Wildlife as pets (spinoff from cougar thread)

There's actually a really interesting site about keeping wild cats as pets.  Tigers aren't heavily represented, but IIRC the owner of the site has a serval.

I don't agree with it, especially with the larger cats, but at the same time I support those who do rescue of such animals after they have fallen victim to people like the woman you describe.

I'll see if I can find the link.   

Well I've put my thoughts out there when we've discussed this in the past. I don't agree with keeping wildlife as pets...but in the end if it's legal where a person lives...there's not much my disapproval can do.

Benedict

There's actually a really interesting site about keeping wild cats as pets.  Tigers aren't heavily represented, but IIRC the owner of the site has a serval.

I don't agree with it, especially with the larger cats, but at the same time I support those who do rescue of such animals after they have fallen victim to people like the woman you describe.

I'll see if I can find the link.   

Okami

Benedict

There's actually a really interesting site about keeping wild cats as pets.  Tigers aren't heavily represented, but IIRC the owner of the site has a serval.

I don't agree with it, especially with the larger cats, but at the same time I support those who do rescue of such animals after they have fallen victim to people like the woman you describe.

I'll see if I can find the link.   

exoticcatz.com

That's the one, thanks Okami!  You just saved me a trawl through my shockingly messy bookmarks folder.   

The ONLY way in which I'm OK with wild cats as pets are cats that have been captive bred and are kept in "sanctuary" type environments.  I do NOT think it's OK to have a wild cat simply for the sake of having one.

I watched that show last night too. I couldnt believe that woman honestly thought that the petfinder people were gonna give her a tiger for a pet. And that poor purple dog. JJ said he hoped they gave her a tiger and got eaten by it. I dont know about him sometimes.

Heck if wild animals made good pets I would want a Panda bear or a penguin. I am obsessed with them. 

My feelings on keeping wildlife/exotics varies depending on the case.  I'm definitely against the illegal trade of capturing wildlife and turning around and selling them as pets to the public.  As for breeding certain exotics for pets it depends on the animal.  As an average person with the proper research you can keep some undomesticated animals healthy and happy but an animal like a tiger certainly isn't one of them.  If someone however truly has a passion to work with such animals I would urge them to get into working with rescues, sanctuaries, good zoos that take care of such animals.   

Jewlieee

Do people out there really think like that?

Not where it's hard to get wild animals as pets. In this country, there are not many exotic pets you can legally keep and it's hard to get hold of them. I suspect there's  fair bit of illegal collection going on for the animals you can keep, though. Reptiles, birds, and maybe frogs to a point as well. We have one species of snake in the Sydney area that is endangered due in part to illegal collection of bush rock and in part to illegal collection of the snakes themselves (despite the fact they are highly venomous and notoriously bad-tempered). I think us and them would all be better off if all exotic pets were banned. Although having said that, I can think of a number of reptile species I think would make great pets and are very easy care. And I've also spoken to people who got into conservation through keeping exotic pets, so there are good things and bad things.

At the moment, I'm feeling that some exotics should be allowed as pets, things like easy care lizards that eat salads and/or dog food. Some of the easier frogs, perhaps. If people want anything more challenging, they should need a licence. In my state, you have to have a licence to keep reptiles or frogs, but there's little discrimination between easy maintenance species and challenging species. You have to upgrade your licence for dangerous species, though.

At this point, I'm also feeling more concerned about fish and how they're kept than anything else, with the possible exception of rabbits, which are still coming out of the welfare dark ages. Things have vastly improved for rabbits, though. Fish are still treated like disposable ornaments.

And incidentally, wild hares make dreadful pets. It's really hard to keep Kit happy. Very hard. After him, I find it difficult to believe a lot of people when they say how they can keep their wild cat/dog/specialised reptile happy. Hares must be comparatively easy. 

My grandfather's friends used to own an ocolet  (sp?) as a house cat. It was registered with the city, up date on it's shots of the time. Loved his family but leery of strangers. But this was MANY years ago.. Now I would never own on exotic animal, if I was able to thou I'd own a panther

I think the bottom line is that wild animals don't make good pets. They simply don't have the characteristics bred into them that go along with happy coexistence with humans. I say there are enough domesticated animals, let's all stick with those!

 Anyone see the Cousteau show on PBS last week about the Amazon?

The MAIN reason not to have an "exotic" pet is because hundreds, if not thousands of animals die for each animal that makes it to the US. NO NO NO. It's not just the Amazon, it's all over the world. Wildlife trade equals or exceeds the profits from cocaine smuggling! It's right up there with guns and drugs as a number one profitable crime.

http://www.officer.com/web/online/Top-News-Stories/Miami-Airport-Wildlife-Officers-on-Front-Line-of-Exotic-Animal-Trade/1$37612

http://www.awionline.org/pubs/Quarterly/sp03/0603p11.htm

http://www.hsiasia.org/Wildlife/Wlife_Wildlife%20Trade.htm 

from the above website:

What Conservation Problems Are Caused by the Wildlife Trade?

Sadly, as the international wildlife trade has increased and becomes more lucrative, cash-poor, wildlife-rich nations have been unable to control the trade of their wildlife. Forty percent of vertebrate animals that are endangered or threatened with extinction today were brought to that point, in part, by the uncontrollable wildlife trade. Rarely are enough funds available for poor countries to study wildlife populations and to control wildlife extraction and trade to ensure that it is not causing conservation harm to the species.

What Are the Humane Problems Caused by the Trade?

The trade in wildlife is inherently inhumane. Methods used to capture and kill wild animals whose parts are destined for the trade, particularly when this is done on a large scale, as are many commercial operations, are grossly inhumane. Animals are often poisoned, trapped or snared, or bludgeoned to death. Their parts are often removed even before they are dead.

The trade in live wildlife results in the injury and deaths of a large percentage of those animals captured for the trade. The mortality rates of course vary depending on the type of animal, the country of origin, the capture and transport techniques used, and ultimately, the ability of the species to withstand extreme physical and psychological trauma and adapt to a captive environment.

And this doesn't include the problems with deaths from people handling the animals, the impact of people letting the animals go into the wild to disturb our ecology, and the terrible problem of disease control. 

Krissim Klaw

My feelings on keeping wildlife/exotics varies depending on the case.  I'm definitely against the illegal trade of capturing wildlife and turning around and selling them as pets to the public.  As for breeding certain exotics for pets it depends on the animal.  As an average person with the proper research you can keep some undomesticated animals healthy and happy but an animal like a tiger certainly isn't one of them.  If someone however truly has a passion to work with such animals I would urge them to get into working with rescues, sanctuaries, good zoos that take care of such animals.   

I'm going to agree with this.  There are always exceptions to the rule and while I would say 99% of wild animals should NOT be pets, sometimes anomolies happen.  I am forever enamored with The Daily Coyote and the story of Charlie.  http://www.dailycoyote.blogspot.com/  She makes it very clear she does not see Charlie as her pet per se, but as a wild coyote who happens to share her life as long as HE so chooses.  It seems he's quite content to do just that.  If you visit the site, be sure to read the Q & A section.

rolenta

I think the only way to keep an exotic pet happy is to have a zoo/sanctuary type environment for it, and even then, I think it's tricky. I mean, if this woman wants a tiger, I think the only way she could pull it off would be to hire specialists to design a habitat and more specialists to care for it. Then, of course, it wouldn't really be a pet so much as a wild animal kept in a simulated environment.

I think the bottom line is that wild animals don't make good pets. They simply don't have the characteristics bred into them that go along with happy coexistence with humans. I say there are enough domesticated animals, let's all stick with those!

Personally, I keep praying mantises as pets.  They certainly wouldn't be considered domesticated by any means, but they make outstanding pets.  Friendly little buggers seem to have as much fun studying me as I do them and happily crawl on my hands and will follow me when outside of their cages.  The adults will even fly to me when they get their wings in, and that is simply because they enjoy my presence since there is no pushing them into it, or food rewarding on my part.  I have also handled wild mantises that I've found outdoors who have been just as amiable with human contact.  Never once have I been bitten or attacked by a mantis, though I've seen several of my pet mantises give my cat the death glare from afar. 

It's far too simplistic to say all exotics make poor pets.  I know many species that are considered exotics but make wonderful pets.  Often what makes them exotic is they aren't as easy to care for when it comes to habitat, training, and feeding.  You can't just go out and buy them a bag of food like you can for a dog.  Of course some might look at that is a positive thing that the people who properly care for them are willing to spend the time to give them a diet as natural as possible.  You also have to remember that at one point every domesticated animal we have today was wild.  What if our ancestors had said dogs don't make good pets?

jeano

The MAIN reason not to have an "exotic" pet is because hundreds, if not thousands of animals die for each animal that makes it to the US. NO NO NO. It's not just the Amazon, it's all over the world. Wildlife trade equals or exceeds the profits from cocaine smuggling! It's right up there with guns and drugs as a number one profitable crime.

 

Like all animals there is a wrong way to get one and a right way.  I am against illegal exotic pet trade of catching wild animals to sell cheap for pets.  However not all exotics come from the wild.  For pretty much any exotic your going to find people who are breeding them.  Not only does this keep you from supporting the illegal trade of exotic animals, but good breeders, make sure they offspring come from healthy parents (many wild caught exotics are highly unhealthy do to the stresses and horrible conditions they faced) and spend time socializing the babies.  For some species it is even the norm for the owners to pretty much hand rear the offspring because it makes them just that more tame and loving pets.  Saying all exotics should be banned because some people get their animals from the wrong places would be like saying all dogs should be banned because so many people get their dogs from puppy mills.