What should we do about exotic pets? | ECOVIEWS

Q. I am preparing a presentation about the exotic pet trade for my AP class in Douglas, Georgia. Please answer the following questions:

Q. What is the history of the exotic pet trade?

A. The topic is an intriguing one that requires some clarification. If by “exotic” you mean the animal originated in a geographic region different from where it lives, then the “pet trade” goes back to at least 250 B.C., when Roman gladiators fought wild animals brought from Africa and Asia. Someone had to care for the elephants, lions and giraffes, so in a loose sense they were pets. Smaller animals were probably brought to Rome and kept by individuals. If you define “exotic” as meaning unusual and exciting, the history of keeping wild animals for pets clearly originated many millennia ago, since the earliest dogs, cats and farm animals were wild before they were domesticated. House cats still seem a bit exotic.

Q. Is the exotic pet trade helpful or harmful to the economy?

A. Finances associated with the exotic pet trade worldwide are staggering, some estimates being as high as $40 billion per year, which economists would no doubt view as helpful. However, extracting animals from their natural habitats and subjecting them to poor nutrition, overcrowding during transport, extended captivity and other hardships is unquestionably harmful to the would-be pets. Plus, an estimated one-third or more of the exotic pet trade is categorically illegal, and even some legal situations are not in the best interest of the wildlife species affected.

Q. Is it ethical to own exotic animals as pets?

A. When the exotic pet trade involves removal of wild animals from their habitats for commercial sales it should be banned for ecological reasons, if no other. Some species, such as turtles, take many years to reach maturity. Removing mature females jeopardizes juvenile replacements to the population. Breeding exotic animals in captivity and selling them as pets is neither morally nor ethically wrong in my estimation, as long as the pet owner knows how to properly care for the animal. However, opinions regarding ownership of exotic pets range from the contention that humans are superior to other animals and have dominion over them to the assertion that other animals have the same rights as humans.

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Q. Are most exotic pets captive bred or wild caught?

A. I’m not sure any reliable statistical data are available to document what proportion of exotic pets entering the pet trade are actually captive bred. The numbers would vary dramatically depending on the type of animal.

Q. What are your concerns about average citizens owning exotic pets and about releasing them into the wild?

A. Because most people who purchase an exotic pet have little idea of how to care for it or what to do with it when they get tired of keeping it, millions of animals decline in health and die in captivity each year. Others are released into environments where they cannot survive. Those that do survive after being released in the wild by their owners can become unwelcome invasive species or transmit diseases to native wildlife in the area. Proper training about animal husbandry is the best solution. Implementing such programs locally and getting commercial dealers to take responsibility for ensuring that prospective exotic pet owners are educated on the proper care and feeding of their pet would be ideal.

Q. How can the government and scientists improve disease testing for exported or imported exotic animals?

A. The United States already has laws to address pet-transmitted diseases. For example, it is illegal to sell turtles under 4 inches long because of the risk of salmonella. However, enforcement of such regulations is as important as the legislation itself and, sadly, is often nonexistent. The problem for scientists trained to do testing for diseases is that funding provided by the government or the pet trade to support personnel and supplies is woefully inadequate.

Whit Gibbons is professor of zoology and senior biologist at the University of Georgia’s Savannah River Ecology Laboratory. If you have an environmental question or comment, email ecoviews@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: What should we do about exotic pets? | ECOVIEWS