Exotic Animals: Pets or Wild?

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Kara Newton
AP Prep English 10 Research Paper
Should exotic pets be illegal?


Kara Newton
Kim 6
English 10 A.P Prep
3/10/14

4 year old boy mauled by a pet mountain lion in Texas (Born Free USA).
4 year old girl bit by a python on chest while playing (Born Free USA).
Owner of pet black bear killed while cleaning its cage (Born Free USA).
Woman killed and partially devoured by her underweight tigers (Born Free USA).
Owner of exotic animal operation gored several times and killed by a male red deer (Born Free
USA).
And the list goes on and on.
What is an exotic pet? According to Dictionary.com, an exotic pet is a pet that is unusual or
strange in appearance; of foreign origin or character; not native; introduced from
abroad (Exotic). They are un- domesticated. What is domestication? Marc Bekoff, an
evolutionary biologist, denes it as an evolutionary process that results in animals, such as our
companion dogs and cats, who undergo substantial behavioral, anatomical, physiological, and
genetic changes during the process (Qtd. in Peter Laufer 105). Exotic pets have not gone
through these changes; therefore, they contain wild genes. Even if treated as humans, they can
still turn wild because they have not gone through the domestication process (Laufer 105).
Many of the exotic pets in the United States ended up here due to the exotic pet smuggling
trade. This illegal trade is second only to drugs in the United States (The Dirty Side of the
Exotic Animal Pet Trade.). It is a big problem because there is a great deal of money to be
made with a miniscule chance of arrest. The business makes $10- 20 billion dollars per year,
and $15 billion of that comes from the United States alone (The Dirty Side of the Exotic Animal
Pet Trade.). If you get caught illegally transporting animals on the rst offense, it is possible
you wont even do jail time (Qtd. in The Dirty Side of the Exotic Animal Pet Trade.). People
have smuggled baby monkeys under their clothes and birds strapped to their legs. These
smugglers know if they make it past airport security, they will turn a quick prot at the next
animal auction. Exotic pet smuggling increases extinction rates and damages ecosystems
(Kennedy). Smugglers hire local poachers to venture into the jungles and capture animals.
Because baby animals are popular and sell for a higher price, poachers kill the mothers to steal
the young (Kennedy). When large amounts of certain animals are taken out of their natural
habitats, it decreases the number of prey or predators; this unbalances ecosystems (Kennedy).
Also, the removal from a natural habitat is hard on birds, reptiles, and reef sh. Birds and
reptiles have a mortality rate of 60- 70%, and reef sh have a mortality rate of 80- 90%
(Kennedy). This poaching has become out of control, causing some animals to be wiped out;
they have become difcult for even the poachers to nd. (Laufer 135).
There are many reasons why people want to own these dangerous animals. Some people
believe their pet would never hurt them; Theres another element that I denitely sense, a
certain love and affection that they have. They would never cross a certain line (Qtd. in Laufer
80). They also believe they and their animal are different; the exception (Laufer 109). Others
believe their pet thinks they are its mom; I doubt that they would ever, ever attack me. Im
basically their substitute mom (Qtd. in Laufer 80). Everyone loves baby animals because they
are cute. People buy these babies and do not stop to consider how they will change as they
mature. They look at a cute, cuddly baby lion and fail to see the erce predator it develops into
(Laufer 104). Monkeys and chimpanzees are known for acting and looking humanlike. Some
people, especially older couples or couples that are not able to have kids, adopt chimps or
monkeys as surrogate children, and treat them as their own child (Laufer 105). Exotic pets can
also be attention magnets. People that seek fame or attention buy these dangerous pets to
receive the attention they need (Laufer 104). Drug trafckers, gang members, and other
criminals are known to keep animals like tigers, lions, etc. to seem impressive, scary, and
powerful (Laufer 137). These people also want to dominate these animals, big cats especially,
and be able to control or master "the beast" (Laufer 45). Unfortunately, many of these
inuences are possible because it is so easy to buy almost any exotic pet, from tigers to
giraffes, in the United States, if you possess the money (Laufer 45). Exotic pets endanger the
public, and their owners, due to unpredictable behavior and disease. Therefore, they should be
illegal to own in the United States.
Laws on owning these exotic pets vary from state to state. There are no laws in the United
States which prohibit the ownership and sale of exotics, but there are in certain cities and states
(Kennedy). Some states ban certain types of animals, while in others you can own them if you
obtain a permit (Animal Planet). In Connecticut, it is illegal to keep big cats, wolves, bears,
chimpanzees, gorillas, or orangutans. However, other exotics are vague (Laufer 33). This is a
common scenario throughout the United States. Most of the laws are confusing and open up
many loopholes (Laufer 33). Tigers are easy to own in Texas, and they outnumber the
population in the wild (5,000 at least) (Laufer 35). Because these laws are not uniform and
confusing, they encourage the owning of exotic pets.
Exotic pets endanger the public if they escape, are set free, or attack people at roadside
zoos or farms. On October 19, 2011, in Ohio, a man set his private zoo of animals free before
he shot and killed himself. The animals set free included six black bears, two grizzles (PETA;
Bear Incidents), eighteen tigers, seventeen lions, and three mountain lions (PETA; Big- Cat
Incidents). The police later killed all of them because they posed a threat to the public (PETA;
Big- Cat Incidents). In Indiana, on October 2, 2010, two 900- to 1,000 pound tigers pushed out
a part of their cage and escaped. They acted aggressive, and the owner of the menagerie (a
small roadside zoo) was forced to shoot them (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). In Missouri, on May
19, 2008, an escaped black leopard approached a woman hanging laundry and clawed on her
door when she ran inside. It then charged a deputy who arrived at the house, ran past him, and
charged him again, before being shot and killed. It was believed to be an escaped pet (PETA;
Big- Cat Incidents). In Ohio, on November 19, 2007, a pet lion escaped from a cage and ran
onto a nearby highway, where it chased and attacked passing cars. It was eventually tempted
back into its cage (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). On October 1, 2007, in Nevada, a cougar
escaped from its holding pen at an animal compound and attacked a volunteer in the enclosure.
She was knocked to the ground and bitten on the neck, hands, and arms. The cougar stopped
when it heard emergency sirens approaching (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). In 2012, in Utah, a
woman and her dog were attacked by an escaped pet python in their backyard. The snake bit
her when she tried to pry its mouth open to release her dog, and it wrapped itself around her
and began to squeeze. She pulled it off, but it escaped. (Born Free USA). On November 15,
2008, in Florida, a cougar mauled a 16- year- old girl at a menagerie. It pinned her to the
ground and clenched its jaws around her head. She underwent extensive surgery to repair a
large gash in the back of her neck (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). Also in Florida, on November
18, 2006, a rented out cougar mauled a 4- year- old girl at a birthday party. The cougar took her
head in its mouth, which inicted severe cuts in the girls eyelids, cheek, and ear. She went
through surgery to reattach the part of her severed ear. The owner of the cougar had been cited
before for similar attacks (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). A 4- year- old boy in New York was
clawed by a tiger owned by an exotic zoo, on July 18, 2006, and received 14 stiches for a gash
on his head (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). All of these cases point to one question; after all of
these incidents, and incidents just like them, why are these dangerous animals still legal?
Exotic pets also pose a threat to owners and people who volunteer or work with them. People
that own these dangerous animals think they can control them. However, these animals are still
wild, contain wild instincts, and may attack anyone, even the person who raised them from birth.
They are unpredictable. A volunteer intern in California was attacked and killed by a lion on
March 6, 2013. The lion broke the interns neck with a paw swipe and mauled her body (PETA;
Big- Cat Incidents). Visitors at the MGM Grand Lion Habitat in Nevada looked on as a male
lion attacked a trainer on September 1, 2010 (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). On August 3, 2008,
in Missouri, an 800- pound tiger attacked a volunteer at an exotic animal farm while he cleaned
cages. It climbed the 14- ft. fence he stood on and grabbed his leg, ripping most of the skin off
down to the bone. He was immediately own to the hospital, where surgeons amputated his leg.
The owner of the facility tried to cover up the incident by claiming he was attacked by a pit bull
(PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). On August 4, 2008, a 16- year- old worker in Missouri was left a
quadriplegic after three tigers attacked him. He entered the enclosure to snap a picture of the
tigers for a visitor, when one of the tigers jumped on him and knocked him to the ground. The
other two joined in on the attack and dragged him to the water pool. Staff members used re
extinguishers to deter the cats while they pulled him from the cage. He was airlifted to the
hospital and suffered from severe neck and airway trauma, and serious leg lacerations (PETA;
Big- Cat Incidents). In Nebraska, in 2010, a man died after his 9- ft. python strangled him.
Police and paramedics pried the snake off of him, but he later died in the hospital (Omaha had
no laws against ownership of these animals) (Born Free USA). The owner of an exotic animal
farm in Florida died after she was kicked and sat on by a 1,800- pound camel. The local TV
news crew was lming the animals at the farm when the camel became agitated and attacked
the owner (Born Free USA). In Florida, an 8 "- ft. long Burmese python escaped from its cage
in the middle of the night, slithered into the babys crib, and strangled the baby (Laufer 43).
During a photo shoot with a tiger, for a music video in Florida on May 5, 2008, the owner of the
tiger was bitten. The tiger choked and became panicked when the chain around its neck and
body tightened. The owner sustained bone- deep puncture wounds to his calf while attempting
to remove the chain (PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). The owner of two cheetahs in Florida was
pinned down, clawed, and bitten for ten minutes by both cats on March 29, 2008, while she
conducted an exhibition for a fundraising event from inside the cage. She was removed from the
cage and airlifted to a hospital; she sustained 40 puncture wounds to her back, arms, and legs
(PETA; Big- Cat Incidents). After hearing story after story of incidents just like these, people
should stop and wonder if it is really worth it to own these animals.
It is not just big cats, snakes, and large animals that are dangerous. Chimpanzees and other
monkeys can be just as vicious. People think chimpanzees and monkeys are cute and gentle,
but they can suddenly turn savage, especially adult male chimpanzees (Laufer 94). Male
chimpanzees are four to seven times stronger than a human (Laufer 94). Also, monkeys can
become stressed by their alien environment, which triggers a wild response (Laufer 94). One of
the most famous of these attacks was by Travis, the chimpanzee. Travis owner treated him as
a human. He slept in a bed and drank wine at the table out of a wine glass. One day, he
suddenly became aggravated and ripped his owners friends face off (Laufer 26- 27). Zip was a
macaque that was let out of his cage for the rst time in two months, when he let out a blood-
curdling scream and attacked his owner. She was taken to the hospital for multiple wounds all
over her body (Laufer 26- 27). Angel, a monkey, never acted up, until she suddenly began
biting her owners hands and feet (Laufer 26- 27). A monkey, named Oliver, grew more and
more aggressive and disobedient as he grew older, until he nally attacked his owners, bit their
stomachs, and drew blood (Laufer 26- 27). Junior, a chimpanzee, was purchased for a girl as a
present after a critical surgery. He had the run of the household, and eventually attacked the
neighbor; she required many stiches (Laufer 26- 27). Although monkeys tend to cause few
fatalities, they are just as dangerous and unpredictable as any other exotic pet.
Exotic pets, especially reptiles and monkeys, carry several different diseases. These diseases
do not affect the animal, but can be fatal to the people who come in contact with them (Torres).
Some of the diseases they carry are herpes B, rabies, salmonella, and monkey pox (Torres).
Eighty to ninety percent of monkeys carry herpes B (Torres). All it takes to be infected is a bite
or a scratch, and you could catch this potentially fatal disease (Mott). Tests used to determine if
a monkey carries herpes B are not one- hundred percent accurate (Mott). According to the
HSUS, all reptiles and amphibians carry salmonella, and more than 74,000 cases of salmonella
poising are linked to these pets each year in the U.S. (Animal Planet). Coming into contact with
these animals can possibly give you a life threatening disease. Is it worth it?
Exotic pets endanger the lives of their owners and potentially the public. They carry dangerous
diseases, and attack and mutilate people. Confusing and inconsistent laws open many
loopholes and encourage ownership of these animals. If ownership of such animals was
declared illegal, due to their dangerous nature, the number of attacks and fatalities could be
greatly decreased.














Works Cited

Animal Planet. Facts About the Exotic Pet Trade. Animal Planet. Animal Planet, n.d. Web.
29 Feb, 2014. <http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/fatal-attractions/lists/facts-
exotic-pet-trade.html>.
Born Free USA. "Exotic Animal Incidents." National Geographic. National Geographic,
2014. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/animal-
intervention/interactives/exotic-animal-incidents/>.
Exotic. Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2014. <http://dictionary.refrence.com/
Browse/exotic>.
Kennedy, Emily. "The Dangers of the Exotic Pet Trade: From Tigers to Turtles." The
Wildlife Watch Binocular. The Wildlife Watch Binocular, Fall 2004. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.wildwatch.org/Binocular/bino01/pettrade.html>.
Laufer, Peter. Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic
Pets. Guilford, CT: Lyons, 2010. Print.
Mott, Maryann. "The Perils of Keeping Monkeys as Pets." National Geographic News.
National Geographic Society, 16 Sept. 2003. Web. 7 Feb. 2014. <http://
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/94367643.html>.
PETA. Bear Incidents in the United States. PETA, 2014. Web. 8 Feb. 2014.
http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/pdf/Bear-Incident-List-US-only.pdf.
PETA. Big- Cat Incidents in the United States. PETA, 2014. Web. 4 Feb. 2014. <http://
www.mediapeta.com/peta/pdf/Big-Cat-Incident-List-US-only.pdf>.
June 2003. Web. 7 Feb. 2014. <http://www.bornfreeusa.org/articles.php?more=
1&p=180>.
Torres, Krystal. "The Dangers of Owning Exotic Pets." Web log post. The Blog. Animal
Rescue League of Berks County, Inc., 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. <http://
www.berksarl.org/the-dangers-of-owning-exotic-pets/#sthash.KQ3iE8OT.dpbs>.























Works Consulted

Animal Planet. Facts About the Exotic Pet Trade. Animal Planet. Animal Planet, n.d. Web.
29 Feb, 2014. <http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/fatal-attractions/lists/facts-
exotic-pet-trade.html>.
Born Free USA. "Exotic Animal Incidents." National Geographic. National Geographic,
2014. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. <http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/wild/animal-
intervention/interactives/exotic-animal-incidents/>.
This is a secondary source because it is a collection of data from exotic
animal incidents. Born Free USA is a national animal advocacy nonprot
organization that works to end animal cruelty around the world by using legislation
and public education. Because of their mission, they have a bias towards ending the
owning of exotic animals. This source was useful because it is a database with
statistics and stories that I will be able to use in my paper.
Exotic. Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Feb. 2014. <http://dictionary.refrence.com/
Browse/exotic>.
Kennedy, Emily. "The Dangers of the Exotic Pet Trade: From Tigers to Turtles." The
Wildlife Watch Binocular. The Wildlife Watch Binocular, Fall 2004. Web. 7 Feb. 2014.
<http://www.wildwatch.org/Binocular/bino01/pettrade.html>.
This is a secondary source because the author is writing from a third- person
view. Emily Kennedy has a bachelors degree in Anthropology, a minor in
Environmental Studies, has been a research assistant for a White-faced Capuchin
Monkey project in Costa Rica, and is currently interning at the Jane
Goodall Institute. She has a bias towards not owning exotic animals because it
damages ecosystems and is dangerous to the owners and the public. This source
was useful because it talked about several problems with exotic pets and what
needs to be done to stop it. From this source, I will use the information about
why exotic pets are dangerous.
Laufer, Peter. Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic
Pets. Guilford, CT: Lyons, 2010. Print.
This is a primary source because it is a rsthand account of the
author's interviews with people for and against owning exotic pets. Peter Laufer
is an award winning author, journalist, and broadcaster. He has written and
broadcasted about borders, migration, and animal rights, and has made several
documentaries. He has a bias towards bot owning exotic animals. This source was
useful because I will be able to use the information about why people think they
should own these animals, along with the laws against it and stories of incidents
with these animals.
Mott, Maryann. "The Perils of Keeping Monkeys as Pets." National Geographic News.
National Geographic Society, 16 Sept. 2003. Web. 7 Feb. 2014. <http://
news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/94367643.html>.
This is a secondary source because it is written in third person. Maryann Mott
has been writing for over fteen years about pets and animal issues for several
major magazines. She has a bias towards not owning monkeys as pets because
they are aggressive and can carry diseases. The source was useful because I am
going to be able to use the information about why you should not own monkeys.
PETA. Bear Incidents in the United States. PETA, 2014. Web. 8 Feb. 2014.
http://www.mediapeta.com/peta/pdf/Bear-Incident-List-US-only.pdf.
PETA. Big- Cat Incidents in the United States. PETA, 2014. Web. 4 Feb. 2014. <http://
www.mediapeta.com/peta/pdf/Big-Cat-Incident-List-US-only.pdf>.
This is a secondary source because it is a database of cases where people
were hurt/killed by big cat pets. PETA is the largest animal rights organization in the
world, and it ghts animal cruelty through public education, media, research animal
rescue, and legislation. Because of its mission, it is biased against owning exotic
animals. This source was helpful because it is a has lots of incidents that I can use in
my paper.
"The Dirty Side of the Exotic Animal Pet Trade." Born Free USA. Born Free USA, 15
June 2003. Web. 7 Feb. 2014. <http://www.bornfreeusa.org/articles.php?more=
1&p=180>.
This source is a secondary source because it is written in third person. Born
Free USA is a national animal advocacy nonprot organization that works to end
animal cruelty around the world by using legislation and public education. Because
of their mission, they have a bias towards ending the owning of exotic animals.
It was useful because I will be able to use the information about the laws, internet,
backyard breeding, and the pet trade.
Torres, Krystal. "The Dangers of Owning Exotic Pets." Web log post. The Blog. Animal
Rescue League of Berks County, Inc., 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 8 Feb. 2014. <http://
www.berksarl.org/the-dangers-of-owning-exotic-pets/#sthash.KQ3iE8OT.dpbs>.
This source is a secondary source because it is written in third person. The
Animal Rescue League of Berks County is an animal shelter in Pennsylvania. They
have a blog that educates people on pets and how to take care of them, so they
have a bias against these exotic animals. The source was useful because I will be
able to use the information about how exotic pets carry disease, and are hard and
expensive to care for.