The Dangers of Owing Exotic Animals

October 18th, 2011, Fifty-six exotic animals were set loose in Ohio by their private owner. In the hours that followed, according to USA news, forty-nine beautiful exotic animals were slaughtered as they ran to terrorize surrounding neighborhoods, as they attacked nearby horses, as they lunged at on-scene sheriffs, and as they ran across the highway towards freedom. Of the animals killed at the Zanesville Massacre were eighteen endangered Bengal tigers, seventeen lions, six black bears, two grizzlies, three mountain lions, two wolves, and a baboon. A fellow cat killed a monkey, while another monkey – who carried the Herpes B virus, fatal to humans – was never found (ABC News, 2011).

It all could have been avoided, and, in some cases it still can be. Today, I’m going to address the dangers of owning exotic animals – not only the dangers to people, but further more, the dangers to the animals, and hopefully, I will persuade you to not own exotic animals as personal pets, and to also get behind the movement to insure that there are laws that prevent such action as well. I’ll describe the reasoning of the dangers, the most sought after exotic animals, the dangers that come with them, and further the lack of the laws protecting the animals, and the public.

There has always been a fascination with exotic animals – beyond site seeing at the zoo. They’re cute, cuddly, unbearably adorable – who wouldn’t want to snuggle with a cute little bear?

The fascination, the want, the need to have the best, baddest, cutest, and most exotic pet is understood – but it shouldn’t be accepted.

As stated by Doctor Julio Correa, “people do not seem to fully understand the health and safety risks associated with owning an exotic animal.” Yes of cours...

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...at are unsuitable as pets.”(Correa, 2010).

A Life Sentence states that “federal oversight of exotic animal ownership in the United States in minimal. In fact, no federal law exists that regulates or prohibits the keeping of exotic animals as pets.” Further, A Life Sentence reports that “the laws differ from state to state on the type of regulation imposed” and that “there may be prohibition, a license requirement, or no regulation at all” (A Life Sentence, 2009).

In the end, it is up to us as people to make a decision to not turn exotic animals into pets. Although cute, cuddly, and seemingly welcoming, these beautiful wild animals deserve to be just that – beautiful wild animals. They deserve that right – and with it eliminates the danger that comes with containing them as pets – not only to their owners, to our families, to our neighbors, but also to the animal.