In Focus: Anybody listening...the cry of exotic pets?
In my previous posts - Exotic Pets: Are they really 'born free' and Exotic wild pets getting savage human treatment, the dark side of the pet world was revealed. Again yesterday a male, three-banded armadillo, having a tough time in the pet shop was rescued and handed to the Oregon Zoo.
Everybody knows that it is not easy to handle an exotic pet and especially when he is wild, things can go awry beyond imagination. It is not easy to find the veterinary care they actually need and it is too expensive too. The exotic pets are a threat to human health and the indigenous ecosystem. The dangerous diseases they may harbor are beyond human capture. Armadillos, for example, can transmit plague, tuberculosis and leprosy. Other wild animals like tigers or pythons can even sometimes attack the owner, causing serious injury or death.
The increasing human pressure on wildlife is taking its toll on the animals. Pets are today a fashion statement, embellishing our status in society. The rarer the breed, the more thrilling is the fun and experience. No doubt, we all love them and want to spend time with them, but we have to understand and respect their feelings too. The miserable lives they live in the hands of so called 'trendy pet owners', away form their natural abode, is terrible.
The malicious and senseless business of exotic pet trade can only be restricted by enforcing the laws strictly and redefining the Pet Animals Act.
More on Exotic Pet Trade: BBC
