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
Related Items
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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I find that as human population grows, more and more NGOs spend their time telling everyone else what to eat, how heavy they may get, what to do (or not) while they are driving, what animals are proper pets, how pets must be kept, etc. Interestingly some of the folks that want to control what everyone else does either have been or are doing exactly what they object to. I feel that if someone wants to be a vegan, drive an electric car, not keep reptiles, etc. I am more than willing to let them. On the other hand, I would hope that they would likewise allow me to live my life with a few freedoms.
I read through some of the pages of comments, but not all. I don't think anyone is going to change their minds. But consider this:
1) Every definition of "domesticated animal" I can find in any dictionary or online journal indicates that animals bred for many generations by humans in order to make them more suitable to live with or near humans are considered domesticated. In many, if not most, species of exotic reptiles, they meet this standard. While it may be true that some species are still being imported and directly sold to the public, those of us who enjoy and respect the larger species usually do so by purchasing from a breeder that has bred them domestically. Further, domesticated animals tend to have lost many of their natural instincts - another trait often shown in these captive bred species. Therefore, the arguments about these being wild animals are moot.
2) Few people can properly keep the giants of the reptile world. But there are people who can and do. Those folks should be given the same leeway as anyone who can provide a home for a different species of domesticated animal. This, however, may mean that exemplary keepers have to work together to help set what the standard should be, and go through any licensing or permitting process that would help prevent others from obtaining these animals. Permits can work. Bans can't.
Seriously, this is the USA. Thinking back to the over 200 years of US history, when has a ban on much of anything worked? Better to regulate things by setting reasonable, but high, standards than to try to hold back the dam that is human nature defied.
I must say that I am APPALLED AT THE WAY THE DIANE REHM SHOW HANDLED TODAY'S INTERVIEW. It was one-sided and completely unprofessional. As a long time enthusiastic cheerleader of public radio, I was completely angered by the clear bias of the stand-in host. Shame on you! Journalism was not demonstrated well by you today.
My main issue is with lumping such a huge variety of things together as "exotic pets". There's a huge difference between keeping a big cat, with difficult and complex care requirements, and keeping a corn snake or ball python, which is honestly quite a bit easier to care for than even a dog or cat. Or to place something as dangerous and unpredictable as a chimpanzee with something as utterly harmless as a leopard gecko. Or to lump something poached from the wild with something that has been captive bred for generations. Defining "exotic pet" as "not a cat or dog" is a meaningless grouping
I live in SW Florida and have roamed the Everglades since I was in Cub Scouts, around 50 years now.
There were big snakes there when I was a kid, too, longer than our18' boat, swimming in the creeks and rivers. There were also about 1000% more fish in the creeks and rivers back then too.
One major cause of water pollution was making golf courses meet the 'green area' portion of housing devolpments. Nothing needing that much fertilizer and bug spray is really 'green' by any stretch of the imagination.
As far as the racoon population, it has been reduced to practically nothing in most of this portion of the state NOT by big snakes but by coyotes, which are commonly recorded on condo security cams down in Naples grabbing peoples pet cats out of trees. Coyotes kill not just for food alone. They get into attack mode and anything is game, including a whole family of racoons. Then they'll come back and feast on them for a week or more.
I live in SW Florida and have roamed the Everglades since I was in Cub Scouts, around 50 years now.
There were big snakes there when I was a kid, too, longer than our18' boat, swimming in the creeks and rivers. There were also about 1000% more fish in the creeks and rivers back then too.
One major cause of water pollution was making golf courses meet the 'green area' portion of housing devolpments. Nothing needing that much fertilizer and bug spray is really 'green' by any stretch of the imagination.
As far as the racoon population, it has been reduced to practically nothing in most of this portion of the state NOT by big snakes but by coyotes, which are commonly recorded on condo security cams down in Naples grabbing peoples pet cats out of trees. Coyotes kill not just for food alone. They get into attack mode and anything is game, including a whole family of racoons. Then they'll come back and feast on them for a week or more.
JungleMan,
You are spewing the propaganda of Humane Watch - an industry funded front group that lobbies for factory farms, puppy mills, canned hunting businesses, seal clubbing, horse slaughter and the fur trade. That gives your information ZERO credibility.
My information comes from the HSUS website as well as the website of Humane Watch Info, which GETS NO MONEY for their efforts and will not even accept a donation. They are a group of animal loving people who are sick and tired of the corporate rape of humans, animals and the planet - and are trying to get the truth out.
Humane Watch/Center for Consumer Freedom have been outed by 60 Minutes and other mainstream media for the LIARS they are. They defend corporate interests at the expense of people, the environment and animals. They've created smear campaigns against MADD, Mother's Against Drunk Driving and the handicapped. They tell pregnant women that it's ok to eat mercury laden tuna and tell the public that corn syrup is no different than sugar.
Here is a website by The Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington that exposes Richard Berman and his industry funded front groups for what they are.
http://bermanexposed.org/
If anyone wants the real truth, go to the HSUS website and check out their official 990 filings.
http://www.humanesociety.org/about/overview/annual_reports_financial_sta...
While hands-on care is vital, it does not get to the root cause of corporate, large scale animal abuse. HSUS is the only organization with the means to stop this abuse, and they are having a huge impact.
HSUS actually does provide direct hands-on care - more than ANY OTHER ANIMAL PROTECTION GROUP. You can argue with opinion, not facts.
They consistently receive top ratings from Charity Navigator, the gold standard for charity evaluators.
It's always the people who exploit animals, in some way, that slander HSUS. And you're no exception.
I am saddened by just how out of control this mass banning has become. What kicked this off was an issue taking place in the Everglades and it has now been totally blown out of proportion to involve the entire country, and drawn into it way more animals than its original intended target.
If people are concerned about giant feral pythons in the Everglades those individual snakes should be contained/removed; not the snakes kept in captivity that are not hurting anyone, are happy and healthy.
I don't know where people are coming up with this "animal abuse" angle from this. What abuse? Breeding? Keeping in captivity? Is that what is being considered "abuse"? If so, then that's really stretching it.
The fact of the matter is that for many years non-native animals have come to the United States and have assimilated to life here either in captivity or in the wild. Are we to start exporting all those animals that originated from other countries? And if so, then from how many years ago? What should be considered native species? Animals have been brought over with settlers, shipped in, etc ever since this country began, even domestic breeds of cat or dog, but they're here now and we can't put Pandora back in the box. It's done.
I received an e-mail today about legislation being proposed currently which takes all this "animal control" even further. It said that there are restrictions being proposed against adding to the endangered species list even when it would be warranted. What ever happened to animal rights groups promotion of conservation? That seems to have gone out the window in a matter of weeks or months.
Looking at the big picture it sure appears as if there are those who would like to see animals become extinct because they really just consider them pests and believe they interfere with their lifestyle, as if they were competing with man's very existance. That is not a solution.
If Florida wants to get big snakes out of the Everglades and prevent more from getting loose there are more effective ways to do that intead of a Federal and then state by state ban. Why not for instance Spay and Neuter the feral ones. HSUS would make better use of its time and resources doing that than in waging this nationwide war and dragging every species into it that resides in this country.
If Florida wants to restrict or limit the number of big species of snakes going into that state, that's one thing, but the whole country should not be penalized, when these snakes cannot live in the wild in cooler climates anyhow.
Hoo, boy, Bill S, I wonder what kind of salary HSUS has you on? You accuse me of spouting propaganda, but look at your own writings... Really step back and look at 'em, boy. This stuff reads like spin right out of Pacelle's public relations offices. You back up humanewatch.info while calling humanewatch.org a bunch of liars -even lumping them together with Berman's other groups, which have nothing at all to do with snakes in the Everglades. And stop to think for a moment- if humanewatch is so horrible, why did somebody go to all that trouble creating a blog with the same name (just .info instead of .org), if not as an attempt to confuse the public? -Gives YOU zero credibility too.
If you look around the Internet a bit, you can find just about anybody or anything "exposed." HSUS has been exposed quite a bit, you know. I stand behind my statement that they step in on raids and seizures for the exposure, then get out and leave the clean-up to the poorly funded local groups. -And I did not get that from Humanewatch. The statements I've made here are my own opinions, yet you want to believe I'm spewing somebody else's propaganda. You asked for a link or two, so I give you something and you try to turn it against me. The real truth is on neither Humanewatch or HSUS pages -which can all be manipulated to say whatever they want said. It's in the official reports, the tax returns, and quotes "from the horse's mouth," which can be found on either site or elsewhere. You just have to read between the lines and put 2 and 2 together. Since you say you contribute to HSUS, I can see your need to justify that investment.
You continue to post links to HSUS propaganda as being "true fact." That's like saying you can learn the truth about Ted Bundy by reading his own book. The only "hands on" HSUS does is in the legislature and on the golf course (generously paid for by mislead contributors like you). It's always those who have something to hide, who puff up their chests and go off on a tangent defending "poor, slandered (fill in your favorite org.)" rather than directly address the issues. And you're no exception.
Can we now get back to discussing pythons in the Everglades?
Jungleman, it was you, sir, who went off topic into a twisted tangent of outright lies about HSUS.
I merely answered 'your' questions.
See below:
JungleMan wrote:
Can someone post here the names of all the local rescues and animal service groups sponsored or helped by HSUS? There is one -count 'em, ONE- animal "rescue" group that coincidentally happens to be their own, that gets funding from them. And it does a piss-poor job at that. Most of the contributions to HSUS pay for advertising, lobbying (illegal for a 501c3 charity) payroll, and a cushy retirement fund for the top brass. When they do participate in a raid or "rescue," they pack up and leave before it's done, leaving the loose ends -and legal fights- to the struggling local groups. Somebody prove me wrong and post a list here of all the local groups that benefit financially from the millions in the HSUS coffers.
JungleMan, I don't get all my information from HSUS.
- HSUS was one of Worth Magazines Top Ten most fiscally responsible charities.
- HSUS was voted #1 non-profit having the most positive impact on animal welfare by Philanthropedia.
- HSUS got high scores from CharityNavigator.org, GuideStar.org and the BBB's Wise Giving Alliance.
More than 77% of HSUS donations are used for program expenses.
That information is available on any of the charity websites listed above.
Most of the anti-cruelty laws we have today are because of HSUS backed legislation. That is fact.
HSUS has passed over 1000 anti-cruelty laws. That is fact.
Legislation is the only way to protect animals from the brutality and cruelty inflicted upon them by the corporate animal abusing industries.
So where's the list, Bill S? All I see is a bunch of the standard rhetoric one might expect to find on an ALF or other HSUS splinter group's blogs, and links to the propaganda sites where every click will just add yet another number to their claimed 11 million "backers," and then the standard attacks on MY credibility. I wouldn't even be wasting my time on this discussion if not for the first attack on another commenter by "Spatulus" or whatever it was that Sky Williamson is calling herself now (either p.1 or 2).
Domestication doesn’t mean an animal enjoys being in captivity and/or that it is safe to be around. It just means it has been changed at a genetic level by humans for some desired trait, such as the goldfish or silkworm.
Shouldn’t whether or not it is cruel to keep an animal in captivity be decided on how the individual animal behaves in captivity? If the animal can live a relatively stress free life (as much as a dog, cat, horse, cow, etc.), then why is it cruel?
I have never seen any scientific proof that is more cruel to keep an indoor cat than a python – it’s all based on emotion and opinion (i.e. “it makes me feel sad to see x animal in captivity, but not y, so keeping x is wrong”), which should not be used to pass laws.
A lot of people also don’t realize that zoos do not have enough funds or room to breed all those animals you enjoy seeing. If only zoos are allowed to own exotics, then a lot of genetic diversity is going to be lost, and some species will probably become extinct.
“We have no ethical obligation to preserve the different breeds of livestock produced through selective breeding ...One generation and out. We have no problems with the extinction of domestic animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.”
— Wayne Pacelle
The HSUS, like PETA, is run by animal rights activists. They think breeding any animal to live in captivity is cruel, even cats and dogs. I’m sure most cat and dog owners out there think they are wrong about it being immoral/cruel to breed them as pets, but why are they wrong about that, and not exotics? Pretty much the same arguments and logic used against the ownership of exotic pets can be applied to dog/cat ownership.
Notice how no one bothers to even try to refute the statements from Humane Watch and instead just attack the source?
You'd think if they were just a bunch of big lying meanies their statements would be easy to refute.
Then again, it's hard to spin some of this stuff to look good.
https://yesbiscuit.wordpress.com/category/wildside-kennels/page/2/
http://humanewatch.org/index.php/site/post/michael_vicks_dogs_are_still_...
** in my previous post "I have never seen any scientific proof that is more cruel to keep an indoor cat than a python" should be "I have never seen any scientific proof that is any more cruel to keep a python than an indoor cat" **
This Resolves All Of These Comments And The Entire Discussion Contained:
Genesis 1:28
And God Blessed Them, And God Said Unto Them, Be Fruitful, And Multiply, And Replenish The Earth, And Subdue It: And Have Dominion Over The Fish Of The Sea, And Over The Fowl, And Over Every Living Thing That Moveth Upon The Earth.
The Declaration Of Independence:
We Hold These Truths To Be Self-Evident, That All Men Are Created Equal, That They Are Endowed By Their Creator With Certain Unalienable Rights, That Among These Are Life, Liberty And The Pursuit Of Happiness.
So much misinformation in one paragraph Jungleman!
You Say: Can someone post here the names of all the local rescues and animal service groups sponsored or helped by HSUS?
The Truth: Every year a number of recue groups and local shelters receive grants from the HSUS, including the Johnston and Randolph County Animal Shelters in North Carolina in December.
You Say: There is one -count 'em, ONE- animal "rescue" group that coincidentally happens to be their own, that gets funding from them. And it does a piss-poor job at that.
The Truth: The HSUS actually runs several well respected animal care centers including the Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch (home to over 1200 exotic and domestic animals), South Florida Wildlife Center (each year rescues and rehabilitates around 12,000 animals), Our Barnstable (provides emergency care and wildlife rehabilitation 365 days a year), Doris Day Horse Rescue and Adoption Center (rehabilitates and rehomes abused and neglected horses), Duchess Sanctuary (a 1120 acre horse sanctuary), The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center (treats injured and orphaned wildlife with the goal of releasing them back into the wild)
You say: Most of the contributions to HSUS pay for advertising, lobbying (illegal for a 501c3 charity) payroll, and a cushy retirement fund for the top brass.
The Truth: The BBB sets a minimum that non-profits are to spend on programs and the HSUS exceeds that:
Programs: 78%
Fund Raising: 18%
Administrative: 4%
Also, "Lobbying by nonprofits is perfectly legal and supported by IRS regulations."
http://www.npaction.org/article/articleview/100/1/248
http://www.arts.state.tx.us/toolkit/advocacy/lobbying.asp
You Say: When they do participate in a raid or "rescue," they pack up and leave before it's done, leaving the loose ends -and legal fights- to the struggling local groups.
The Truth: Just one example from the HSUS of the work that is done after a rescue
http://hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2011/10/florida-cats-update.html
You Say: Somebody prove me wrong and post a list here of all the local groups that benefit financially from the millions in the HSUS coffers.
The Truth: Even though the HSUS mission is not to support local shelters, they still do a lot of work to assist them from grants to The Shelter Project. The HSUS's mission to to handle larger issues that go beyond the scope of local shelters
HSUS accomplishments in 2011
http://www.humanesociety.org/about/overview/2011_accomplishments.htmlhtt...
Howard Kaplan-
"Why has HSUS and its Senior Leadership been permitted to ignore the registration requirements of the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 when they have literally made thousands of contacts with Members of Congress and their respective staffs during the last five years? For example, in March of 2011 the Humane Society of the U.S. hosted an Awards Banquet during which they honored the 146 Members of Congress who best supported the Legislative Agenda of the HSUS in 2010." -What did that cost Howard?!?
This $$ better used for animal care and probably came from one of many misleading TV commercials for animal welfare.
Tell me why a wildlife sanctuary (BCR) who is begging for money for animal care, found it necessary to donate $100,000. to H$U$ if for no other reason then to become part of the 'H$U$ network' and 'protection'.
The difference between drinking and exotic animal ownership is that as a society we ALL pay the police to clean up the mess made by people drinking, and people who make those messes are held accountable, and our society educates our youth about the dangers of alcohol. When was the last time a private exotic animal owner had their animals confiscated & placed in a sanctuary, & the taxpayers paid THAT bill? Or a high school student attended a class or convo about the dangers of owning tigers, coatimundi?
Please, provide the proof of Wayne saying they should "be taken away and euthanized". Please. I've never seen that said, EVER by anyone except those who fear the changes that are under way.
Bans DO work if the goal is to provide offenders AND enforcers with clear and concise expectations. Regulations in this industry have NOT worked. A child can understand "right" from "wrong". A ban is much easier to teach, understand, and enforce. And it removes all the issues of "who" should write regulations and what those regulations should say - which is a whole other debate! No one has convinced me there is any good reason to have tigers, bears, monkeys, and many other dangerous exotic animals as "pets". That's why I understand the efforts to "ban" and why I am open to the ongoing discussion about it.
Thanks for the definition of "sentient", Dr. According to others, the definitions also include capable of sensing or feeling; aware of one's surroundings; responsive to or conscious of sense impressions. Some would say if the being can "suffer", then it is "sentient".
Wayne Pacelle said: "Those who believe in the right to have exotics cling to the NOTION of freedom and liberty." It's not a notion..It's what this country was founded on. Keeping wild animals requires the keeper to adapt the environment to the animal, not the animal to the environment. This requires training & certain specifics in order to protect keeper & public. Since it appears the biggest concern with pythons is ecological impact, it's pertinent to point out exotic snakes could NEVER be an issue in MOST of the other states. Even in the Everglades the python numbers dropped drastically after winter. “I don't have a hands-on fondness for animals. I did not grow up bonded to any particular nonhuman animal. I like them and I pet them and I'm kind to them, but there's no special bond between me and other animals." What's this??? The CEO of a "Humane Society" doesn't form BONDS with animals??! I ADORE my animals...the ones with fur, feathers AND scales. I keep ALL my animals in secure, safe, and healthy environments. What Humane Society employee would NOT feel that way? Which brings me to this:
" We never said we funded animal Shelters" The HSUS reply to a challenge to donate to the Burmese Python Initiative created to help stranded Burms within their states from owners who were moving was "we are not going to clean up your mess". How can you call yourself a HUMANE anything?? I don't consider it "cleaning up a mess" I see it as "helping animals in need". According to the DNA testing on the Burms found, they belonged to 1 establishment wiped out during a hurricane. That's not "our mess" that's a natural disaster. I suppose you would tell the Katrina & Joplin victims "we don't clean up your messes".
"We have no problems with the extinction of domesticated animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.”Animal People News, 05/93
Obviously Mr. Pacelle & HSUS don't care about YOUR "notions'" of liberty & freedom..much less your inbred dog.
Wayne Pacelle said: "Those who believe in the right to have exotics cling to the NOTION of freedom and liberty." It's not a notion..It's what this country was founded on. Keeping wild animals requires the keeper to adapt the environment to the animal, not the animal to the environment. This requires training & certain specifics in order to protect keeper & public. Since it appears the biggest concern with pythons is ecological impact, it's pertinent to point out exotic snakes could NEVER be an issue in MOST of the other states. Even in the Everglades the python numbers dropped drastically after winter. “I don't have a hands-on fondness for animals. I did not grow up bonded to any particular nonhuman animal. I like them and I pet them and I'm kind to them, but there's no special bond between me and other animals." What's this??? The CEO of a "Humane Society" doesn't form BONDS with animals??! I ADORE my animals...the ones with fur, feathers AND scales. I keep ALL my animals in secure, safe, and healthy environments. What Humane Society employee would NOT feel that way? Which brings me to this:
" We never said we funded animal Shelters" The HSUS reply to a challenge to donate to the Burmese Python Initiative created to help stranded Burms within their states from owners who were moving was "we are not going to clean up your mess". How can you call yourself a HUMANE anything?? I don't consider it "cleaning up a mess" I see it as "helping animals in need". According to the DNA testing on the Burms found, they belonged to 1 establishment wiped out during a hurricane. That's not "our mess" that's a natural disaster. I suppose you would tell the Katrina & Joplin victims "we don't clean up your messes".
"We have no problems with the extinction of domesticated animals. They are creations of human selective breeding.”Animal People News, 05/93
Obviously Mr. Pacelle & HSUS don't care about YOUR "notions'" of liberty & freedom..much less your inbred dog.
Jay Custin, there are est. 7,295,000 horses in the US (I don't think that includes feral horses though).
The HSUS always uses raw statistics and when the reptile community comes out with studies they ignore it.
bc505b, cell phones and driving can cause issues with others, now I've heard of banning all cell phone usage, even hands free, which I disagree with cause then I guess you can't talk to a passenger either.
Now how many members of the public have been killed by exotics? When I say members of the public, I mean those that have not exposed themselves to these animals.
I am trained, I know several vets that have a lot more training than others, but they would lose their rights. Have you ever considered that private keepers supply venom to use for medicines that treat breast cancer and strokes? But if you're ok with more people dying because people can't privately keep venomous reptiles...
We could have said our side if the host and Wayne would have let our side talk. You can say this was a fair interview, it was biased and we were set up. I excepted better from NPR.
Stephanie Cooper, so all the zoos that have tigers and lions should be jailed? That's just silly. Have you ever visited a zoo? I bet you would not be able to tell the difference between an AZA zoo and a non-AZA zoo. AZA opposes this cause they know that there aren't that many people keeping tigers and many of the people who do are licensed, just cause you don't have as many animals as a zoo, doesn't mean you're a bad person. So if you take care of a lion or tiger in the same manor, maybe better than a zoo, you should be jailed?
He was actually taking good care of them and that's still under investigation cause a lot of people think that he didn't kill himself. I mean come on, he had the keys to the cages, why were they cut open?
You know that the bulk of people killed by large cats are in AZA zoos, not private zoos or private owners?
Please do your research and really look into this kind of stuff. As Wayne says a tiger does not belong in a garage, well neither does a horse, so really why is that a valid point?
Did anyone notice in the interview when Wayne Pacelle asked Andrew Wyatt if there was anything USARK was doing about the problem? Mr. Wyatt brought up the Burmese Python Initiative, a non-profit org recently started to establish a shelter/sanctuary for all the snakes that will undoubtedly have to be rehomed because of this rule change. Wyatt directly challenged Wayne Pacelle if HSUS would be willing to put its money where its mouth is and make a donation to this cause, since it allegedly cares so much about these unwanted animals that no one can apparently care for. Wayne dismissed the request. Real classy, for the CEO of HSUS to make that decision. I suppose Wayne Pacelle would rather the snakes die than lend a helping hand. But I guess they're not cute fuzzy dogs, so that makes it okay. That's right, Wayne. Exotic animal keepers deserve your judgment, but the animals they keep don't deserve your aid. Hypocrisy much?
Ok, people need to familiarize themselves with pythons before they go around saying crap that they don't have experience with.
First off, not all pythons get 15 feet plus. The species of pythons that could POTENTIALLY harm people are the
1). Reticulated Python.
2). Green Anaconda.
3).Burmese Python.
4).African Rock Python
and I think that about covers it. I might have missed one. The point being, is that not ALL pythons are dangerous. Some Australian species only get 3 or 4 long. Are they going to hurt anything? No. Don't punish the U.S. as a whole for the problem in Florida. Educate yourself and stop listening to the media. There are a lot of people that make their living by selling snakes, rodents, caging, lights, and other equipment that is used for snakes.
More and more Burmese pythons die in Florida each winter. They can't handle the cold. Reptiles are ecothermic. That means whatever the temps are outside, that is what their body temp will be. If it gets colder than say 40 degrees, they will perish. Don't let the media lie and scare you.
* The Anaconda is actually a species of Boa*
More people die from vehicle accidents each year than from any animal. Do we have outlaw cars? No. We have a license system. When you violate enough traffic laws, you get your license revoked. In most areas, gun regulation works the same way. You typically must have a permit to own/carry a firearm. When you abuse that privilege, you lose it.
Cars and guns are not necessities. You have two legs. You can walk, ride a bike, or a ride a horse (if dictator Wayne is okay with that). Yes, it is a constitutional right, but you do not need a gun to live. Yes, these things make our lives easier, but mankind got along fine for thousands of years without cars and guns (one might argue that the world was a better place before they were invented).
The statistics argument has been done to death, and exact figures are often skewed, but it's still pretty conclusive that more people get injured by dogs and livestock than by any reptile. Do we ban the ownership of livestock and canines? No. We have leash laws and regulations for housing different types of livestock animals. There are standard procedures for working with them. As with any hobby, there are some dummies, but it is not fair to judge an entire demographic for the actions of a few irresponsible nuts.
Just as it should be with exotics. I'm not going to argue about big cats, crocodilians, or primates, but saying the average American is too uneducated or financially unfit to keep a tropical fish or a gecko or a chinchilla, or (insert any other smaller exotic) is going to far.
Talking about rights, HSUS has NO right to decide something for me based on my intelligence level or my checkbook. But that's exactly what Wayne Pacelle is pushing. He thinks he knows what's best for us.
Regardless of how much money HSUS uses for whatever purpose, I still question exactly how much hands-on experience Mr. Pacelle has with exotics keepers. Yeah, he claims he's visited some animal shelters but he claims he "works with these people all the time." I know it's disheartening to walk into any shelter, but you cannot judge the entire demographic of exotic animal keepers by what you see in a shelter. That is the equivalent of walking into a prison or a mental institution and judging the human race by your observations there. I ask, does that seem right to anyone?
I personally have been to several zoos that were supposedly AZA-accredited, and had, let's just say, less than ideal conditions. My suggestion/challenge to the HSUS is stop messing with people's rights and get back to actually helping animals. Perhaps instead stepping on the little people and working up, start improving the conditions of our nation's zoo and work your way down. It's not like HSUS doesn't have the money!