Keeping Exotic Animals

Zoos have been around for centuries- facepaint, food, and of course, the animals that we all love. All of the exotic animals excites everyone, from children to adults- but when is this love taken too far? In recent years, there have been over 5,000 cases of people having obtained exotic animals such as monkeys, wolves, and many more from the black market. These buyers house these exotic, wild animals as house pets. There has been an unreasonable spring of exotic pet sightings recently, and many people and animals have been hurt in the process. Yes, this business is both dangerous to animals and people alike. People stealing these wild animals from their habitat hurts them, and this process is done by extreme force. Also, when they are taken
This is mentioned in another article by Born Free U.S.A. Born Free U.S.A is an agency that protects and teaches people about animal cruelty, and donates to abused animals and animal abuse foundations. They are a group of people that work for no pay. The article says, “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 them.” (3 Myers) This text shows how the average human can’t provide the proper supplies needed to properly raise an exotic animal, because it is either too expensive or that no stores supply it. Humans housing exotic animals can cause the animal to suffer from various serious health problems, because the host is not supplying it the resources it needs. An average person does not have the adequate resources to properly care for an exotic animal, unless they are willing to spend multi-millions of dollars to purchase a suitable lion habitat. Even if they did have the right resources to care for the animal doesn’t mean they necessarily should, though. Sadly, these animals don’t only suffer when at the host’s house. They also suffer when being torn away from their natural habitat, and the harsh trip along the way. When humans take them away from their habitats, it is usually done by force. In a PETA essay, the author states, “Animals destined for the pet trade are yanked from their homes in places such as Australia, Africa, and Brazil and are subjected to grueling transport. Parrots may have their beaks and feet taped and be stuffed into plastic tubes that can easily be hidden in luggage, and stolen bird and reptile eggs are concealed in special vests so that couriers can bypass X-ray machines at airports.