Why do some countries control the entry of animals?

In several countries, people cannot bring in animals freely from abroad. Any animal that does arrive must go into quarantine and spend several months in a cage before being allowed to mix freely with other animals and people. There is a very good reason for this law. It is to prevent the spread of a terrible disease called rabies. People can get rabies from the bit of an infected animals such as a dog or cat. But not all countries have rabies, and quarantine regulations are meant to stop it entering the country by making sure that the arriving animals are free of rabies.

However, quarantine can only succeed where a country is surrounded by water. In countries with land borders, rabies can be brought in by wild animals such as foxes, bats and mongooses. Countries that are free of rabies include Britain, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, as well as a number of smaller island nations.