exotic animals
Thousands of captive exotic animals are kept by zoos, animal entertainment agencies and private individuals. But these animals don't belong in cages or glass tanks. Whether wild-caught or captive-bred, they retain the biological and behavioural needs of wild animals. They have evolved to thrive in very specific environments that are virtually impossible to replicate in captivity. As a result they are often kept in environments in which they lack space, stimulation, exercise, proper nutrition, warmth or same-species companionship. In short, they suffer.
Every year millions of wild animals are trapped for use in the exotic pet trade. Most die before reaching pet stores. Many species are now endangered because of the large numbers captured. Animal welfare organizations have uncovered a trail of cruelty and suffering.
Wild-caught exotic animals: what are their chances of survival?
- Some die at the time of abduction because methods can be cruel and inappropriate
- More die from the trauma of capture
- More die due to bad transport and depot holding conditions in exporting countries
- More die when they are badly ”packaged”; and dispatched, mainly by air, to overseas countries
- More die when they actually get to pet shops because they are deprived much needed time to rest, recover and acclimatize gradually
- More die early deaths in the hands of ignorant pet owners.
Wild animals have evolved over thousands of years to thrive in their native environment, and that environment cannot be replicated in captivity. Captive-bred animals retain the same biological and behavioural needs as wild-caught - they remain wild. Attempts to keep exotic animals in captivity can lead to many problems including:
- The bored parrot: This highly intelligent and social creature can get bored very easily without companions, space and a varied diet. Feather plucking is a common stress-related symptom.
- The burnt snake: Many exotic animals need artificial heating if they are to survive in non-tropical climates. Unfortunately, the incorrect use of heating equipment can lead to serious burns.
- The limping lizard: Crippling bone diseases often result in reptiles fed the wrong diet or given incorrect lighting.
You can help! Make sure you don't contribute to the cruel and inhumane trade in exotic animals. You can help by refusing to buy exotic animals and by asking pet shops not to sell such animals.
Getting an exotic pet may be tempting, particularly when such a huge variety is now available in pet shops everywhere. However, many new owners buy an exotic animal without knowing how to care for their new pet. As a result, organizations like the Rainforest Reptile Refuge Society in Surrey, British Columbia deal with many cases where exotics have become sick, injured or neglected.
If you are thinking about acquiring an exotic animal, please think again! The Vancouver Humane Society opposes the keeping of exotic animals as pets. There are many problems inherent to the notion of keeping exotic animals as pets. For example, any exotic animal you might acquire is available at your local pet store only because either that animal or its ancestors were wild-caught, further endangering many species. For every animal that makes it to the pet store alive, many others have suffered and died. Don't contribute to that cruelty!
You can help us fight. Together, we can stop the cruelty of taking exotic animals away from their natural habitat. DONATE TODAY.
general information about exotic animals
VHS works to alleviate the suffering of captive exotic animals
Zoos are not the only places that keep captive exotic animals. Animal entertainment agencies rent them out for movies, TV commercials, “corporate entertainment” events and even for birthday parties. When the cameras stop rolling or the party is over, the animals are returned to their cages, tanks and pens, where they languish until the next assignment.
Thousands more animals are held by private individuals as pets, where they often suffer from neglect, poor conditions or from being abandoned when they are no longer wanted. These animals don't belong in cages or glass tanks in suburban basements. Whether wild-caught or captive-bred, they retain the biological and behavioural needs of wild animals. They have evolved to thrive in very specific environments that are virtually impossible to replicate in captivity. Captive animals endure environments in which they lack space, stimulation, exercise, proper nutrition, warmth or same-species companionship. In short, they suffer.
Exotic animals can also pose a threat to human health and safety, as some are dangerous, venomous or can carry diseases contagious to humans. They are completely unsuitable as pets.
VHS works with all levels of government to pass legislation prohibiting the private ownership of exotic animals as pets. We also work to ensure animals kept in zoos and other captive exotic animal facilites are treated as humanely as possible. We oppose zoos in principle but try to find practical ways to improve the lives of the animals currently held in such facilities.
Below are some of the activities and actions VHS has been involved in regarding captive exotic animals.
VHS warned government about tiger danger
VHS warned the B.C. Ministry of the Environment in 2006 about the danger posed by the tiger that killed a woman at a private zoo near 100 Mile House on May 10, 2007.
In a letter to the ministry on December 1, 2006 VHS stated:
"In our opinion, the enclosures are inadequate and these animals are not being kept in humane conditions. More importantly, as you can see from the enclosed, there is not adequate fencing to protect the public from these wild and potentially dangerous animals. As well, the animals are taken into public places including schools and malls, in which the public, including small children, is encouraged to not only get into close proximity, but also to engage in touching and other activities. This, in our opinion, is a disaster waiting to happen."
VHS has been monitoring Siberian Magic, the company that kept the tiger and a number of other exotic animals for display, charging for children to have their picture taken with tigers and to pet the animals. In 2005, VHS protests stopped Siberian Magic from displaying tigers at restaurant party in Whistler, B.C.
VHS, Zoocheck Canada and other animal protection agencies have long called for legislation and regulation to ban the ownership of exotic animals. A number of B.C. municipalities have consequently done so, most recently the City of Vancouver. Following the tragic incident at the Siberian Magic facility, the B.C. government has said it will consult with VHS and the BC SPCA about how provincial legislation could be put in place to deal with the exotic animal problem.
VHS would like to see a province-wide ban on the private ownership of exotic animals and the introduction of legislation to regulate zoos keeping exotic species.
There are currently no regulations governing the keeping of exotic animals in B.C. As a result zoos and other facilities can keep these animals in virtually any conditions they wish. VHS protested about the poor conditions of Hazina the hippo, who was kept alone in a concrete barn for 19 months at the Greater Vancouver Zoo, but no law or regulation was available to hold the zoo to account for Hazina's treatment.
If you are concerned about animal welfare in any facility keeping captive exotic animals, please contact us.
New Provincial Government Regulation of exotic animals
In March 2009, the B.C. government introduced long-awaited regulation of the keeping of exotic animals. The new regulations prohibit the keeping of an extensive list of dangerous exotic species, such as tigers, venomous snakes and other animals deemed unsafe to be held by private individuals. While introduced for reasons of public safety, the regulations enhance animal welfare by keeping these animals out of the hands of private individuals and by helping to restrict the trade in these species. The regulations will also improve conditions at zoos and other animal facilities, such as animal rental agencies. The government’s regulatory plan can be seen at this link.
VHS welcomed the provincial government’s regulations but we were disappointed the list of prohibited animals was not longer. Many small animals, especially reptiles, will continue to be traded and kept as pets. VHS is urging municipal governments to continue passing bylaws that will curtail the sale and keeping of exotic pets.
Vancouver City Council passes an exotic animal bylaw
At last! Vancouver City Council has passed an exotic animal bylaw. The council voted unanimously to ban the keeping of a list of exotic animals and also to prohibit the sale of another, longer list of exotics. The council also voted in principle to ban public performances involving exotic or wild animals.
VHS, which has been working for an exotics bylaw for many years, has welcomed the council’s decision but is disappointed that more animals, such as primates, iguanas and large lizards, were not banned from being kept. However, it is a good first step and the council has instructed city staff to consider additions to the bylaw in a review that must take place within a year. Councillor Kim Capri, who championed the bylaw, urged city staff to continue to work on improving the bylaw in consultation with animal protection groups.
Council also approved a recommendation that the mayor write to the Union of B.C. Municipalities to request the creation of a standard municipal list of exotic animals to be banned from sale. This could effectively lead to a province-wide prohibition on the sale of certain exotic species.
By prohibiting the sale and keeping of a number of exotics, the new bylaw will send an important message to the public that owning these kinds of animals is not socially acceptable.
It will help decrease demand for exotic pets locally and send a signal to other municipalities that they should be considering similar legislation. VHS will be providing such councils with the information and evidence they need to implement exotics bylaws.
A ban on exotic animal performances will mean that no Las Vegas style tiger acts (such as one that attempted to appear at Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Theatre in 2005) will be allowed in the city.
The new Vancouver bylaw will ban people from keeping these animals:
- Snakes: green anaconda, yellow anaconda, reticulated python, African rock python, Burmese python, Indian python, amethyst python
- Hyenas
- Crocodilians, including alligators and crocodiles
- All venomous reptiles
- Canids such as wolves, jackals, coyotes and foxes (except domestic dogs)
- Felids such as lions and tigers (except domestic cats)
- Bears
It also would prohibit the following species from being sold:
- Canids
- Cetaceans, including whales, dolphins, porpoises
- Crocodilians
- Edentates, including anteaters, sloths, armadillos
- Elephants
- Felids, including lions and tigers
- Green iguanas
- Hyenas
- Insectivores, except African pygmy hedgehogs
- Marsupials, except sugar gliders
- Mutelids (skunks, weasels, otters), except domesticated ferrets
- Non-human primates
- Pinnipeds (seals, walruses)
- Raccoons
- Birds of prey
- Ostriches
- Rodents, except domestic hamsters, guinea pigs, chinchillas, rats and mice
- Pythons and anacondas
- Turtles and turtle eggs
- Ungulates, except goats, sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, mules, donkeys, llamas and alpacas
- Bears
- Venomous spiders and insects
- Venomous reptiles
- Mongooses, civets, genets
Pet store regulationThe council also approved new pet store regulations that will set minimum care standards for animals kept on pet store premises. They will also require stores to keep a register recording the source of any cats or dogs they sell. It’s hoped this will be an effective measure against puppy mills.
Caiman incident illustrates need for exotic pet bylaw
The escape of a five-foot caiman (a crocodile-like reptile) from an apartment building in Kitsilano last July has again highlighted the need for an exotic animal bylaw to prohibit the sale and, more importantly, ownership of such animals in the Vancouver.
The caiman was being kept in a 3rd floor apartment, from which it fell to the ground and was injured. He remained loose for several hours until police, animal control officers and the animal’s owner recaptured him. The caiman was just one of more than 35 reptiles reportedly being kept in the apartment.
This is the second case in two years of a caiman being found in a residential home. In 2005, a starving caiman was found in a child’s wading pool in an East Vancouver house.
The Rainforest Reptile Refuge in Surrey reports it takes in many abandoned animals from Vancouver, including a dozen large snakes in 2005/2006. Clearly, this is a problem that will worsen if not addressed.exotic animals: disease
Aside from the welfare concerns about exotic animals, there is the issue of disease. Many exotic species can harbour and spread disease. For example, most reptiles carry salmonella, which can be contracted by humans through direct or indirect contact. The US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 74,000 cases of salmonellosis per year are associated with exposure to reptiles or amphibians, which makes this a significant public health concern. The CDC also notes that children are at greatest risk from reptile associated Salmonellosis.
Another concern is the threat of disease from imported exotic species. In 2003, a shipment of Gambian rats from Africa introduced the potentially fatal disease Monkeypox into North America. The rats, intended for the pet trade, infected prairie dogs (also sold as pets) and the disease spread to humans. Other diseases, such as SARS, West Nile virus and avian flu, have originated in wild animals and jumped to humans. Research has shown that importing wild animals through the exotic pet trade can pose a serious threat to public and animal health in Canada. VHS has published a report on this research and submitted it to the federal government.
VHS Report: A Disaster Ignored?
exotic animals: bylaws
VHS provides information to municipal councils to help implement bylaws that prohibit the sale and keeping of exotic animals. Several municipalities in BC have passed such bylaws, such as Vancouver, North Vancouver, New Westminster, Abbotsford, Courtenay and the Central Okanagan Regional District. These bylaws send a strong message to the public that keeping exotic animals as pets is unacceptable.
Some cities, such as Richmond and Surrey, have passed bylaws prohibiting the sale of exotic animals but not their ownership. Such approaches are ineffective, as people can simply go to pet shops in other nearby municipalities (without exotics bylaws) to purchase animals.
Some people argue that "education" is the answer to the exotic pet issue. The say pet owners can be taught how to care for exotic animals. VHS disagrees because, in principle, we believe captivity is wrong, even when knowledgeable pet owners try to replicate the natural habitat of exotic species. They can never offer the diversity and range of the animal's true habitat. Moreover, there is no evidence that education works. Consider the overwhelming problems related to cat and dog ownership. For a very long time there has plenty of information available on dog and cat care - from animal agencies, municipalities, veterinary clinics, libraries and so on. Yet, cats and dogs continue to be abused, abandoned and irresponsibly allowed to breed. Our view is that adding exotic animals to the list of popular pets, when their needs are so complex, will result in the same types of irresponsible ownership - no matter how much education is available.
Only legislation banning the sale and ownership of exotic animals will get to the root of the problem.
Bylaws restricting/prohibiting exotic pet ownership or sale
- City of Abbotsford
- City of Surrey (prohibits sale only)
- City of Burnaby (only restricts the number of snakes kept)
- City of Courtenay
- City of Cranbrook
- City of Dawson Creek
- Township of Esquimalt
- City of Fort St. John
- City of Kelowna
- City of Langley (prohibits sale only)
- City of New Westminster
- City of North Vancouver
- District of Oak Bay
- District of Peachland
- District Port Hardy
- City of Powell River
- City of Richmond (prohibits sale only)
- City of Terrace
- District of Tumbler Ridge
- City of Vancouver
frequently used arguments in favor of keeping exotic pets
“We only have captive-bred pets. Captive breeding reduces the impact on wild populations.”
Again quoting Clifford Warwick; “I know of no hard data that confirm that the trade in wild-caught reptiles has decreased as a result of captive breeding. Indeed, the wild-caught trade appears to have increased. I made numerous attempts to obtain evidence, but no one was able to offer that data. In any case, while captive breeding avoids some stressors such as initial capture, it has its own traumas.”
“Without keeping exotics as pets, when wild populations diminish, there will be no animals to return to the wild. We are contributing to the preservation of endangered species by keeping and breeding exotics.”
Internationally, zoos have expended millions, if not billions of dollars on endangered species breeding programs which are complicated and extremely expensive to administer. These programs, to date, have for the most part failed in their task, only having been successful in re-establishing populations in a handful of cases. Even animals produced by well-run Species Survival Plans (SSPs) carry the threat of introducing new diseases to wild populations. If well-run programs have problems, how can a private keeper expect to do better without the resources, knowledge or access to gene pools that professional programs have? Release of privately kept animals is now widely condemned.
For additional information visit www.zoocheck.com/programs/exotic/index.shtml.
