Exotic Animals

Ann Winston Thym
Mrs. Armstrong
English 1010
13 October 2013

Exotic Animals Coming to your Neighborhood
When thinking of a pet you think of a cat, dog, reptile, bird, or rodent of some kind. However this trend has started to change within the last decade. The exotic “pet trade” is now a huge business. To a certain degree it’s legal to house a foreign animal; however it is irresponsible to take an animal out of its native habitat and force it to live in an unnatural environment. Wild animals belong in the wild or in a zoo, not cooped up in a home. It’s unhealthy for them, dangerous for you, and cruel to the animal An animal taken from its home and shipped to another part of the world can be very stressful. Some cannot survive the trip because smugglers do not handle them well. Those that do survive are brought to a home with little space to roam in. A tiger’s normal habitat is in the jungle where it is able to roam free to hunt and exercise. They are not accustomed to live with people who have a backyard of an acre. In the wild they use animal instincts to survive, but when living with people who train them not to express these instincts, can be a problem. The animal will become frustrated and become aggressive, putting the owner and community in jeopardy. In the news there have been stories about exotic pets turning on their owner and even killing them. The owners believe they could train that animal to be domestic. However, at a young age an animal may be easy to take care of, but once they reach maturity, they become hostile. The wild animal could turn on you at any point, because it’s their instinct. An anima taken out of its natural environment is always wild no matter how domestic it may seem. There is also a chance of that animal escaping, and when on the loose it can be a danger to others. Not only can animal physically harm people but also they bring diseases with them. Living in Africa an animal interacts with other animals and insects. When brought to the USA, people are not vaccinated for such microbes and germs, which may spread and create a new disease. There is a law that prohibits private ownership of specific animals because of the threat they are to people and because of the cruelty to the animal. Unless you work at the zoo or an expert in wild animals you should not be handling exotic species. If managed incorrectly these animals can suffer and even die. They need the right kind of environment, food, and care to be able to sustain living. People sometimes don’t have the means to properly maintain them and end up mistreating them. It’s against the law to abuse a cat or dog; it’s the same with a chimp or a cougar. Some animals live in colonies and have a need to be with others like themselves. They are able to express natural behavior such, as grooming, mating and foraging for food. Without that contact they can become bored and depressed which can lead to illness. For an animal to be isolated in a house or even outside is inhuman. They belong in the wild where they can be feral. Having a wild animal as a pet is inhuman and reckless. Exotic animals belong in their natural habitat to exhibit their accustomed behavior. A person isn’t able to provide the environment for exotic animals in a private home. An animal needs to be surrounded by its own kind and in an environment suited for it. When taken out of its home and treated incorrectly, it’s not only harmful for the animal but for the owners.