Wild animals are just that, wild. They do not want to be held and they rarely know if we are trying to help them or hurt them so they do what comes natural, defend themselves. Nature equipped many of them with sharp teeth, sharp claws, powerful jaws, and strong legs. Because of this, getting the best gloves for handling wild animals is crucial.
However animal handling gloves aren’t just for wild animals, pets can get down right nasty too. Especially when they are taken out of their comfort zone and they don’t know what’s going on. This is when their fight or flight instinct takes over, when this happens all bets are off and biting and scratching ensue.
In this article we’ll go over 3 options for animal handling gloves. One pair is best for handling larger animals and offers the most protection, but I’ve added two more options that are excellent for pet owners, groomers, and the handling of smaller animals that pose less of a threat.
Best gloves for handling wild animals – Top 3
MOUTCLMB Animal Handling Gloves
*Top Pick
Best for: veterinarians, animal control, wildlife rehabilitators, zoo workers
MOUTCLMB Animal Handling Gloves will protect you from scratches, bites, or even extreme heat. They’re made of bite-proof Kevlar and are super long, coming in at 17.7 inches. MOUTCLMB gloves provide maximum protection all the way to your elbows, and the fingers allow for a full range of motion while wearing them.
They aren’t overly bulky and are more comfortable on your hands. These animal handling gloves are priced affordably, provide maximum protection, and come highly recommended by reviewers, vet techs, and wildlife rehabilitators
Features:
- Extremes heat-resistant protection
- Provide an excellent anti-bite function for your hands and forearms
- Multifunction gloves that can be used in welding, grilling, or fireplace
- Excellent shape design and exquisite stitching
Sporting Style Animal Handling Gloves
Best for: kennel workers, pet shop employees, breeders/handlers/groomers, pet owners
At a fraction of the price of more professional gloves like the MOUTCLMB Gloves above, these gloves by Sporting Style might just work. You aren’t going to get the quality of MOUTCLMB Gloves but they are well made animal handling gloves. At 23 inches long they can give you protection all the way past your elbows, depending on the length of your arms. They do not offer different sizes so if you have smaller hands and arms these may end up very large on you and be a bit awkward.
They claim to be “bit-proof” as well as “bite-resistant” but any professional knows that is a bold claim. No animal handling glove can truly claim to be bite-proof, especially at this price point. However that doesn’t mean that won’t give you some good protection when handling small animals.
In my opinion these animal handling gloves would work great for pet owners. Particularly for cats that don’t do well going to the vet or being groomed. Possibly even smaller dogs that bite. Anything bigger than that I’d go with the MOUTCLMB Gloves above.
Features:
- Made of durable and strong thick leather
- Puncture Resistant, Cut Resistant, Bite Resistant, Heat Resistant, Oil Resistant and Fire Resistant
- Made for men and women, but only one size
- Lightweight multi-function gloves can also be used for gardening
- Not machine washable
RAPICCA Kevlar Animal Handling Gloves
Best for: kennel workers, pet shop employees, breeders/handlers/groomers, pet owners
These gloves are really great for the price and offer significant protection from animal bites and scratches. Again though, they claim to be bit-proof and this is just really exaggerated. They do have a disclaimer saying that they can’t withstand the bite of an alligator or a lion. Well, those are still bites. No one who is planning to handle either of those animals should even consider buying these gloves. However if you are planning to handle small animals like dogs, cats, maybe small snakes, reptiles, or birds of prey, then this pair of gloves could work just fine.
They are made of top grain leather and reinforced with kevlar double leather in the fingers, palms, and backs providing a lot of protection where you need it most. These are quality gloves and perfect for pet owners that want some multi-purpose animal handling gloves for occasional use. However if you want total protection from larger animals that are perhaps more dangerous, I’d again go with the MOUTCLMB Gloves that top this list.
Features:
- Made with leather and reinforced with kevlar
- Extra long, 22 inch gloves protect your hands and forearms from scratches and bites
- Puncture resistant, cut resistant, bite resistant, heat resistant, oil and fire resistant
- Offered in 2 lengths, 16 inch and 22 inch but not different sizes
- Multifunction gloves can be used for gardening, grilling, tending to the fireplace and other tasks
Wrap up
Both domestic and wild animals can be dangerous to handle when they are scared and defending themselves. Even house cats can leave some nasty scratches and bites when transporting or grooming them. Whether you just have a pet can that can a problem at certain times or you handle wild animals like raccoons at work, you can never be too careful. A good pair of animal handling gloves can save you a trip to the emergency room and a rabies shot. You can’t put a price tag on that, so get the best gloves for handling wild animals that you can afford.
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