The Dangers of Owning Exotic Pets

There has been a growing trend in this country of people living with exotic pets.  Many of the exotics bring joy to their owners and often the animals appear content in their unnatural living situation.  However, there have been terrible attacks against caregivers and innocent bystanders by some of these babied and humanized animals.  In some cases states that had no regulatory laws for ownership and care of exotics were forced to put them in place after such violent attacks.

In 2011 an Ohio man released all 50 of his exotic pets including bears, lions, and tigers before committing suicide.  The local sheriff had no other option than to shoot dead most of the animals.  Ohio, at the time, had required no license or permits of individual owners of wild exotics.

Other times tragedy goes unreported.  About 7,000 bites occur by reptiles every year.  However, many bites and attacks go unreported by exotic owners for fear of having their exotic pets taken away from them.  Caretakers of monkeys are in constant peril of becoming infected with the Herpes B Virus because about 80% of all monkeys are carriers and can pass the virus on to humans through bites.  A popular exotic pet monkey, the Macaque, is known for their biting behavior.

Salmonella is a potentially deadly illness contracted from exotic reptiles either through touching them directly or indirectly. Failing to wash hands thoroughly before eating after coming in contact with the reptiles is how many cases develop. The CDC reports that 93,000 cases are acquired by people this way.

National Geographic did a report on a woman from Texas who owned and housed together kangaroos, lemurs, and a Pot Bellied African Pig.  She says her pets are a 24/7 endeavor for her.  She seems very vulnerable and sensitive when she describes her exotics as never having let her down unlike most of the humans she has known.  Nevertheless, she mistakenly equates her exotic pets’ rough behavior with each other as play. But it was obvious to her interviewer that her Pot Bellied Pig wanted no part of that baby kangaroo that was chasing and attempting to mount it.  She was clearly humanizing the behavior of her exotic pets.  This is a common mistake with exotic pet owners and has led to mistakes in handling them and a disregard of safety. 

You may recall the chimp that attacked and permanently disfigured one exotic owner’s friend.  That chimp was bottle fed from infancy and raised in diapers.  Many times the problems arise when the cute and cuddly baby exotics reach sexual maturity which is when their behavior becomes more unpredictable.  Another woman who owned a beloved kangaroo that was raised as a member of the family was devastated when her kangaroo became sexually mature and violent.  She attempted to bite off her own tail and clawed at anyone who attempted to get close to subdue her.

Usually, when people realize that they now own an exotic animal that they can no longer care for they try to give them away to sanctuaries.  However, room can be scarce at reputable ones.  Some people attempt to release them into the wild, but most die due to their inability to survive independently.  They can threaten the natural ecosphere if they do survive when released to nonnative habitats.  There are thousands of Pythons that have taken hold in the Florida Everglades.  They are damaging to the environment there because they are lowering the number of small animals there.

Here we covered many of the dangers inherent in raising and caring for exotic pets.  So why do so many people own exotic animals after considering all of the perils involved in caring for them?  In fact, it is hard to believe that some species of big cats are kept in higher numbers by individual owners than in zoos!  Next time we will discuss this, how underworld traders are profiting on the exotic pet trade, and how the animals themselves are its biggest victims.

By Arlene O'Connor Owner and Operator of Cuddles and Purrs Dog Walking and Pet Care

www.cuddlesandpurrs.com

arlene@cuddlesandpurrs.com