Sunday, November 30, 2014

Owning Exotic Animals

Some animals aren't meant to be owned since they're not meant to interact with humans. Not only can they hurt you but you can hurt them too. People may argue that dogs were once wild and now 1 in 3 homes own a dog. But, experts predict that it took thousands of years before dogs were domesticated and they now they s depend on humans for food, shelter, veterinary care, and affection. Wild animals are not domesticated simply by being captive born or hand-raised.

You're hurting them
My first reason will be that you can harm them. Some people don't have the room and resources to care for an exotic pet. Their nutritional and social needs are demanding to meet and, in many cases, are unknown. For example, species of monkeys can travel many  miles per day, and some people aren't prepared to cover that distance with the pet. It's also difficult to tell if some species are ill and laws against owning exotic pets could keep people from taking them to the vet. Plus, owning exotic pets may cause extinction. If everyone started taking these wild animals from their habitats, it could lead them to die out.  Captive breeding wouldn't be a solution to this because it does not take the wild out of wildlife. An example of owning a wild pet would be Justin Bieber's boa he brought to the 2011 Video Music Awards. It may look cool as a baby but when it grows up these pets show bad behaviors like biting, scratching, and unpredictable aggressive attacks. Not to mention he auctioned it off. The good news is it went to a zoo.

They can hurt you 
My second reason is that they can harm us. Exotic animals carry diseases that can spread to people. Some of these include rabies, ringworm, tuberculosis, and measles.  The herpes B virus commonly found among macaque monkeys can be fatal to humans and tens of thousands of people get Salmonella infections each year from reptiles or amphibians, They can also mess up the ecosystem in neighborhoods, releasing diseases on plant life and acting as predators that can decrease a local animal population. Exotic animals often grow to be larger, stronger, and more dangerous than owners expect. Even small monkeys and small cats such as ocelots can inflict serious injuries, especially on kids.

In my opinion, I don't think owning an exotic pet is a good idea. No one would like to be taken away from their home and put in a new environment. It's dangerous because if they ever do return to the wild they'll have no clue what to do. Plus, it could lead to people getting hurt whether it be from a attack or a disease. I think it's better to own a house pet because it won't take up your life and you can easily  provide for it, They should only be owned if the person is rehabilitating the animal or they have been trained and have the dedication to care or it.


SOURCES:
https://www.dosomething.org/news/exotic-animal-no-nos-why-owning-cool-pet-hurts-them-and-you
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/320939
http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/exotic_pets/facts/