Exotic animals — lions, tigers, wolves, bears, reptiles, non-human primates — belong in their natural habitats and not in the hands of private individuals as “pets.
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” by their very nature, these animals are wild and potentially dangerous and, as such, do not adjust well to a captive environment. Because the majority of states do not keep accurate records of exotic animals entering their state, it is impossible to determine exactly how many exotic animals are privately held as pets, but the number is estimated to be quite high. An estimated 5,000 tigers alone are held by private individuals.
5. Some people only want pets that will live a long time. People comment all the time that they could never own a pet because they’d get so attached to the pet that they couldn’t bear losing it. Of course, no pet – exotic or otherwise – lives forever. However, certain species, such as larger birds and some reptiles, can live for 20-40 years in captivity. Certainly, these animals must be taken care of properly: fed appropriate diets, housed according to species’ needs, and receive regular medical check-ups to live to their genetic potential. But for many people who have grieved over the loss of a relatively shorter lived pet such as a dog, cat, or small mammal or tiny bird, the prospect of having a potentially very long lived pet can be very appealing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reptile
Some exotic animals shouldn't be kept as pets
An exotic pet is a pet that’s wild and not domesticated. Domestication is a selective breeding process that takes place over thousands of years. Snakes, parrots, iguanas, tortoises, and even otters – these are just some of the species suffering as pets around the world. Domesticated species include dogs, cats, and farm animals like horses, pigs and chickens. There are legal and illegal sides to the exotic pet trade. But legality doesn’t matter; captive-bred or wild caught – it’s all cruel. And this trade is growing fast.
Indian star tortoises being prepared for export
the journey for an animal in the exotic pet trade is cruel – and often deadly.
The rise in popularity of exotic wild pets has threatened wild populations. As more animals are ripped from their homes, fewer individuals remain in the wild. Every year, as many as 21% of the total wild population of african grey parrots are poached. This is a species already in danger of extinction. Although they are now protected from international commercial trade, they remain threatened by the active illegal wildlife trade. There has also been a growing trend of people wanting otters as pets. This demand is causing them to be callously ripped from their homes. Poachers tend to capture the young and amenable otters, and often kill their protective parents in the process.
The british veterinary association has urged people to reconsider buying exotic pets because of fears many owners are struggling to look after the animals properly. More than eight in 10 vets raised concerns about the welfare of exotic reptiles, amphibians, birds and other animals in a bva report, with most blaming what they called “irresponsible animal ownership”. A survey of council licensing data in england last year identified nearly 2,500 wild animals in the hands of private collectors, including capuchin monkeys, lemurs, mountain lions, alligators, hyenas, zebras, camels, grey wolves, honey badgers and ostriches. Vets who treated exotic animals said nearly 60% of the pets they saw did not have their basic welfare needs met, while more than a quarter of the vets reported a rise in the number of exotic animals brought in for treatment in the past year, according to the voice of the veterinary profession survey.
You can read a full list of animals you need a licence for here. You do not need a licence to keep a wild bird if it was taken or killed legally. But you do need to be able to prove that you own it legally. You can find out more about keeping birds on the gov. Uk website. You should think carefully before buying any pet. This is especially true when it comes to wild birds or animals. Exotic pets have the same needs that they would do in the wild. This means caring for them properly can be difficult and expensive.