There are currently more tigers being kept as pets in the United States than there are left in the wild in the whole world. The Dodo recently released a video which details the horrifying reality of the exotic pet trade in the US. Exotic pets are usually either bred in captivity, which usually means that the mothers are made to have a lot more babies than their body is designed to, which can result in harmful consequences following the trauma of having her babies taken away from her, or they are taken straight from the wild which usually involves killing the parents. When tigers, lions and monkey are bred in the US, their babies are often sold online through special websites or even common social media sites, or they end up in roadside zoos where they are kept in small and confined cages until someone chooses to purchase them. Adam M Roberts, the CEO of Born Free USA, said, “I think what happens in the United States is that a lot of these animals are bred behind closed doors. People don’t get to see the operations.”
The video shows an example of some servals that had been kept on a concrete floor in a New York basement and had never spent any time outdoors until they were eventually rescued. Many others aren’t so lucky, as a lot of states throughout the US don’t have any laws against keeping exotic pets. There are almost 15,000 primates currently kept as pets in the US alone, and these along with a variety of other animals are often taken straight from the wild after being separated from their families. Statistics from The Dodo’s report show that around 3,000 primates are taken from their natural homes every single year. Roberts said, “Many of these animals die in transit. They are packed and shipped in a way that does not meet their biological and physical needs.” The animals that survive the squashed journey are then sold at open markets.
Despite this tragic current situation, people are starting to realise that this is wrong. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has just banned owning exotic pets, which is a great step forwards for the world to follow. Roberts comments that “It also sets a precedent for other countries including the United States government to follow.” There are also lots of simple ways that every person can help to diminish this terrible trade. This includes asking local representatives to help stop the trade in exotic pets, as well as refusing to shop at pet stores that sell wild animals. Another crucial thing to do is to speak up. Spreading awareness about the issue and speaking up against those involved in the exotic pet trade can really help to stop it. Roberts suggests “every time you see an animal for sale, either online or in a store, you speak up. I think the more people speak out to companies directly, the more impact we can have.”
Wild Baby Animals Are Being Sold As Pets
People are stealing baby animals from the wild to sell them as pets — and here's what you can do to stop it.
Posted by Dodo Impact on Monday, March 6, 2017
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