Owning Exotic Animals, Is It Ethical?

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

It can cost up to thousands of dollars to own an exotic pet in order to meet all of the animals needs. Also, depending on the animal, if you own an exotic animal you have to dedicate all of your time to your pet. For example, you may not be able to go on vacation or stay somewhere for a couple of days because you can not leave your pet alone and you probably will not be able to find a pet sitter because your pet is not a normal household pet. You have to make sure you are meeting all of the animals needs because if you are going to own an animal like this you are going to have to be a lot more precise on the care taking of it than you would for a normal household pet such as a cat or a dog. For example, the feeding, the temperature you keep them at, the habitat you give them to live in all has to be very precise in order to keep the pet alive and healthy. You also have to make sure the animal is not just healthy and alive, but you also have to keep the animal happy. Most people do not realize all of this when they go out and get an exotic animal so the animal ends up getting sick or they just live a very unhappy

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.

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.

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.

Bandit was a hybrid half wolf and half dog, he was used for entertainment at a golf course and was abused by an angry man because Bandit tried stealing one of the mans golf balls. The man beat him with his golf club and Bandit suffered from a broken shoulder and now is scared of people. We should be able to own exotic animals for endangered reasons. If an exotic animal is kept in captivity they can be breed and make the population bigger. Exotic animals are also so great for people who have allergies, we can build special bonds with these animals

Exotic animal veterinarians stereotypically provide the same level of care as a regular veterinarian, but have focused teachings to handle wild or exotic animals. These veterinarians may include household pets within their

A venomous and non-native king cobra snake has escaped from its owner's home in Orlando, Florida and is currently on the loose. As officials from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hunt for the 8-foot-long reptile and warn residents against catching it or trying to apprehend it themselves, the incident has failed to spark a long overdue national discussion about the dangers of exotic pet ownership in the United States. So I will.

Exotic animals kept as house pets are a hazard to the pet owners and any other people around the

Exotic animals do not make good companions. They require special care, housing, diet, and maintenance that the average person cannot provide. When in the hands of private individuals the animals suffer due to poor care. They also pose safety and health risks to their possessors and any person coming into contact with

Though, while keeping these animals is a danger, the media and government has been know to exaggerate the number of incidents including exotic pets. “In the last 10-16 years, 1.5 people on average gets killed yearly by captive reptile, 1 by captive cat, 0.81 by captive elephant, and 0 by captive nonhuman primate,” as stated in the article REXANO. These numbers are drastically lower that what would be expected. Still, even with such low death rates, nobody should risk their life for the sake of owning an exotic animal. 0 yearly deaths is always better than

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.

"Jenny wants a puppy, but her parents are reluctant to take the plunge. They remind her of the responsibilities that go along with pet ownership, responsibilities that she will have to follow no matter what; it'll grow up from the cute puppy it is now to a gnarly old dog. Jenny says she doesn’t mind and soon Fido is welcomed into the family fold. In no time at all the parents love Fido just as much as Jenny does, and Fido loves them all back. But what if Jenny tried to persuade her parents to buy her a fuzzy lion cub she saw advertised, or a baby chimpanzee? If they had any sense, Jenny's parents would tell her "No way" and stick to their guns." While the idea of owning an exotic animal as a pet can at first seem exciting and daring, it is important to stop and consider the many disadvantages that can come about while owning an exotic animal as a pet. The two articles provided convey why private citizens should not be allowed to keep dangerous (exotic) animals as pets, owning an exotic animal as a pet can put the owner and those around them in danger, there are many responsibilities that come with owning an exotic animal as a pet that allot of people don’t think about before buying one, and privately owning an exotic animal puts the animal's health and wellbeing at risk. If someone were to plan on buying an exotic animal as a pet they should consider the following.

“Zoos try to make the animal’s enclosure as interesting as possible. One way of doing this is through ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT. Enrichment is the use of novel objects or ideas to increase the natural behaviour of the animals. Different objects and methods are used for different animals.” (1)