INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana: Ever wanted a crocodile? Or a hippopotamus? Or a wolverine? What about an elephant? Well, if you live in Indiana, it looks like you might be too late.

A new law being considered by the Indiana House of Representatives could mean that locals may lose the right own many species of exotic animals as pets.

Animals ranging from venomous and constrictor snakes, to elephants, kangaroos and rhinoceroses will be banned to new owners, while the new laws would mean current owners would need a newly-instituted annual permit.

This permit will cost the applicant $100 and will have to be accompanied by detailed information regarding the animal, including the pet's description, a photograph, microchip details and details on where the animal is to be kept.

Institutions exempt from this new law would include zoos, circuses, research and educational facilities, veterinary hospitals, wildlife sanctuaries, and individuals transporting 'securely confined' prohibited animal types through the state.

However, while legislators may have good intentions in drafting the law, they have also come under fire for using 'broad categories and ambiguous language', according to industry publication Pet Age.

Critics, such as those from the Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC), say that not only may exotic animals slip through the legal cracks, but that a number of species commonly kept as pets may also be unintentionally banned.

For example, PIJAC says the category 'snakes that have the potential to exceed 6 feet in length' could include (or exclude) any number of species.

The bill will go under further review before being sent back to the Indiana legislature.

Other states may be moving in the same direction, with Iowa introducing a bill in March would regulate the ownership and possession of “dangerous wild animals,” including water monitors, venomous snakes and certain constrictors such as pythons and anacondas, according to Pet Age.