Three
Reasons for Banning the Private Possession of Exotic Animals
When contacting public
officials about legislation in your city, county, or state, in letters or
calls, or at a public hearing, you may want to highlight these three reasons
why they should institute and enforce a ban on possessing exotic animals as "pets":
1. Public Safety
Across the country, many
exotic animals privately held have escaped from their enclosures and freely
roamed the community, and have attacked humans and other animals. Children and
adults have been mauled by tigers, bitten by monkeys, and asphyxiated by
snakes.
Monkeys are the most
common non-human primates privately held. After the age of two, monkeys tend to
exhibit unpredictable behavior. Males become aggressive, and both males and
females bite to defend themselves and to establish dominance. Of monkey bites
reported since 1990, many resulted in serious injury to the possessor, a
neighbor, or a stranger on the street.
Non-domesticated felines,
such as lions, tigers, leopards, cougars and ocelots, are commonly held as
"pets." These exotic animals are cute and cuddly when they are young
but have the potential to seriously injure or kill people and other animals as
they mature. Adult exotic felines weigh anywhere between 300 to 500 pounds
depending on the species, and are incapable of being "domesticated."
Even an animal that appears to be friendly and loving can attack unsuspecting
individuals.
Reptiles, including all
types of snakes and lizards, pose safety risks to humans as well. There have
been many reported incidents of escapes, strangulations, and bites from
"pet" reptiles. Snakes are the most common "pet" reptiles
and have the potential to inflict serious injury through a bite or
constriction. According to the University of Florida, more than 7,000 venomous
snake bites are reported annually in the United States (it is uncertain how
many of these snakes are "pets"), 15 of which result in death.
With so many exotic
animals in private hands, these incidents are not rare. By their very nature,
exotic animals are dangerous creatures. Given the life these animals are forced
to endure, it is no surprise that they exhibit their natural instincts to the
detriment of the community. These animals are time bombs waiting to explode.
2. Public Health
Many exotic animals are
carriers of zoonotic diseases, such as Herpes B, Monkey Pox, and Salmonellosis,
all of which are communicable to humans.
Eighty to 90 percent of
all macaque monkeys are infected with Herpes B-virus or Simian B, a virus that
is harmless to monkeys but fatal to 70 percent of humans who contract it.
Monkeys shed the virus intermittently in saliva or genital secretions, which
generally occurs when the monkey is ill, under stress, or during breeding
season. At any given time, about 2 percent of infected macaque monkeys are shedding
the virus. A person who is bitten, scratched, sneezed on or spit on while
shedding is occurring runs the risk of contracting the disease.
The Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) asserts that the increase in macaque monkeys in the pet trade may
constitute an emerging infectious disease threat in the United States. Thus,
persons who possess or work with infected monkeys are presumed to be in
constant peril of potentially contracting the virus. In addition, monkeys have
been known to transmit the Ebola virus, Monkey Pox, and other deadly illnesses.
Ninety percent of all
reptiles carry and shed Salmonella in their feces. Iguanas, snakes, lizards,
and turtles are common carriers of the bacteria. Reptiles that carry salmonella
do not show any symptoms, thus there is no simple way to tell which reptiles
play host to the microbe and which do not, because even those that have it do
not constantly shed the bacteria. Individuals become infected by ingesting
salmonella after handling a reptile or objects the reptile contaminated, and
then failing to wash their hands properly (this can be either indirect or
direct contact with infected reptiles). The CDC recommends that children,
people with compromised immune systems, and the elderly avoid all contact with
reptiles and not possess them as "pets."
Salmonellosis associated
with exotic "pets" has been described as one of the most important
public health diseases affecting more people and animals than any other single
disease. The CDC estimates that 93,000 salmonella cases caused by exposure to
reptiles are reported each year in the United States.
3. Animal Cruelty
When in the hands of
private individuals, the animals themselves suffer. These animals do not adjust
well to a captive environment, for they require special care, housing, diet and
maintenance that the average person cannot provide. As a result, individuals
possessing exotic animals often attempt to change the nature of the animal
rather than the nature of the care provided.
Many possessors realize
they can no longer care for an exotic "pet" so they turn to zoos and
other institutions such as sanctuaries to take over the responsibility.
However, all the zoos and accredited institutions could not possibly
accommodate the number of unwanted exotic "pets." As a result, the
majority of these animals are either euthanized, abandoned, or doomed to live
in deplorable conditions.