Why People Shouldn T Own Exotic Animals

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

Have you ever wanted to own an exotic animal for a pet? Many people are against owning exotic animals as pets, but many are well taken care of and a very low number of people are killed. They are also born in captivity. People should be allowed to own exotic animals as pets.

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.

I say this for many reasons, one of which is the simple fact that these animals are far to dangerous for any person who isn’t a zoologist to care for. Exotic animals aren’t domesticated, in other words, they are not tamed. That fact is what many people fail to realize. They may think “It’ll be so cool to own a baby tiger.” But what about when that baby tiger is no longer a baby?

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.

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.

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.

To begin with, exotic animals should be banned from society because they are unpredictable. People tend to not want exotic animals due to their natural and wild instincts. One may never be able to predict a wild animal’s next move because “a wild animal is never one hundred percent predictable” (Lewis 41-42). This implies that these dangerous pets can make any wrong move at any time because these animal have not been domesticated. Also, one may keep them in a cage due to “exotic animals can injure

“Those who wish to pet and baby wild animals "love" them. But those who respect their natures and wish to let them live normal lives, love them more,” (Teale). This quote shows that people who keep wild animals as pets do not realize that the native environment provides the wild animals with the necessities they cannot receive as a pet. Permits should not be given to people to own wild and exotic animals as pets because it is inhumane and dangerous.

What drove Vincent Van Gogh, born March 30,1853, to his mental illness and suicide? Could it have been the many things he tried, but failed at in his life? He failed in many different careers, in love, and even his artwork. Van Gogh sold only one painting his entire life. Because of his mental illness, he was considered a crazy person.

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.

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.

Many people believe that it is okay to have a wild animal in your house. But some people also believe that most individuals that have animals should be properly trained. In REXANO it states, “In the last 10-16 years, 1.5 people on average gets killed yearly by captive reptiles, 1 by captive big cat, 0.81 by captive elephant, 0.125 by captive bear and 0 by captive nonhuman primate”(REXANO). With this stated not many people die, but in all of this it says captive over and over again. Lots of these animals have probably taken these individual lives because they have been held captive for so long. Exotic pets do not deserve to be held in a cage all day, they should be able to be in the wild where they belong. Another piece of evidence found in REXANO is, “Animals are personal property; and we oppose legislation that restricts the private ownership or use of animals” (REXANO). Lots of exotic pet owners believe that because they have bought the animal, means that it is theirs and there is nothing anyone can do. But when you live with neighbors around you and your animal goes missing or it’s being disruptive they can take matters into their own hands. Exotic animals are too much of a disturbance to communities and dangerous in some areas. If they get out who knows what would happen, and that's why exotic pets should not be

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.

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.