No person shall cage, have in possession, or exhibit any live wild animal or wild bird at any time, except as hereinafter provided, nor shall a person traffic, sell, or expose for sale, at any time or at any place, any live wild animal or wild bird.
For purposes of this chapter, the term "wild animal" or the phrase "wild animal or wild bird" shall have the meaning as the term "wildlife" as such term is defined in RSA 207:1, XXXV.
The provisions of this chapter shall not prohibit a person who holds a license to propagate game animals or fur-bearing animals under the provisions of RSA 212:25-33, inclusive, from caging, keeping, or selling such live wild animals as he is permitted to do under the provisions of his license or the rules and regulations of the executive director of Fish and Game relative thereto.
The executive director of Fish and Game is hereby authorized in his discretion to issue a permit to any person to have in possession a live wild animal or wild bird. Such permit shall be issued for such period and under such conditions as the executive director may determine. The executive director is authorized to make such rules and regulations relative to the keeping of live wild animals or wild birds under the provisions of this section as he may deem necessary. The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to a person who holds a permit from the executive director as provided herein.
No person shall exhibit live wild animals to the public unless the enclosures or cages in which the animals are kept are of such construction and design as to prevent accidental-or physical contact between such animals and the public, nor until the executive director of Fish and Game or his agent shall have approved in writing the design and construction of such enclosure or cages. The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to refer to the exhibition of live wild animals by persons operating a regularly organized circus or animal breeding or training farm.
Whoever violates any of the provisions hereof, or any rule or regulation relative to keeping live wild animals or wild birds promulgated by the executive director of Fish and Game in accordance with the provisions of RSA 469:3, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor if a natural person, or guilty of a felony if any other person.
The executive director of Fish and Game, either by himself or his agents, shall have authority to enforce the provisions of this chapter and for that purpose may without expense to the state designate as his agent any officer or agent of any incorporated society for the prevention of cruelty to animals.
