Wild animals are not pets; they belong in the wild. exotic pet trade The keeping of wild animals as pets is a growing concern. It's a $15 billion dollar business in the United States alone, with breeders and dealers selling animals over the Internet or in trade magazines. Many animals are captured from their natural habitats and transported to different areas … Removing wild animals from their natural habitats -- like the rainforest or African plains -- negatively affects the delicate ecosystems, which, according to the ASPCA, rely on those species to further the life cycle of plants and keep animal populations in check. 17. Millions of animals are forced into the exotic pet trade every year for the purpose of becoming someone's pet or entertaining the masses in a circus or roadside zoo. "Wildlife Trade." I have come across a video by Zinc on Facebook and this triggered me to write this article to share the video with you. The exotic pet trade is an enormous global enterprise (Bush et al. There are several federal laws that prohibit the selling and interstate transfer of certain exotic animals in the U.S. Sept. 25, 2009. The trade in exotic animals is a multi billion dollar a year industry. Exotic pets often behave abnormally, which is a clear indication of their suffering. Most of the published statistics reviewed above stem from trade patterns that were manifest several decades ago and therefore do not reflect the current rise in exotic pet ownership worldwide. TRAFFIC, the leading wildlife trade organization, now recognizes social media as the “new epicenter” for the trade in exotic pets. In the UK around 47 million exotic pets are kept, mostly fish. Globally, the pet trade exploits over 4,000 wild animal species. To fuel the growing market for exotic pets, thousands of animals are taken from the wild and bred in captivity every day, and these animals suffer at every stage of the supply trade. It's a $15 billion dollar business in the United States alone, with breeders and dealers selling animals over the Internet or in trade magazines. Melissa cares for a variety of exotic animals and has completed a certificate in veterinary assisting and a bachelor's degree in biology. Schiphol airport in the Netherlands is one of the largest European airports and is considered a main hub for legal and illegal import of exotic animals. In the early 1990s the value of legal wildlife products imported globally was around 160 billion. Tropical fish, and all the equipment needed to keep them, became affordable enough for many people in the US in the 1940s. Because these pets are domesticated, with the right care and conditions, some are able to live with humans in captivity without suffering. To get an idea of the scope of the illegal exotic pet trade, consider this: The illegal trade in wildlife is second only to that of drugs in the United States, according to the U.S. While the keeping of animals as pets is centuries old, global trade of wildlife is causing millions of animals around the world to suffer each year. For example, exotic turtles grew in popularity in the 1980s thanks to the popular television show, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles." As he pointed out, more than 1,000 species of animal are involved in the pet trade, with the evidence suggesting that more than 50% of pet shops sell exotic species of some sort, with 25% selling exotic amphibians, 25% selling exotic birds, mainly parrots, and 17% selling exotic mammals, such as raccoons and hedgehogs, as has been pointed out. Many of the most popular wild pets traded are classified as vulnerable to or threatened with extinction. Download our exotic pet infographics British Veterinary Zoological Society. Even more staggering is the level of suffering wild animals kept as pets endure. Our desire to share our homes and lives with these animals could ultimately see their extinction become a terrible reality. The illegal wildlife trade also fuels the exotic pet trade. People’s obsession with exotic animals started early. While some wild pets have been bred in captivity, many exotic animals are plucked directly from their native habitats. Reptiles kept as pets constantly suffer from nutritional deficiencies and many d… People in China went a step further during the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and were the first to selectively breed fish for decoration. The exotic pet trade statistics claim that more than 1,000 online sites offering to sell exotic animals as pets. "Should Wild Animals Be Kept As Pets?" "The Whims and Dangers of the Exotic Pets Market." (Sept. 7, 2010), http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/exotic_pets/facts/, - Humane Society of the United States. Here is a graphic from the network's website that lists the numbers of individual large exotic pet-inflicted injuries and fatalities. Photo by CC0 Creative Commons. At least 70 ‘zoonotic’ pet-related infections and infestations are known. There are over 500 species of reptiles and 500 species of birds traded live across the world, presumably destined for people’s homes or private zoos. Just how does the exotic pet trade work, and what happens to these animals when the novelty wears off? The trade in exotic animals is a multi-billion-dollar industry. TRAFFIC, the leading wildlife trade organisation, now recognises social media as the “new epicentre” for the trade in exotic pets. Even more staggering is the level of suffering wild animals kept as pets endure. There's also an important environmental factor to consider. Parrots and other exotic birds can transfer potentially deadly pathogens such as psittacosis, salmonella, and even avian tuberculosis to humans. There are over 500 species of reptiles and 500 species of birds traded live across the world, presumably destined for people’s homes or private zoos. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Photo by CC0 Creative Commons. Additionally, many states have restrictions on the ownership of exotic pets. Wild animals were captured from their local area using basic traps or by killing the adults in the family group and taking the offspring. "Exotic Pet Trade Booming in U.S." Associated Press. But some people have always wanted something a little more unusual – wild pets. The practice of importing and exporting wild animals as pets has been happening for decades, and often, entertainment fads determine which wild animals are the pets du jour. Humane Society of the United States. Animal Intervention was a show on the National Geographic channel that opportunistically added to anti-exotic pet hysteria. "Exotic Pet Trade FAQ." (Sept. 7, 2010), http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2006/11/27/exoticpet_ani.html, - Farinato, Richard. Today, exotic pets are even bigger business and are a main driver of the trade of live animals. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the exotic pet trade is a multi-billion dollar industry, second only to drugs and weapons on the black market. It hides in plain sight rooted behind the sanitized façade of pet stores and the front doors of private homes, quietly facilitated by trade-permissive legislation. Hundreds of species of snakes, including boa constrictors, anacondas, and other large snakes are shipped into the U.S. every year. This has had a lasting impact as reptiles are some of the most sought-after exotic pets today. Up to 66% of grey parrots illegally caught for the exotic pet trade die in transport. The WWF estimates there are 5,000 tigers being kept in U.S. backyards … there are only around 3,000 left in the wild. Pets like house cats, dogs and horses are domesticated, that means they have been selectively bred for specific traits that appear over many generations. The 20th-century is when exotic pets further grew in popularity, and millions started being traded across the globe. The escape of 50 exotic animals near Zanesville, Ohio, last month brought into the spotlight the complex issues, as well as dangers, of keeping wild animals as domestic pets. Across the U.S., millions of exotic animals – including lions, tigers, cougars, wolves, bears, monkeys, alligators, birds, and venomous snakes – are bred, bought, and sold for private possession. Read the following FAQs to learn more about the exotic pet trade. Due to this, this species is now threatened. These cold blooded animals fascinate many people, which is why they can always be found in pet stores. The stress of being violently removed from their homes causes some animals to die before they ever reach a private residence. 1380, Demand UPS stop transporting wild animals, Travel companies: help us build a sustainable industry, Industry leaders, influential individuals: help us end the global wildlife trade, To keep up with our work to end the exotic pet trade, sign up to receive our email updates, 1.41 trillion cow burps and 23.7 billion cowpies damaging the planet daily, Travel associations are ignoring animal cruelty at wildlife attractions. Historically, getting a wild species to keep as a pet, more commonly known as an exotic pet, was a small-scale operation. World Animal Protection is a U.S. registered charity EIN #04-2718182 Exotic pets like monkeys and African rodents often carry viruses like herpes B, monkey pox and rabies, all of which are highly infectious and potentially fatal to humans. - American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The fact is, no matter how well you care for your exotic pet, it is never going to compare to its natural habitat. 3. For example, just the illegal wildlife business including both dead and live animals is estimated to be between $10 - 20 billion a year. (Sept. 8, 2010), http://www.aspca.org/fight-animal-cruelty/exotic-pet-faq.html, - Born Free USA. Keeping exotic pets, such as reptiles and amphibians, has become increasingly popular over the past two decades but the trend has spawned an enormous illegal trade, the New York Times reported Monday. Your interest and support is invaluable to us! The World's #1 Nonfiction Media Company. Except now, these animals are part of a much larger operation – a multibillion dollar global industry. Contrary to the popular misconception that rearing exotic animals in captivity or keeping wild animals as pets is the answer to protecting endangered species, the exotic pet trade creates serious ecological challenges in both source and consumer countries. Exotic animals lash out. Although baby animals might be cute and easy to maintain, they usually grow into dangerous adults with unmanageable needs. The ASPCA explains that many exotic animals will travel several miles a day in the wild, so life in a domestic environment isn't going to satisfy their natural desires. The trend that started in the Song Dynasty now had a foothold in modern American life. On top of the illnesses, pain and distress exotic pets experience, their trade can also threaten entire species. Up to 66% of grey parrots illegally caught for the exotic pet trade die in transport. To keep up with our work to end the exotic pet trade, sign up to receive our email updates. But it wasn’t until open water sailing became possible in the 15th century that people began to trade animals across oceans. Capturing them from the wild, handling them, transporting them, breeding them and life in captivity all cause intense physical and psychological pain. 535 Eighth Ave, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10018 Unfortunately, many consumers remain unaware of the origins of exotic pets, how the exotic pet trade affects wild populations, and how to care for exotic pets. In a slightly different vein, animal welfare organizations like the HSUS have established groups like the Species Survival Network to promote wildlife protection and educate the public about the dangers of exotic pet ownership. A brief history of the global exotic pet trade, Demand the FDA take action to reduce the use of antimicrobials on factory farms, Hold companies accountable to past promises on pig welfare, Urge local governments to protect farmed animals in disaster-prone areas, Urge your legislator to support the Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act, Urge the USDA to recommend more plant-based food, Urge KFC to add plant-based chicken to the menu, Tell congress to pass the Preventing Future Pandemics Act 2020, Support the Big Cat Public Safety Act H.R. There are around 5 000 7 000 tigers kept as pets in the united states. These birds used to be abundant but they are now increasingly rare. Farm animals around the world are causing devastating damage to the environment by burping and farting out immense amounts of greenhouse gas. (Sept. 7, 2010), http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/issues_facing_wildlife/should_wild_animals_be_kept_as_pets/the_whims_and_dangers_of_the_exotic_pets_market.html, - Humane Society of the United States. Today, our appetite for unusual and exotic pets is still prevalent and not much has changed in the way these are sourced. Millions of animals are forced into the exotic pet trade every year for the purpose of becoming someone's pet or entertaining th… Some animals are still taken from the wild to fill pet shops. Animals may become aggressive, grow very large, live for a long time or require a licence or paperwork to be legally kept or sold. FAQs on non-traditional companion animals. This is a short documentary I did on the exotic pet trade in America. Of course, the 'exotic' animals get lumped together as one entity in the second chart. (Born Free USA) The exotic animal pet trade has become extremely popular in today’s age. Over the last 30 years, 1.3 million African grey parrots have been removed from their natural habitat for the international pet trade. There are over 500 species of reptiles and 500 species of birds traded live across the world, presumably destined for people’s homes or private zoos. Or sign up to our mailing list by completing the form to the left. 24 Exotic Newcastle disease (END), which devastated whole flocks of chickens and turkeys in the 1970s, was believed to have been brought to the U.S. from South American parrots who were smuggled in for the pet trade. The exotic pet industry is a pernicious force incompatible with good ecological, animal welfare and public health practices. Humans are also direct casualties of the wild pet trade, as novel pathogens from remote regions of the world are ‘express-delivered’ Trojan horse-like to homes in and on the bodies of exotic animals. Contact our policy team for more information. According to the HSUS, all reptiles and amphibians carry salmonella, and more than 74,000 cases of salmonella poisoning are linked to these pets each year in the United States alone. Impulse buying risks people not doing their homework. Many pet grey parrots willl rip out their own feathers due to boredom and stress. Nov. 27, 2006. Enter your email address to get updates with our latest news, appeals and campaigns worth sharing. Inside the Exotic Pet Trade. Additionally, as exotic animals grow, their needs for food and space increase -- sometimes astronomically. Other organisations have estimated a pet primate population of 4-5,000 kept in the UK and 4,825 licensed Dangerous Wild Animals, which is likely to be a significant under-estimate of the actual population. The effects of the exotic pet trade Rampant poaching for the exotic pet trade is devastating animal populations worldwide. Owning an exotic pet comes with some real health implications, too. Exotic Pet Statistics: Lion, Tiger, and Big Cat Attacks and Fatalities in the United States (1990–2014) Author: Melissa A Smith. Our ‘Think Twice’ infographic and smaller social graphics give some essential facts on six common species of exotic pets, and are available to download below. Today, exotic pets are even bigger business and are a main driver of the trade of live animals. Examples of the devastating effect of the pet trade on wild … The true scale and value are unknown, but what we have learned is staggering. The trade in and keeping of exotic pets has been frequently criticized for the commonly inhumane and harmful practices that are associated with supply and keeping, including animal welfare, species conservation, invasiveness, and public health and safety. Domesticated pets are familiar to us. Poachers will often kill the protective mother first so that it's easier to capture the young. They have the same needs as in the wild, which must be met in captivity by law under the Animal Welfare Act. The exotic pet trade undermines valuable conservation efforts in native habitat countries. The booming business in exotic pets is known as the exotic pet trade. Caring for exotics can be challenging and expensive. There is also an extraordinary diversity of species caught in the exotic pet trade. Direct exploitation is one of the five main reasons for the loss of biodiversity, and collections for the international pet trade are an ongoing threat for many reptiles and amphibians. These include the Captive Wildlife Safety Act, the Wild Bird Conservation Act and the Endangered Species Act. From 1980 to1990 there was an explosion in the popularity of reptiles as pets and in their trade in the West. "A Life Sentence: The Sad and Dangerous Realities of Exotic Animals in Private Hands." When it gets to that stage, the once-loved pets often end up in cages where they are neglected or abused. According to the ASPCA, these laws vary greatly from state to state and can range from total bans to simply requiring a permit. (Sept. 7, 2010), http://www.bornfreeusa.org/a3b_exotic_pets.php, - Ebrahim, Margaret; Solomon, John. The trade in live animals and animal products is considered one of the major drivers of zoonotic disease emergence. (Sept. 8, 2010), http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/issues_facing_wildlife/wildlife_trade/. Exotic Pets As with other parts of the world, exotic pets remain popular in the United States. Moreover, looking into the exotic pet trade statistics, we just understand the horrifying face of the mankind. The consequences of illegal pet trade are truly concerning for a variety of species. Copyright © 2020 Discovery Communications, LLC. Whilst the demand remains, supply will rush to meet it. A grey parrot being used a pet. Discovery News. However, most owners don't realize the huge responsibility they are inheriting when they purchase exotic pets, and there's rarely a happy ending for the animal. Phone: 646-783-2200. Capturing them from the wild, handling them, transporting t… Animal Intervention . A pet African grey parrot. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) reports that infant animals are the most desirable and earn dealers the largest profits. Animal Planet GO - Watch Full Episodes and Live TV. The ecological impact of the exotic pet trade. While keeping birds in captivity for food has been common throughout history, records show that people in Egypt were keeping birds for more than just food in 4000 BC. Rare species of reptiles and amphibians especially are in the focus of collectors. Today, exotic pets are even bigger business and are a main driver of the trade of live animals. However, despite these laws and humanitarian efforts, the exotic pet trade is still a booming business. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the exotic pet trade is a multi-billion dollar industry, second only to drugs and weapons on the black market. By 2009, this had more than doubled to over 323 billion. For example, pet turtles caused around 280,000 cases of Of course the exotic animals get … The HSUS reports that it's not unusual for exotic pets to be malnourished and stressed; they also tend to develop behavioral issues that can lead to bites and attacks. In fact, 92% of the 500,000 live animal shipments between 2000-2006 to the United States (that’s 1,480,000,000 animals) were for the pet trade, and 69% of these originated in Southeast Asia. If current behaviors and policies continue unchanged, many countries will see the establishment of populations of exotic pet species at rates above historical trends over the next several decades. Although exotic pet trading has nothing to do with humanity, environmental rights, or modernization; people pay attention to the fancy look of it. However, so far there is little information about what pathogens these imported animals might carry with them. Exotic pets are essentially animals that are non-native to a region and/or nondomesticated. The European Union and in particular Germany have a central role as a hub and destination for exotic pets from all over the world. But as Anson Wong has shown, achieving a veneer of respectability is a key part of the exotic animal trade playbook. African grey parrots for example are known to pluck out their own feathers due to stress caused by boredom in captivity and a lack of opportunity to socialize with other parrots. The widespread use of the internet has made it easier than ever to order or purchase a wild animal without clarification about where it has come from or how it should be cared for. 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