Why Wild (Exotic) Animals should not be Pets?

Wild animals are being kept in cages and being treated like a hobby around the world, these animals should be protected, not be stared at through glass or cages. Wild animals such as large cats, primates or even certain types of snakes are thought by certain types of people to be great pets or even thought of as a status symbol. However, is keeping these kinds of pets in the home or even on a residential property a good thing? While the thought of having a wild animal as a pet is interesting, being able to give them a proper diet, enough room to exercise, and the possibility that one day the animal may escape the cage or area that they are put in, there is a lot more to these types of animals then caring for a simple domesticated pet.

Wild animals have very specific diets while they are out in the wild as opposed to what a normal household could get their hands on. Animals that are from the wild hunt live prey, not already dead animal meat, “in the case of the lion, most popular of all the beasts of prey, the consequences of feeding it on nothing but blood-drained meat are serious and lead to pseudorachitis.' According to Hediger, most animals in the wild eat a varied diet, not just one type. Part of how they live in the wild is that they generally must go out and search for food, which means they will hunt whatever they are able to find. Aside from being fed cold blood drained meat in captivity, most animals in captivity have also had their environment changed so they cannot the exercise they would normally get in the wild.

Exercise is an important factor in the growth of wild animals. Different types of animals require different environments to grow up in the way they are supposed to. For example, aviaries, no matter how well constructed, cannot function as a replacement for the wide-open skies or the areas where they make their nests. Wide-open fields, the deep blue sea, as well as the great open skies, these are the areas that wild animals are used to being in, its where they are supposed to be. They should not be in enclosed spaces where they only have the space that they can see around themselves. There also exists the possibility that when they cannot deal with the space they are provided they may be able to escape their enclosers.

Another possibility is that these captive animals may escape from the space they are being kept in. “It must not be forgotten, first, that the animal possesses extremely efficient tools in the shape of teeth, claws, and horns secondly, it has plenty of spare time in which to find suitable opportunities for using these tools thirdly, it possesses sense organs which are far superior to man's, and which can help it to discover weak spots in the materials or the most suitable places for breaking out.”  If these creatures escape their cages, they could do damage to the surrounding area or even put other lives in danger. However, there are always two sides to every story, where animals should not be kept in captivity, others believe they have the right to keep them.

If a person has the right permits and the law says they can then legally, they can buy and trade animals. If the law is on your side, then you are safe. “Exotic animals can be purchased from specialist pet shops, over the Internet, or from private breeders. They are subject to the same laws and regulations that govern the sale of any animal and additionally by specific pieces of legislation relating to the import/export and sale of exotic animals.” S for all the hobbyists that desire their very own tiger, if the rules are followed then there is no problem. However, even if it's legal, does that make it safe to do so?

Unfortunately, as of now, there is no way of stopping the individual sale and trading of wild animals. Since most of these animals have been bred and raised in captivity, they cannot simply be taken to live in the wild. “While education, conservation, and research are extremely important to zoos and science, many animal welfares and conservation groups (and some zookeepers) wondered if this justified taking exotic land and sea animals from the wild.’”

The fact that even zookeepers wonder if it alright to keep these animals in captivity should show that maybe they should not be kept in cages for the enjoyment of others. So, the next best thing would be for them to be sent to live on preserves or in major zoos where they are not as restricted in the space they are provided. If there are laws in place that allow these individuals to retain ownership, then most of these animals will continue to be locked away in cages.

Throughout the world, cages are looked on as a prison, a place where one would be locked away, however, this is what different people throughout the world are doing to wild animals that usually would be free in their various habitats. These animals deserve to be able to live out their lives out in the wild where they belong as opposed to being kept in fake habitats just to be stared at or bred in captivity. Hopefully, one-day laws will be passed which will not allow these people to trade or buy these animals and they can be able to live free where they are meant to be.

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