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Marie Belew Wheatley's Blog

The Call of the Wild

Posted July 30, 2009

Have you ever wanted to own a snake, tiger, monkey or bear?

For a growing percentage of the population, the call of the wild is irresistible. Tempted by the idea of having an exotic animal in the house -- and despite some state and local laws that prohibit owning certain types of animals -- some people are expanding the definition of “pet” to include creatures typically found only in nature or in zoos.

I love and respect animals of all kinds, and I can understand the fascination with unusual pets. But I find the trend of bringing wild animals into domestic living situations disturbing on many levels. Too often, it’s bad for people, bad for the wild animals being sold, bad for the environment and bad for the domesticated pets left waiting in shelters when potential owners reject them in favor of exotics.

Clearly, owning an exotic pet is a risk -- especially if you have children. In a recent case in Florida, a 2-year-old child was killed when a Burmese python escaped his aquarium and killed the girl. The tragedy of such cases should give anyone pause, especially considering that the snake was not deviant in any way; he was following his instincts as a predator.

Meanwhile, the wild animals being purchased suffer a terrible fate, too. Most have incredibly complex and demanding needs that owners are unable to meet. You can’t just take a lion to the vet. Or easily replicate the extremely humid climate of a rainforest for a macaw. Once owners realize what they’ve gotten themselves into, these poor animals end up caged, chained or -- even worse -- abandoned.

Dumped in a foreign environment, many exotic animals will die cruel and painful deaths. Others will take over the area’s ecosystem. This is what is happening in Florida, where officials think as many as 150,000 Burmese pythons -- the offspring of abandoned pets -- are now living in the Everglades and destroying native wildlife.

I also want to point out that purchasing an exotic pet frequently means putting money in the hands of a criminal (most sellers bring these pets into the country illegally). To avoid perpetuating criminal activities, inhumane breeding and wild capture, if you do feel the urge to “go wild,” please adopt from a local or state rescue group that shelters legal exotics, such as the Colorado Reptile Humane Society.

Another option is to adopt a domesticated cat, dog or other pet that has specifically been bred for thousands of years to provide people with companionship. Millions of adoptable, adorable pets are euthanized every year because there aren’t enough good homes for them. I think it’s a shame that some potential owners are opting for exotics that are either illegal or inappropriate for their lifestyles when so many other needy animals would make great pets. A shelter dog or cat may not stop traffic, but each has a unique and touching story that will inspire everyone you know.

Learn more about adopting a homeless pet.

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This is not an open forum, but Marie and American Humane welcome all comments and points of view. We will post selected comments that are considerate and thought-provoking, and we may edit comments for brevity, grammar and/or inflammatory language.

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