Exotic animals as pets Exotic animals as pets are a very popular thing in the U.S. right now. To get one you need to know a few things such as: The laws, permits, its a criminal business so be careful who you get the animal from, they can be very expensive, they are a commitment, and you need to research that animal to make sure you know the risks.The U.S. is one of the main destinations for exotic and endangered wild animals (Inside The Exotic Animal Trade). As of 2013 around 19.4 million U.S. households had an exotic animal as a pet (Micheli, Robin). There are laws and restrictions to owning an exotic animal (Exotic Animal Laws by State). If you are considering owning one you need to check with your state, city, and county (Micheli, Robin). …show more content…
You also have to see what requirements, there are such as having a permit for that animal. “An example of needing a permit in Vermont you’ll need a permit to own an anaconda, but not to keep a pet alligator.” Another example is in “Idaho you need a permit for tigers and other deleterious exotic animals.” One more thing to remember is that exotic animal laws are constantly changing due to concerns for public safety, and animal wellbeing (Exotic Animal Laws by State). Some of these laws are to protect us from the diseases the animals can carry (Inside The Exotic Animal Trade).
Right now in the U.S. the selling of protected wildlife is one of the largest criminal earnings, and it is a multibillion dollar business. It is only second to arms smuggling, drug trafficking (Kendall, Jodi). The smuggling of exotic animals is killing and threatening these animals. A great example of this is people poaching orangutans. They are killing the mothers to take the baby orangutans. Many of the orangutans do not make it during capture and transport
States categorized in B* have a semi-ban on exotic animals. This allows their citizens to own some exotic animals but other animals are forbidden. The type of animals that are forbidden depends on the different states. The states included under this category are Arkansas, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Virginia, and West Virginia. ("Summary of State Laws").
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
The laws on having exotic animals is a very controversial topic. Most people think that there should be stricter laws on the care and keeping of exotic animals. Two articles that talk about this issue are “State leaders say lion, tiger owners need more rules than the law of the jungle,” (Newsela) and “Ohio exotic animals band to fix ‘entirely unacceptable’ lack of laws.” (Huffington Post) Both articles say, for various reasons, that there should be more laws on exotic animals.
Exotic pets of every shape and size abound across the country. There are hundreds of thousands of privately owned snakes, spiders, and reptiles, many of which are extremely poisonous. Some are
There are many exotic animals all over the world that live in the wild. There are many species and some are extinct. Exotic animals are very expensive that require more than what people realize. These animals belong in their natural habitats. It is wrong and cruel for the animals that have to live in captivity when they are meant to live in the wild. Taking exotic animals out of the wild disrupts the natural food chain and negatively affects natural selection.
The first reason exotic animals should be banned is because they are highly dangerous. For example, according to an article from Born Free USA, “Exotic animals are inherently dangerous to the individuals who possess them, to their neighbors, and to the community at large. Across the country, many incidents have been reported where exotic animals held in private hands attacked humans and other animals, and escaped from their enclosure and freely roamed the community. Children and adults have
To start, exotic animals could get very sick and die from fatality in captivity. According to the article “Get the Facts: The Danger of Keeping Exotic Pets,” “When in the hands of private individuals the animals suffer due to poor care.” This is significant because it shows how cruel and dangerous it is to
As mentioned in Rexano, “The majority of fatalities are to owners, trainers or people voluntarily visiting the property where the animals are kept” (Shoemaker 106). Some of these fatalities can include diseases. They can carry illnesses that are dangerous to people, such as rabies, herpes virus, and Salmonella. These deadly viruses are contagious and can lead to epidemics if not taken care of and prevented by legislation laws banning the adoption of exotic pets. Even if the animal does love their owner, their nature is still wild so, they can play very roughly causing their owner to get hurt when they’re just trying to express their affection. Additionally, as the animal grows older, they become less manageable and less trainable. As mentioned by the text, “An adult animal is also likely to be aggressive and have more difficult behaviors than a baby one” (Lewis 104). These exotic animals are adorable when they are young but have the potential to seriously injure or kill people and other animals as they mature. Even an animal that appears to be friendly and loving can attack unsuspecting individuals. In some cases, exotic pets are simply released by their owners. We can only imagine that this is a desperate attempt to rid the owners of any responsibility for the animal while maintaining the delusion that they’ll be better off in the “wild.” The only problem is that the “wild”
In most states people are able to keep exotic animals even though there are many incidents involving exotic animals.This includes an incident when in Texas a four year old was mauled by his aunt’s pet mountain lion,or in Nebraska when a 34 year old man was strangled to death by his pet snake.The list goes on and on but my point is that these so called pets are very dangerous wild animals not to be kept as pets.Not only does owning exotic pets harm people but it also hurts the animals to.Their is at least 5000 tigers alone most owned by private owners,while some
The bright, alert eyes of a young Sumatran tiger gleam with curiosity, sharp claws and extensive fangs overlooked in light of the cub’s seemingly playful nature. A year later, this former playmate paces in a diminutive cage with all gaiety vanished. For centuries, the exotic animal trade and domestication businesses have been thriving. As one of the largest black-market industries in the United States, the animal trade is a multi-billion dollar enterprise, with thousands of species left suffering in its wake. Although the trade has seen countless opposers over the years, little change has been accomplished. However, an increased amount of activists have been pushing for the termination of the practices of exotic animal trade and domestication
Poaching is the illegal hunting or harvesting of wild animals and plants. Poaching is a major problem in Africa because the demand for animals and their products has increased. With the problem of poaching increasing it has caused animals to be put on the endangered animals list or even becoming extinct. However, poaching isn’t always entitled as killing the animals. Many animals are captured and sold to zoos or as exotic pets.
If you want an exotic animal you have to take good care and you have to know what to do when it gets hungry.On pg 227 lines 10 “people keep exotic animal for commercial reason and as pets.exotic animal are born in captivity.
Exotic animals can easily become endangered animals. According to current estimates, a third of the world’s amphibians, one in eight birds, and a quarter of all mammals are endangered. (“Endangered Species”). On average, there are twenty-three states in the United States of America alone that allow you to legally own an exotic animal, and twelve of those you do not even need a permit to acquire them (Loria). This increases the chance of fatality, malnourishment, being endangered, extinction and other issues. Exotic animals being kept can also endanger humans while being in harm's way themselves. Examples of some popular exotic animals some people might not consider exotic are snakes, birds, monkeys, big cats, and turtles. Turtles are the most endangered in the vertebrate groups due to the pet trade. This is because once you get a turtle, you cannot release it again or else it will not survive. Second, big cats are extremely popular in the US. There are around 10,000 tigers being kept as pets. This means there are more tigers kept as pets than in the wild. Statistically, since 1990 there have been 21 human deaths, 246 maulings, and 143 wild-cat deaths in captivity. Next, monkeys are also incredibly popular. Monkeys can carry various diseases such as Herpes B-Virus, Monkeypox, Ebola, and many more. Owning a monkey is bad for the monkey and for the owner. Additionally, there are over 150,000 parrots smuggled into the U.S. every year. Birds are meant to fly and be free, not to have their wings clipped and be confined into a tiny space. They have lost their whole life, and freedom so they can be called “pretty bird” and fed little pellets. Lastly, are the snakes. Snakes are everywhere around the world, ranging in color, shape, size, and species. In the last decade, more than 12 people have been killed from boa constrictor incidents, and with even more injuries. Snakes are also very dangerous to humans. Not only do a lot of
They carry dangerous diseases that we are not immune to, and it could result in being very harmful for the owners, especially children. But not only do these animals cause diseases and are potentially harmful to their owners. Many people are not equipped to support these animals. According to “Killer Pets” by Blair Rainsford, “Many need special food, space to roam, and lots of attention. Exotic pets are often kept in small cages by themselves” (Rainsford 18). Now, we’ve moved away from human harm and over into the own animal’s safety. Some people find taking care of a dog or a cat too difficult, so imagine suddenly being the owner of a full-grown tiger, snake, even monkey. This could lead to neglect for many animals, which is wrong, especially considering how often this must happen. An adventurous risk taker believes they can handle taking care of an exotic animal for a very low price, only to find out that they don’t have the money to support everything that comes with. Surely, that animal would be neglected by its owner. It is not ethical. So, overall, while having an exotic pet may be fun at first, it is not worth the