Advantages Of Keeping Exotic Pets

People who keep exotic animals as pets do not realize the danger they are putting on the animals or themselves. There have been around 2,000 incidents involving captive exotic pets that have been reported and 75 reported deaths between the years of 1990

Some people feel they should be allowed to keep exotic animals as they think they are capable of taking care for the animals.

Owning an exotic pet can go wrong in a lot of ways and it can seriously harm the animal you are keeping, other animals, and people; including the animal's owner. If someone would want to try to keep one of these animals they would have to put a lot of work, time, and money into it because you have to keep the animal healthy, happy, safe, and you also have to make sure you are keeping everyone else safe including yourself. Still, you could be putting yourself, the animal, and others in danger.

According to Mia Lewis, author of Do You Really Want a Baby Tiger, there has been a huge increase in the amount of people who own exotic animals in the states. Many people find the need to have an exotic animal to stand out from all the rest. Although most people don’t understand how costly it is to own an exoctic animal or how you have to furfill their needs and even the dangers of owning an exoctic pet which is why owning an exoctic pet is not a good idea.

Owning exotic animals is both cruel to the animal its self and dangerous to those who care for the animals. Keeping exotic animals as pets is cruel. In the article Do You Really Want a Baby Tiger? by Mia Lewis the author states “The end result is that far too many of these exotic animals spend almost their entire lives in the ‘prison’ of a small cage.” Obviously, exotic animals are meant to be in environments that promote their natural behavior; forcing these animals to be locked up in a small pen

In most places owning a dog or cat is second nature, but what about a tiger, bear or maybe python? Exotic pet ownership is far from having a clear right or wrong answer but it is in need of a ban for both the protection of animal and owner.For exotic pet owners, owning a wild beast insures a sense of power and uniqueness. It is also their way of contributing to the conservation of a species by having a “backup population” once human population growth and habitat destruction has resulted in extinction (Slater 113). But in reality the ownership of wild animals as pets only helps to damage already fragile ecosystems, both the one from which they came from and the new one in which they find themselves. Animals in captivity are also stripped of a natural life in the wild, free of confinement and unsuitable care. Finally, the risk to humans is very large, injuries inflicted from exotic pets are dangerous and possibly deadly. Bans vary from state to state, ranging from no ban to partial ban to complete ban, but even in states with full bans, exotic pet ownership still occurs. Private ownership of an exotic animal as a pet should be banned in the US, due to disruptions in ecosystems, the dangers that wild animals are exposed too, and the risks to the owners of these pets.

While domesticated pets like dogs and cats make good pets many people want to own exotic animals that belong in the wild. These animals range from tigers to pythons, but should not be owned as they need special care most people cannot provide. Not only this, but exotic animals release is harmful for everyone, the exotic animal, humans, and native animals. Lastly, many exotic animals carry diseases that are harmless to them, but fatal to humans. Exotic “pets” are harmful for everyone, not just the pet. This is why people should not be able to own exotic pets.

It is said that in order to protect the wildlife, we need to be educated about the wildlife that inhabits our planet. As humans, and the superior species on Earth, we put exotic animals, aquatic and terrestrial, in zoos or aquariums where people can go to see them to learn more about them in order to protect them. It just so happens that by putting these animals into captivity, we are causing more damage to them, just as damage is occurring in the wild and more species are becoming extinct. Animals should not be held in captivity; it does not save them from going extinct, but helps kill them off.

Every child has asked their parents for a pet animal. The thing is though, is what type of animal they asked for. Such as a dog or cat and even the occasional hippopotamus for Christmas, right? Lots of people buy exotic animals not knowing how much work it really takes to take care of them. For example, many people have bought pythons and when they get to a size where they can’t keep care of them they let them go into the wild. Exotic animals are very costly and time consuming, they grow up and get bigger and all in all they are very dangerous.

How many people think it is okay to have an exotic animal as a pet? People do not care about the responsibilities that come with owning an exotic pet when they get a wild animal. There are many positives and negatives regarding owning exotic pets, but the negatives outweigh the positives greatly. Keeping these animals in captivity is not only harmful to others but harmful to the animal. When treated as pets these animals grow into adults and act aggressively to others around them, spread diseases, and enclosures cost a great amount and have to be created by professionals the majority of the time.

The U.S. is a patchwork of varying levels of exotic pet regulation. Some states take the problem seriously and have outright bans on owning dangerous wildlife. Other states, like Florida, ban some dangerous animals but not others. In some states, owning any dangerous wildlife is allowed but requires a permit. And in a handful of states—Ohio, Wisconsin, Nevada, West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama—all exotic pet ownership is permitted, completely unrestricted and unregulated. Incidents of escape and intentional release abound, as demonstrated by an excellent documentary called The Elephant In The Living

Exotic animals belong in the wild because the reason they are exotic is because they cannot be tamed like any other pet, and if they can’t be tamed, they can become a harm to the owner and to others that the animal feel threatened by. Injury and possibly death is likely to happen under such circumstances of the animals being neglected. Another reason why I believe that exotic animals do not belong under human captivity as pets is because it is harmful to the pets and the nature of them. Some animals need their families to survive and they also need to learn to hunt in order for them to survive. Once an exotic animal becomes the pet of someone, it becomes dependent which is unhealthy for the animal, especially if they are brought under captivity at such an early age. Owning exotic animals as keeping them as pets should be illegal is what I believe is right.

Exotic animals should not be allowed in our homes as pets. They are too dangerous and could harm another animal we may have or may harm us! So, animals such as pythons and tigers should not be in our homes. If someone got a exotic animal, would they want to keep it forever? I wouldn’t because of the damage and harm they can do, and it would take a long time to tame them if somebody just went out and brought one home from the pet store.

The question of humanity arises every couple of years, on the topic - should exotic animals be allowed to be kept as pets. Is it humane for the beings who feel pain, give birth, take care of their young like human beings do to be behind bars? According to the National Geographic 66 percent of wild animals are owned privately while the 28 percent of the animals reside in the zoo. Some of the exotic animals can be found as pets rather than in the wild. The estimated number of Tigers kept as pets are between 5,000 and 7,000, which is more than the ones that exist in the wild. Interested buyers can purchase a tiger cheaper than some of the purebred dogs, for the price as shocking as 300 dollars. Though some states in the United States do allow wild animals as pets, it is still illegal in most states or require a license for it. Most of the animals as pets are through illegal routes like underground auctions and smuggling.

Exotic animals should be banned from being purchased, hunted, and or traded from their natural habitat. People can look at an exotic animal for a couple minutes, but captivity affects their whole life. Exotic animals caged in non-natural habitats can experience many physical, and mental issues.