Exotic pets, exotic problems

Keeping exotic, unconventional pets can be challenging. Sometimes people realize that the cute, cuddly pet they have bought becomes more than they can handle. The pets I have and will list in this blog can be kept as pets as long as one has suitable facilities and is acquainted with the species’ needs. Still, a key component of this blog is responsible pet care. Therefore I feel obligated to post a warning.

The pets I have are not endangered. However, many species have been pushed to extinction by the illegal pet trade. Gibbons are a prime example, as are orangutans. Nowadays it is possible to buy captive-born macaws, but many macaw species are severely endangered. Here are the general rules I follow when buying a pet, which I suggest you follow. Whenever buying a pet from a different country I insist on buying captive born animals. Not only does this make it less likely that I will buy an animal that is sick or will refuse to eat, but it ensures that I am not directly harming ecosystems. Also, it usually helps if you see your new pet’s parents, especially is you intend to breed it. Living in the Philippines, many of the pets I find for sale are wild-caught in the country itself. In this case I would never buy a species that is being sold as a prized “endangered species,” and I always make sure I know ass much as possible about it before I buy it. It is always worth checking that the species you intend to buy is not on any C.I.T.E.S. ‘threatened’ lists.

Another major problem with exotics is that sometimes they escape. Releasing a pet can never be responsible. However, even with tremendous care, at some point one of your exotics probably will escape. For example, there appears to be an established population of Burmese pythons in Florida! Alien, invasive species devastate native ecosystems. Most people know how the brown tree snake (Boiga irregularis) has devastated Guam’s avifauna. If not, please do research it.

Finally, the macaque in the photo above is currently living in a miniscule cage in a Wildlife Rescue Centre in Quezon, Philippines. What makes matters worse is that it was used to human affection until its natural behavior was misunderstood as aggression: it used to be somebody’s pet. I must admit I know of cases in which people have successfully kept non-human primates as pets. Personally, I would never try it. For every success there must be hundreds of failures, so I’d say it is unethical to try. The same is true of raptors, mammals that aren’t tame, and large, wild-caught parrots. Please don’t buy any of these animals.

It is possible to keep exotic, unconventional pets responsibly. Please read up on the species you intend to buy well before you do so. Don’t just buy a whale on a whim, if you see what I mean.