I don't want to get involved in this too much because most laws regarding animals are sub-par to say the least. It's a hot topic for me and I don't want to get upset.

Regarding the gorillas and cheetahs, I don't know why they decided to leave them out of the law (wouldn't it have been just as easy to go ahead and include them in the list?) but I'd be willing to bet that the ferrets and ASFs are more of a concern because they're much easier to afford and get a hold of. It would be quite difficult to actually find a pet gorilla, so most people won't go to the trouble. I suppose the government is counting on that.

Another guess that I might venture is the fact that there's so much money in the fur business. Perhaps those two species (whose fur or skin are worth quite a bit) cannot survive in that state should they get loose, so legislators allow them to be brought into the state to get money coming into the area via fur traders. It may seem a little far-fetched (even to me) but you'd be surprised how often the reasoning behind a stupid law is some under-the-table, trying-to-keep-money-in-the-state reason.

Ok, I'm done now.