From lizards and owls to deers and wallaroos: unusual pets owned by 13 stars and royals

As Salma Hayek shares snaps of her pet owl, Kering, we take a look at the stars who have something a little more exotic than a cat or dog at home

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai: When he's not jumping out of aeroplanes or scaling the Burj Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Dubai regularly posts his nature photography on social media and has shared photos of these giraffes against the backdrop of the Dubai skyline. Instagram

Mike Tyson: Having long given up the pet tigers he used to have in his younger days, the boxing champ now favours pigeons as his preferred pet. Admitting to having once spent $20,000 on three Janssen pigeons, considered the number one racing pigeon in the world, Tyson wrote in the 'New York Times' of his pets: 'They are highly intelligent animals, and arguably the most loyal. Make a pigeon your friend and you’ll never be lonely.' Instagram

Salma Hayek: The actress's pet owl, named Kering, has become as popular on Instagram as she is. But that's not the '30 Rock' star's only animal. 'I have five horses, four alpacas, one cat, eight dogs, one hamster, five parrots, two fish,' she told Ellen DeGeneres. Instagram

Vanilla Ice: The former rapper has a wallaroo named Bucky Buckaroo as his unusual pet. Wallaroos come in the size range between the bigger kangaroo and the smaller wallaby. 'I have had him for 13 years,' said the 'Ice Ice Baby' singer. Instagram

Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Hollywood action star and former Governor of California has a pet donkey called Lulu and a miniature pony named Whiskey who, along with his more traditional domestic pet, his dog Cherry, like to join their master at the dining table for treats. Instagram

Justin Bieber: The 'Sorry' singer famously paid $35,000 for a pair of Savannah Cats he named Sushi and Tuna, even setting up their own Instagram account. A hybrid cross between a serval and a domestic cat, they are highly intelligent and can weigh up to 11.3 kilograms. Instagram

Melanie Griffith: 'I grew up with lions,' the 'Working Girl' actress revealed on Instagram. 'This was my best friend Neal.' Instagram

Kirstie Alley: The former 'Cheers' star has 14 lemurs as pets. 'I started out having lemurs because they are a great animal, and I was very interested in conservation in Madagascar where they are from and saving rainforests and forests.' she told 'People'. 'Lemurs live a long time – about 30 years – so it’s a huge responsibility. I actually have a full-time animal caretaker.' Instagram

Audrey Hepburn: The 'Roman Holiday' actress ended up with a pet fawn, which she named Pippin, while shooting the film 'Green Mansions' in 1959. On the set, an animal trainer suggested the star adopt Pippin, which she did. Instagram

Martha Stewart: As befitting her famously glamorous home life, lifestyle guru Stewart has two peacocks living their best lives on her 153-acre property in New York state. 'The Blues Brothers are at it again,' she wrote on Instagram of the colourful pair. 'As soon as their tail feathers are grown in they start to preen and strut and flirt with the females. It is a sight to behold!' Instagram

Reese Witherspoon: As well as an adorable pet goat, the Oscar-winning actress and producer also has a donkey named Honky living at her Malibu estate. Instagram

Hugh Hefner: As befitting his somewhat unorthodox lifestyle, the late Hugh Hefner opted for a llama to keep as a pet in the grounds of the Playboy Mansion. Instagram

Amanda Seyfried: The 'Mamma Mia!' star has six chickens and one rooster at her home in the Catskills, New York. 'One is called Candice Bergen. There’s a Julia Roberts in there and a Debra Winger,' she told 'Allure' of how she names them after famous actresses. Instagram

While most of us are content to have a cat, dog or hamster at home, there are always those for whom the idea of a pet is a little more outside the box.

Here in the UAE, we've become accustomed to seeing people posting photos of monkeys or even big cats. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, often shares photos of giraffes on his Instagram account.

Over in Hollywood, Salma Hayek posts regularly about her pet owl, while Reese Witherspoon's donkey, named Honky, has become very popular on her Instagram page.

One of the most famous owners of a slightly different pet was George Clooney, who had Max the potbellied pig for 18 years in the 1990s and 2000s, calling their bond: "My longest relationship to date."

“When Max is hungry, he lumbers over to the front door and lies down lengthwise over the welcome mat, completely blocking the entrance,” Clooney said of his pet, who he had originally bought for his girlfriend, the late Kelly Preston, who would go on to marry John Travolta. “He then grunts and squeals until someone brings him breakfast.”

Having plenty of land certainly helps if you're looking to own something bigger than a tortoise, and Peppermint actress Jennifer Garner's Oklahoma farm is the perfect place for her cows – "the lawnmowers", as she calls them – and her many chickens.

Stars have long surrounded themselves with animals that wouldn't be traditionally considered pets, with Breakfast at Tiffany's star Audrey Hepburn favouring a pet deer. Actress Melanie Griffith, meanwhile, famously grew up with lions at home, thanks to her mother, Tippi Hedren, who not only helped rescue big cats, but then kept them as pets on her land.

Tori Spelling admits that her house is a "zoo", and she's not just referring to her five children. With numerous dogs and pigs living at her Hidden Hills mansion in California, the Beverly Hills 90210 star also has a bearded dragon wandering around the house.

And proof that he might be tough on the outside, but he’s soft as marshmallow on the inside, action star Arnold Schwarzenegger regularly shares snaps of his donkey, Lulu, and miniature pony, Whiskey, joining him at the breakfast table for snacks.

Scroll through the gallery for some more of the stars most out-of-the-ordinary pets.