Every day there are
thousands of pets bought and sold all over the world it seems that the most
desired kind of pets are ones that have “exotic” looks and qualities. But what
defines an animal as exotic? According
to federal law, an “Exotic” animal is defined as "any animal not
identified in the definition of "animal" provided that said species
is native to a foreign country or of foreign origin or character, is not native
to the United States, or was introduced from abroad. The term includes but is
not limited to animals such as, lions, tigers, leopards, elephants etc. “Exotic
Animal 1” Unlike your average everyday pet, exotic animals; even if they are bought
as infants or at a young age they still retain a good portion of their wild
nature, even when they are bred for the pet trade and hand raised by humans,
can still be unpredictable. In a lot of cases, especially those involving
full-grown adult mammals/reptiles that are abandoned because they are no longer
cute and desirable and they can be extremely dangerous. Rescue organizations
that are out there are left trying to care for the many abandoned and abused
exotic animals.
Having an exotic animal
as a pet is not a good idea because they require more care than the average
person can provide. When they come into the hands of private individuals, these
animals often suffer the most because of poor care and health conditions. They
also can pose safety and health risks to their owners and any person they come
into contact with. In the U.S, it is unclear how many Exotic animals are kept
as privately held as pets. Individual owners in possession of exotic animals
often try to change the very nature of the animal rather than the type of care
they themselves provide for the animal. Such tactics that exotic pet owners
will use include tactics such as confinement in small barren enclosures,
chaining, beating the animal “into submission,” or even painful mutilations
such as declawing and tooth removal. “Dangers of exotic pets 1” There are a variety of sources that provide
millions of animals of all ages to the exotic pet trade each year. Animals are
captured from their native habitat and then transported all over the world to and
from various countries only to be sold as “pets”. It is estimated that between
5,000 and 7,000 tigers are kept by private owners as “pets” which is far more
than the number of tigers that exist out in the wild. “Danger of exotic pets
1”; whether the animal is young or old, wild animals do not adjust well to life
in captivity. They require special care, maintenance, housing, and diet that
often times the buyer cannot provide. Exotic “pets” that are purchased as
infants are often abandoned by their individual owner as they age and become
impossible to control. When and if the individual ever realizes that he or she
can no longer handle or care for an exotic pet, they usually turn to zoos and
wildlife sanctuaries, such as Safari Zoo sanctuary owned by Lori Ensign, to
relieve them of the burden and responsibility of caring for said animal. The
source of income for such sanctuaries is mostly fundraising; it also includes
the volunteers as well as founder’s paycheck. Other exotic animals that in a
backyard breeder’s opinion have outgrown its usefulness usually become surplus animals.
However there are never going to be enough accredited organizations to
accommodate the number of unwanted exotic animals. And consequently, the
majority of these majestic animals are euthanized, abandoned, or doomed to live
in deplorable conditions. “fact 5 on 10 facts about exotic pets”
According to the Humane
Society of the United States (HSUS), the exotic pet trade is a multi-billion
dollar industry, second to drug and weapon sales on the black market. It's
estimated that it is a $15 billion dollar business in the U.S alone, and with
breeders selling animals over the Internet or in various trade magazines.
Millions of these beautiful animals are forced into the exotic pet trade every
year for the purpose of becoming someone's pet or entertaining people in a
circus or roadside zoo. “Facts about Exotic pet trade 1” It has become
ridiculously easy to purchase or obtain an exotic pet. Thousands of internet
sites from all over the world offer to sell exotic animals and some even
provide chat rooms where buyers and sellers can haggle over an animal and its
price. They rarely ever if at all give the purchaser the proper animal care
advice that involve an animal’s basic needs, such as feeding, handling, medical
care and living environment. There are many other sources that are helping to
facilitate the exotic pet trade. For example the “Animal Finders’ Guide,” which carries ads
from private parties, dealers, breeders, ranchers, and even zoos that are
offering large cats, monkeys, and other species of exotic animals for sale. The
sale and possession of exotic animals is regulated by a patchwork of local,
state and federal laws that vary by community and by the type of animal that a
person wishes to buy. “Dangers of exotic pets 1”. There are eighteen states that
only prohibit possession of dangerous reptiles, bears, nonhuman primates,
wolves’ and large cats. Only ten states that have a partial ban which prohibits
the possession of some exotic animal species. Thirteen states require the
breeder or owner to have a license or permit in order for them to be able to
possess the exotic animals. “Summary of State laws 1”. Many counties and cities
have adopted ordinances that are more stringent than the just state law. The
sellers of these beautiful animals make no mention of the state or local laws
and regulations regarding private possession of these exotic animals. Nor do
they mention the dangers, difficulties or the physical and physiological needs
of the animals they peddle for money. The suffering that these beautiful animals
go through in the hands of unqualified and ruthless buyers appears to be of no
concern in the lucrative exotic pet trade.
Exotic animals by
nature are inherently dangerous to their neighbors and community’s and
especially the individuals who possess them. Across the country, incidents have
been reported where exotic animals held in private hands and escaped from their
enclosure and attacked its owner or other humans as well as other animals.
Children and adults have been mauled to death by tigers, bitten by monkeys, and
asphyxiated by snakes. The most famous case of an animal attack was on October
3, 2003, at the MGM Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. When a trained 7-year-old white tiger named
Montecore suddenly attacked and carried handler Roy Horn off stage by the
throat during Siegfried & Roy's long-standing magic show at the Mirage.
Horn suffered massive blood loss and a stroke but luckily survived with his
life. “Siegfried and Roy tiger attack article 1-3” Most of the exotic animals
owned by private exhibiters are by nature territorial of their “homes” and many
of them live in groups out in the wild. Many exotic pets are typically isolated
and spend the majority of their day pacing in a small enclosure. Keeping any
kind of exotic animal isolated in close quarters with only enough room for them
to stand up and turn around and no space for them to roam increases their
stress levels. When an animal is unable to roam and freely express it becomes
agitated and dangerous. Animals that live in these conditions are time bombs
just waiting to explode
A show I watch on Spike
TV called Urban Tarzan has many great examples of why people should NOT own
exotic pets. John Brennan, who legally changed his name to Urban Tarzan, is an
Animal Relocation Specialist; he runs a wild life sanctuary along with his
partner, simply known as Caveman, who is a reptile expert. Together, they specialize
in rescuing and relocating exotic wildlife. A phrase that is commonly used on
the show is “gotta go check it out” and the animal rescues they go on involve
“pets” that have escaped or an animal that has gone out of control and
sometimes the animal isn’t always the only problem. The exotic animals they rescue
vary in size, from big cats to small animals like monkeys, snakes and other
small mammals. Another Notable rescue organization that I discovered online
through YouTube is Big Cat rescue; which is educational sanctuary and rescue
organization that specializes in exotic big cats as well as smaller breeds of
exotic felines. They post videos of the 150+ big and small wildcats that they
have living at the sanctuary. BIG CAT TV, as it’s called, gives viewers a close
look into the day to day lives of the animals and operations that go on around
the sanctuary. This organization functions mainly with volunteers and public
touring and donations.
Through wildlife conservation, local sanctuaries
and rescue organizations I hope that people can realize the dangers of owning
an exotic pet. That even though they are cute and cuddly while they are little,
they won’t stay that way. I hope that people decide to keep these majestic
animals where they belong, In the WILD.
