Animal welfare groups often discuss what’s wrong with keeping exotic pets? in awareness campaigns.
Exotic pets are those animals that are not native to the owner’s country and most of these are kept for companionship and as a form of entertainment. This can be any reptile, bird, rodent, and other small mammals as well as some amphibians which to any degree of intensity and purity cannot be found in most homes.

Exotic pets can make people sick. Many carry diseases like Herpes B, Monkey Pox, and Salmonella. These diseases can spread to people. A lot of macaque monkeys have Herpes B.

If you want to know about the risks of keeping exotic pets then read the full article. It will increase the knowledge about keeping exotic pets in the home. This article explores what’s wrong with keeping exotic pets? and the risks involved.

What’s wrong with having a wild animal as a pet?

You can’t provide the right home for them.

Wild animals need special care. They need to be with other animals like them. Most people can’t give them what they need.

Apes are a special concern

Apes are smart, feel things deeply, and like to be with other apes. They’re like our family, and baby apes are cute. People sometimes use apes for shows or ads, and sometimes as pets. But this can be bad for the apes. It can be mean and dangerous. Apes can hurt people if they’re scared or angry.

Taking them from the wild can endanger the species

Parrots are in big trouble because people want them as pets. People catch and sell millions of birds, animals, and reptiles every year. Many of them die while they’re being caught or moved around.

You could get hurt

Wild animals can be dangerous. They can bite, scratch, or hurt people. If they do, the person who owns them is responsible. It can be hard to find a new home for a wild animal, especially if it’s big or hard to handle. Most zoos can’t take them.

You could get sick

Veterinarians explain what’s wrong with keeping exotic pets? by highlighting health and safety concerns.

• Diseases include 
• Rabies,
• Distemper, 
• herpes viruses
• Salmonella
• Polio
• Tuberculosis
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• bubonic plague

It would probably be illegal

Many places have rules that say you can’t have wild animals as pets.

Some states where exotic pets are legal:

• North Carolina
• Nevada
• Wisconsin
• Alabama

What types of animals make good pets?

• Dogs
• Domestic cats
• Guinea pigs
• Domestic rats and mice
• Domestic gerbils
• Common hamsters
• Domestic rabbits
• Domestic chinchillas

Visit a shelter

Millions of dogs and cats don’t have homes. They get killed every year. You can find a pet to adopt on PetFinder.

Are exotic pets Ethical or not?

When I think about animal welfare, I like to think about the basic things they need. These are the most important things. Let’s see if we can keep exotic pets and still give them what they need.

They need the right food and fresh water

It’s easy to think that feeding animals is simple, but it can be hard, even for dogs, cats, and rabbits. Exotic animals need different foods depending on what they are and where they come from. Some reptiles don’t need to eat very often, which can be hard for owners to understand. Humans love to feed animals, but this can make them overweight. Many wild animals eat live prey, and even if we give them fake prey, they might not eat it. 

The need for the right environment

I think it’s hard to keep exotic pets because we can’t give them the right environment. Some come from very hot, dry places, but we bring them to cold places like Europe and try to make a tiny desert in a glass tank.

The need to be protected from pain, injury, and disease

We don’t know everything about animal diseases. Vets can have a hard time with this. Probably 90% of the drugs are developed for mammals so we are unsure whether they are safe for other animals.

Laws Governing Private Possession of Exotic Animals

Federal Laws:

According to the Endangered Species Act one may not sell; offer for sale or purchase an endangered species. The government can however discourage people from engaging in the activity but it does not in any way ban the ownership of the items. The Public Health Service Act states that no one is permitted to import monkeys into the country unless for science, education, or for putting up a show.

State Laws:

Some states ban their possession altogether particularly large cats, wolves, bears, monkeys, poisonous snakes, and other exotic animals. The other states argue that it is okay to own certain types of exotic animals but not the others. A few states require that you have a license or permit to own exotic animals. Other states do not require a license but they probably may have some requirements like the vet’s certificate or other papers proving that you got the animal right and legally.

Local Laws:

Other local laws in many cities and counties are even more rigorous than those of the state. They assume that some of those animals are a threat to human beings, or they enact regulations to control possession of the exotic animals or outlaw them. In this, people go around the rules by acquiring breeding permits or exhibition licenses or relocating to another region where there are no laws.

Conclusion

Some of the exotic pets including reptiles pose a threat to human beings and can cause diseases. Wild animals are almost impossible to look after as pets and they also can not live in the right conditions. Further, many places have regulations regarding owning exotic animals, but it is possible to work around them.

So, people should consider these risks before getting an exotic pet. If you want to see unusual animals, visit a zoo or wildlife reserve where experts care for them properly.