, a blanket muzzle rule was applied to all dogs regardless of size.
Status: still on the books
Why Is This a Law?
In 1972, a Norwegian lieutenant arranged for the King's Guard to adopt a penguin at the Edinburgh Zoo. Because strict military regulations require periodic promotions for longevity, the penguin and his successors have steadily climbed the military hierarchy over the decades.
Myth or Law? — The Laws About Animals Challenge
You have just survived a wild tour of the world's strangest animal legislation, but can your legal radar spot a fake? Two of these laws are completely genuine, while one is a legendary internet rumor. Can you guess which of these animal rules is the myth?
Two of these are real, citable laws. One is a famous fake — can you spot it?
It is legally forbidden for mosquitoes to enter or fly within the official borders of the village.
It is explicitly a crime to serve beer or any other alcoholic beverage to a moose within city limits.
It is strictly unlawful for any citizen to allow a domestic donkey to sleep inside a bathtub.
The verdicts:
[real] It is legally forbidden for mosquitoes to enter or fly within the official borders of the village. — This is a real law from Briollay, France, enacted via a Mayoral Decree by Mayor André Marchand in July 2018.
[myth] It is explicitly a crime to serve beer or any other alcoholic beverage to a moose within city limits. — This is a famous fake! There is no such Alaskan law, but the legend was inspired by real moose occasionally gorging on fermented apples and stumbling around drunk.
[real] It is strictly unlawful for any citizen to allow a domestic donkey to sleep inside a bathtub. — This is a real law from Kingman, Arizona, USA. It was written into the Kingman City Ordinance around 1924 after a donkey sleeping in a tub was swept away by a flood.