Dangers of Owning Exotic Pets

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.