Exotic Pets: the issues involved
Have you ever owned or know anyone who's ever owned an exotic pet? Take a second and think about it. Think about where that animal originates from, what environment it thrives in, and how it got where it is now. Most likely that animal was smuggled across the border into the United States or bred in some backyard in subpar conditions. These conditions can be so bad that the animals go insane or escape. The laws provide loop holes for people to mistreat or neglect an animal's wellbeing or they are just not held up to any consequences. Another big problem with exotic pets is when their owners are tired of the animal or cannot take care of it they let them go into the wild thinking they would be fine. This alone …show more content…
Some animals are taken from their natural habitat and smuggled in or legally imported. During the process of being smuggled in the animal is often in a painful, not ideal environment. For example "up to 150,000 parrots are taken from the wild each year to be sold as 'pets'" (born). The initial shock of losing their freedom alone kills around 20% of the birds, after that about half dies of other causes like dehydration and suffocation. The parrots are kept in confined cages that are entirely way too small and are often kept in dark areas for days at a time. These are inhumane living conditions and painful long deaths that any animal should not have to go through. Today in America most of the exotic animals now are being breed in the back yards of everyday breeders. The problem with back yard breeding is that there are little regulations in place to protect the animals. Breeders of animals like lions and tigers are often only in the business for the profit they can make. 'The Humane Society of the United States estimates that there are as many as 10,000 large wildcats in private ownership across the country" (The Wildcat Sanctuary). These breeders keep these animal in tiny filthily cages without the proper diet and without any veterinary care. The breeders often do not care who they are selling these tigers and lions to. They often sell to fur farms and zoos at live auctions. During the auction the …show more content…
From 1990 until 2011 there were a total of 1610 incident and 75 deaths from exotic pets 21 of which were from big cats. There was an incident on October 18, 2011/Zanesville, Ohio: Fifty animals escaped from Terry Thompson's farm when Thompson opened all the enclosures and fences and then killed himself. The sheriff's office warned residents to stay in their homes and recommended that local schools close, and a sign on the Interstate cautioned motorists to stay in their vehicles. Forty-eight animals were subsequently shot and killed by sheriff's deputies-two wolves, six black bears, two grizzly bears, 18 tigers, three cougars, and 17 African lions. A baboon was killed by the big cats and a macaque monkey who was released and never found was believed to have been killed and eaten by the big cats. (Dangerous Exotic pets). If those fifty animals had been in their natural habitat then they would not have been in the position to get murdered. Some of the animals are already on the endangered list or coming close to
Have you ever owned or know anyone who's ever owned an exotic pet? Take a second and think about it. Think about where that animal originates from, what environment it thrives in, and how it got where it is now. Most likely that animal was smuggled across the border into the United States or bred in some backyard in subpar conditions. These conditions can be so bad that the animals go insane or escape. The laws provide loop holes for people to mistreat or neglect an animal's wellbeing or they are just not held up to any consequences. Another big problem with exotic pets is when their owners are tired of the animal or cannot take care of it they let them go into the wild thinking they would be fine. This alone …show more content…
Some animals are taken from their natural habitat and smuggled in or legally imported. During the process of being smuggled in the animal is often in a painful, not ideal environment. For example "up to 150,000 parrots are taken from the wild each year to be sold as 'pets'" (born). The initial shock of losing their freedom alone kills around 20% of the birds, after that about half dies of other causes like dehydration and suffocation. The parrots are kept in confined cages that are entirely way too small and are often kept in dark areas for days at a time. These are inhumane living conditions and painful long deaths that any animal should not have to go through. Today in America most of the exotic animals now are being breed in the back yards of everyday breeders. The problem with back yard breeding is that there are little regulations in place to protect the animals. Breeders of animals like lions and tigers are often only in the business for the profit they can make. 'The Humane Society of the United States estimates that there are as many as 10,000 large wildcats in private ownership across the country" (The Wildcat Sanctuary). These breeders keep these animal in tiny filthily cages without the proper diet and without any veterinary care. The breeders often do not care who they are selling these tigers and lions to. They often sell to fur farms and zoos at live auctions. During the auction the …show more content…
From 1990 until 2011 there were a total of 1610 incident and 75 deaths from exotic pets 21 of which were from big cats. There was an incident on October 18, 2011/Zanesville, Ohio: Fifty animals escaped from Terry Thompson's farm when Thompson opened all the enclosures and fences and then killed himself. The sheriff's office warned residents to stay in their homes and recommended that local schools close, and a sign on the Interstate cautioned motorists to stay in their vehicles. Forty-eight animals were subsequently shot and killed by sheriff's deputies-two wolves, six black bears, two grizzly bears, 18 tigers, three cougars, and 17 African lions. A baboon was killed by the big cats and a macaque monkey who was released and never found was believed to have been killed and eaten by the big cats. (Dangerous Exotic pets). If those fifty animals had been in their natural habitat then they would not have been in the position to get murdered. Some of the animals are already on the endangered list or coming close to