Exotic Animal Industry in the U.S.
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2012-02-01/exotic-animal-industry-us
The right to own pythons, tigers, chimps and other exotic pets depends on where in the US you live. The legal US wildlife industry doesn’t get much national attention unless someone is hurt, an exotic pet gets loose or an ecosystem is damaged. A new report links Burmese pythons released in the Florida Everglades to the severe declines of in the region's mammals. In Ohio police shot and killed dozens of exotic animals including wolves, lions, and bears reportedly set free by their distraught owner. As some fight for more regulation, breeders, brokers and owners of exotic pets say they are being unfairly targeted. Guest host Susan Page and a panel discuss battles over the legal wildlife trade.
Guests
Wayne Pacelle
President and C.E.O. of the Humane Society of the United States
Andrew Wyatt
president of the United States Association of Reptile Keepers
Zuzana Kukol
president and co-founder of Responsible Exotic Animal Ownership (REXANO)
Tim Harrison
director of Outreach for Animals, and advocate group for proper behavior around wildlife
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Program Highlights
Last fall, Ohio Police killed 49 exotic animals set free by their distraught owner. A recent report says Burmese pythons released into the Florida Everglades are causing severe declines in the regions mammals. This type of reports has brought scrutiny to the exotic pets industry. Guest host Susan page and our guests take a look at different arguments concerned with balancing personal rights, public safety, and environmental health.
Differences Between Exotic Animals And Other Pets
The Humane Society's Wayne Pacelle noted that the most common domesticated pets, like dogs and cats, belong in our homes, enjoy our companionship, and are capable of being trained. Tigers, large predatory animals, constricting snakes, and other exotic pets don't, he said. "There are no good outcomes for these animals," he said. "They almost always end up injured or dead or relinquished."
Exotic Pet Owners Speak
Zuzana Kukol of Responsible Exotic Animal Ownership has owned exotic cats and thinks ownership of such animals should be regulated no differently than that of domestic pets. Andrew Wyatt, of the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers, has also owned snakes and pointed out that not all reptiles are "exotic." Wyatt admits that Burmese pythons and other invasive species are a big problem in the Florida Everglades, but he believes the problem is fairly limited.
Effect Of Animals On Environment "Devastating"
Pacelle disagrees with Wyatt and argues that advocates like Kukol and Wyatt "want to protect the right of private citizens to have dangerous predatory animals in their homes, even if they're causing ecological havoc, even if they're causing public safety threats, and even if the animals themselves are enormous victims of this trade," Pacelle said. Kuzol said that the number of people killed in the U.S. by exotic animals - about 3 per year - is much less than that of people killed by dogs, horses, and many other domesticated animals.
Wildlife Advocates Weigh In
A caller named Chet from Georgia, who is the executive director at the Georgia Wildlife Rescue Association, said that he has heard reports of what sounds like either an anaconda or a python in his state. He said that the snakes do seem to be moving further north and he has a sense that the problem might not be as well-contained as Wyatt believes. Chet has owned exotic snakes himself, but he does have reservations about anyone being able to enter a pet shop and purchase a snake that will eventually grow up to be enormous and potentially difficult to feed, handle, and care for.
You can read the full transcript here.
Related Video
Zuzana Kukol, of Rexano:
Comments
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This debate is interesting, as really those defending owning big pets are really defending their passion, or their fascination. But in our society, one must receive training and a license to drive a car or operate heavy machinery. The people buying these exotic animals are not trained, the animals are not registered and as responsible as the owners may be, for as long as they are physically able, that good intention is not enough to balance the risk that they are taking for their neighbors.
And why is no-one talking about the black market this creates for the capturing, breeding, and transporting of rare and wild animals? Tigers are endangered, and all these owners seem to care about is how they feel about their rights to pursue their hobby? This is really a discussion about gratification. And the arguing happening is maddening to hear when those talking are so self-interested. If one is passionate about reptiles, then one can go to school and become a scientist or professional that learns more about these animals in a real way and can give back to these animals and enrich people's knowledge of them.
Did I just hear...."80-90% of the snakes die in a cold snap..." ?
GREAT...the 10-20% who survive will breed and pass on cold-resistant genes.
Wonderful: Cold resistant pythons for the win!
Faux Paws
As a mother of two small children, I would never be comfortable living in a neighborhood in which the general public was permitted to keep wild, exotic animals. It is an accident waiting to happen. Thank you, Wayne, for all of your efforts.
I totally agree with you, Ryan. Burmese pythons and such are being scapegoated to avoid dealing with the wider issues.
Thank you for this show. It's such an important issue. I commend Wayne Pacelle and HSUS for all their great work - and for keeping their cool and being so knowledgeable in these discussions/debates. Great job!
HERE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A ANIMALS RIGHTS NUTCASE. Uninformed, full of myths and not one minute of experience. I appreciate your right to babble, I am appaulled that the law makers listen!
I support Pacelle's position, but he is so arrogant and condescending that I want to run to the other side.
Thank you Mr Pacelle, for being there, for being articulate, for bringing to the forefront the dangers and inconsistencies, for fighting for those without a voice. this is why I support - with $$$ the Humane Society.
feather
Wild animals are meant to be in the wild.
Zoos are sad enough. Private citizens, ill equipped to provide adequate care and sanctuary, should not "own" lions, tigers and bears. It is ridiculous that they do.
FROM PNAS LEAD AUTHOR ON PYTHON STUDY ABOUT FREEZES: “in 2010, the year after the record freeze which also killed many native animals, nearly as many pythons were found in the everglades as in 2009, including pythons of all size classes” Dr. Mike Dorcas, lead author PNAS study
I think it's important to point out that Wayne of the USHS stated exactly what we are all very afraid of "You don't need to be an expert to determine if someone should be allowed to keep exotic animals in their home"-the problem here is how we react to statements like "personal liberty here is not as important as the broader issue of regulating these exotics"- we need to be careful not to give up our freedoms for the false security or we will have none.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINATION OF WILD You cannot compare Chimp attack an ect.. to start a chain reaction That women knew that chimp an took upon herself Humans mistreat Children The US has no time for this we are going broke people losing homes an jobs Let it be in Ohio these animals hurt no one This is nothing but US Terroists Glad they have so much time on there hands
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINATION OF WILD You cannot compare Chimp attack an ect.. to start a chain reaction That women knew that chimp an took upon herself Humans mistreat Children The US has no time for this we are going broke people losing homes an jobs Let it be in Ohio these animals hurt no one This is nothing but US Terroists Glad they have so much time on there hands
Winston Card, there are hundreds of animals and plantes that have been introduced to the Everglades, the pythons DNA test show they have been linked back to 2 main breeding facilities that were destroyed, regulations have been added to prevent that from ever happening again. Are they a problem in the lower 3rd of FL? Of course, but so are humans and feral cats and feral pigs as well as mice and rats. We should work towards removing them, but why ban them across the country? That just isn't logical.
Also a couple idiots that MAY have (no proof of this) released animals would not be enough to start a breeding population.
One major issue which must be highlighted is the welfare of the animals themselves. Andrew and Zuzana both advocate for the "responsible" ownership of these animals, yet they fail to mention the absolute rarity that this so called "responsible" ownership actually occurs. Through college.. I can't tell you how many times people would purchase these exotic snakes just to satisfy their selfish passing fancies.. Only to either sell or release these poor creatures when they could not take care of them. It's a selfish practice and ultimately leads to the torture, pain, and destruction of the animals these advocates purport to care for. The end result, if not death, is a malnourished, psychologically disturbed animal left to languish in some "sanctuary". If you need any motivation to draw up a warm bath and slit your wrists.. Then by all means visit many of the animal sanctuaries that take in these ill-treated creatures... Such as the Primate sanctuary in Palm Harbor, FL. Many of the people that are attracted to purchasing exotic animals do so for selfish reasons.. Therefore when these animals get in the way of the individuals other priorities they are simply discarded.
how sad this show was more about made up facts and slandering from the hsus than anything else. I was expecting a good debate, but instead we get this crap. you didn't even let andrew hardly speak.
Excellent speaking, Mr. Pacelle!!
kathyk
I find it even more amusing that a State that protects the alligator, which has adapted and survived the winters in Florida, is concerned about a snake that can't. I guess all those free roaming gators are kind, gentle, harmless creatures. I would love to see that factual statistics on the number of individuals or pets killed or injured be these gators in Florida every year!! Chances are that info is buried so deep a politician couldn't find it.
Rita Sutter, HSUS supports zoos, but if you're against pet ownership I guess there's no arguing with you, but I can properly care for my corn snakes, they are easier than any dog or cat.
Many people cannot care for a cat or dog properly, so should we ban them? No punish those who can't and allow those who can keep them to do so.
Did you know that if it weren't for falconers (ALL private owners) they would probably be extinct today? DDT was banned, but before it was they were almost completely wiped out. Because of private breeders they fly in the wild today.
What I don't hear mentioned often enough is what is best for the animals. I have never liked circuses and zoos because I go away feeling so badly for these absolutely gorgeous, wild animals being forced to live a life they weren't made for. All of the points that the "rights" supporters are advocating for are BESIDE the point. These people are totally and completely selfish and unless, like the gentleman from the National Humane Society stated, you are rescuing yet another abused animal, whose care was botched or nonexistent, they have no business "owning" these animals. The lack of empathy for these animals by these people is astounding to me.
I can hardly think of anything more selfish than keeping an exotic animal captive for one's private pleasure.
There is almost no way the needs of these animals can be met in captivity, and few veterinarians know how to treat them. Many of these animals are released into the wild or dumped at animal shelters which are also unable to properly care for them or find appropriate homes for them.
Having these animals in captivity puts everyone at risk. It's selfish, it's dangerous, and it needs to be made illegal.
Do you really believe that a season is enough for a cold resistant strain of Pythons to emerge. After thousands of years the exotic pythons are still confined to their limited range in their native habitat. Adaptation just dosn't work that way and this fuel for the exageration breeds over regulation from uniformed lawmakers. If we put the exotic snake danger in perspective using statistics it is over 1000 times more dangerous to eat cupcakes than to keep giant pythons. When should we pass new laws to ban the cupcakes!
who cares about people being hurt by their own dogs or horses it is the humans fault, no sympathy there. T he issue is not about people. People can take are of themselves it is about the cruelty to the large cats. These cats do not belong in back yards in Ohio, not now or ever. Don't turn this into a safety issue for people. The issue is about the horrible cruelty to tigers lions and bears. The snake thing issue is also very different , because so what! about owning small snakes sold in pet stores that grow only as big as their cages allow, but people letting them out is a problem but it still should be considered differently than owning tigers.
cOsMiC-tRiGgEr, you're right it's so sad that people in college sometimes buy dogs just to fight them, we should ban those too.
You also realize that a lot of the animals in santuaries own those animals illegally. What's wrong with a licensing program?
Also if you can't properly care for a corn snake, I doubt you can care for a dog or cat.
"Therefore when these animals get in the way of the individuals other priorities they are simply discarded."
Doesn't that happen with dogs and cats? So for your reasons I guess we'll have to ban all of them.
The attitude of those on today's show supporting the right of humans to own exotic pets is the highest hubris. The irony is that today's guests seemed to think that it is somehow in the animal's best interest to be owned by a human, yet no one was able to shed any light on the quality of life of these animals who are being caged just for the entertainment of the human.
"Because I can," should NEVER be the rationale for taking a position (in this case, owning an exotic animal) that is potentially dangerous for the owner, people in the immediate area, or the animal. Nor is there any value in the "well, invasive species are going to invade anyway" argument; just because it might happen because of the nature of contemporary life or because it does happen with other animals, such as farm and domesticated animals, does not mean we should stand by and let it happen with exotics.
I am a conservative who generally stands for the rights of the individual and prefers the notion of a limited government, but in this case, I think the government has a huge responsibility to stand up for the rights of these animals, who cannot be cared for by untrained owners as they deserve to be, and for the rights of the rest of us who may end up suffering -- ecologically or otherwise -- from the unqualified behavior of those who feel so small they must puff themselves up by "owning" something wild.
(Of course, I am not speaking of anyone who is working for rescue organizations and might be rehabilitating a wild animal in your home. Thank you for your efforts.)
yes you are so right
The woman on Dianne's Show by the name of Suzanna is a big cat owner I believe, and the question I had for her was; How many acres of free roaming enclosure does she provide each of her big cat's? Or, does she keep them in cages where space is measured in square OR cubic feet??
Stephanie Cooper, I'm sorry, but no snakes only grow as big as their cage, please do some research before posting misleading information.
So let's compare this to driving, we license people to drive and you have to mess up a lot to have your license taken away. I think it would just be safer for the public if you can only take the bus from now on.
So private drivers are the same as private owners and the buses are the zoos. See how stupid that sounds?
Regulate, cause if you ban them you only ban them from the responsible people who would be happy to get a license and prove they are caring for their animal just as good as any zoo and probably better. Do you honestly think those who don't take good care of them will tell you they have them? Look at what happened when alochol was banned!
KUDU'S to you for addressing this topic!
I could not agree more with the representative from the Humane Society, the zookeeper who phoned in and the individual whose job deals with exotic animal crises.
I, also, worked at a zoo in conservation education. Zoos get a significant number of calls to "take" some exotic whose owners had no idea what they were getting into. Macaws and parrots are great examples--folks have given no thought to the responsibility involved; and think, oh, the zoo will take it. Zoos cannot take all these unwanted animals. Iguanas are another--who knew that little lizard would get to be several feet long with very long claws and a very powerful tail.
Another reason, I think, people keep exotics which was omitted from the discussion (for no doubt political correctness) is that they feel it will draw attention and status--that it is cool and macho.
Susan Lewis
Galveston, Texas
Certainly an interesting debate and it is amazing how uneducated the general public is towards these issues. They read one thing in the paper or watch one show on the TV and they become instant experts and fight vehemently against things they know so little about. I ran a wildlife rescue for 15 years, served on our counties animal control board for 8 years, and have been a reptile keeper for over 20 years. I have, and still continue, to rescue animals in need and have done hundreds of educational programs. And with all my training, knowledge, and experiences, the answer is so clear. Regulations considering public safety concerns, containment, and animal welfare are ok for some species of potentially dangerous animals. It's really that simple. Most people can go out and get a dog, any dog, big/small, trained/ untrained, placid/aggressive and they can either take care of it the right way, or the wrong way. Some places require licensing your dogs, but few places will inspect where and how the animals are being kept. Cruelty is only enforced when it is discovered. It is unfortunate, but it happens, not only with exotics, but with dogs, cats, and even children. However most locations with permits for exotic animals require approved housing and are inspected annually. Most exotic animal owners accept this. It is only fair. But to all out ban the ownership of these animals is ludicrous and very Un-American. People who say these animals belong in the wild shows how uneducated they are. Most of these animals are endangered, and some even extinct in the wild due to human causes. My life has been greatly enriched by keeping exotic animals and I could not imagine a life without them. I would like to know my children could grow up and see, and possess if they choose, these magnificent creatures that may no longer exist in the wild.