Avian Or Exotic Species As Pets
Throughout history man has domesticated different animals for many purposes. Some were domesticated for mere companionship but mostly for work. Horses, mules and camels have been used for centuries to carry people or cargo from destination to destination. And dogs have been long used for many working conditions such as herding and guarding. But in today's society the most common reason for owning a domesticated animal in the home is for companionship and entertainment.
People own all types of exotic pets like primates, reptiles and even insects. Some are very large like primates and some are very small like parakeets. But is it fair or even safe to remove these creatures from their natural environment? Animals such as wolves are meant to be in packs and need to socialize with their own species in order to learn how to survive. To domesticate an animal is to remove it from its natural habitat and adapt it to ours. But can all animals adapt to our way of life?
So what makes an animal prime for domestication? Weren't all animals wild at some point? Are some animals not meant for domestication? Its believed that some animals by nature are more docile and more prone to trust human contact than others. Horses have been domesticated for centuries and seemed to adapt very well into the human world, as well as dogs and cats. Parrots are becoming very popular due to their entertainment value as well.
But what about predatory animals like lions, bears or wolves? Their naturally aggressive nature doesn't seem to make them good candidates for pets. So, how can we tell which animals are good as pets and which are best left to nature? There are ways to tell but not everyone heeds the warnings involved with owning a wild animal as a pet.
Controversy
Some people believe that wild animals will always be wild animals and will never lose their natural instinct, especially predatory animals like bears or lions. But there are some who believe through the appropriate process or procedures that these animals can and have been tamed or even domesticated. There are numerous incidents where a once believed tamed or domesticated animal attacked out of instinct injuring or even killing a human owner or trainer. People are often shocked when this happens never expecting a loving animal that they trusted to behave this way. But wild animals still have their wild instincts and they will act out of fear if they feel threatened or scared. This makes taking wild animals into our homes dangerous and unpredictable.
Congress would like to ban all exotic pets in this country. Through a bill they plan to stop the import of all non-native species into the United States, as well as ban sales, breeding and transportation into the country. Congress believes that with the passing of this bill they will prevent ecological upsets of animals being removed from their natural habitats, as well as the spread of exotic diseases that some of the animals have been known to carry. Some people do not realize the care needed for these animals and simply set them free into the ecosystem causing issued that can be detrimental to humans. One such instance are the Quaker parrots in California. These parrots have learned to adapt to the environment and have nested in trees and power lines all over the state causing many issues for residents. It is now illegal to own or breed Quaker parrots in the state of California, as well as Connecticut, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Wyoming. Georgia has banned the ownership of the birds and now considers them to be part of the ecosystem.
It can be very difficult to know how an animal will adapt to being brought out of its own environment and thrust into one it has never known. Let's look at some reasons why or why not it is a good idea to take in wild animals as pets.
Evidence
Disadvantages
Domestication of a species takes centuries of careful selection, training and breeding. In the past, certain animals were chosen for specific reasons such as docility. Horses and cows are both docile creatures and have easily been domesticated into our world. Dogs and cats are two very prime examples of domesticated animals that have for centuries been in our lives as companions. But what about animals that are naturally hostile or aggressive? Can we trust an animal in our home that is a known predator?
There are many reasons why we shouldn't domesticate some species of wild animals but the biggest reason is their unpredictable nature. There have been numerous attacks of wild animals on trainers or owners. One very famous attack was on Roy Horn of Siegfried & Roy, a German-American pair who do live performances with tigers on stage. This duo had worked with tigers for 44 years when one of the tigers unexpectedly attacked Roy Horn on stage at his 59th birthday celebration. Something in the crowd distracted the tiger and the animal acted on instinct refusing to listen to his trainer's commands. The tiger then turned on Roy clamping down on the man's neck and dragging him off stage.[1] Another more recent and horrifying publicized attack happened in February of 2009 when a woman's pet chimpanzee attacked her friend as she entered her home. The chimp, named Travis, immediately jumped on Charla Nash, 55, and began tearing and biting at the woman's face. Despite the owner's efforts to stop the attack, the animal severely maimed the woman's face and hands, destroying one eyelid, and her lips and nose.[2]
Wild animals can also carry diseases. Since it is not yet mandatory to have these animals vaccinated they could be carrying dangerous viral or bacterial infectious diseases unknown to us that could be harmful or even fatal to human beings or other domesticated animals. Some wild animals are studied from a distance because we are unsure of where these animals have been and what they have been exposed to. In the past, there have been numerous diseases that animals have passed onto us including swine flu, avian flu, rabies, and even the plague which was spread by fleas on rats in Europe.
In the wild, animals serve a purpose whether they are food for other animals or whether they reseed and germinate the ground like parrots. Removing an animal from the environment can cause problems just as if that animal were going extinct. If we start domesticating wild animals we may cause an upset in the ecological environment and cause ourselves more harm than good. And because some animals refuse to breed in captivity, the idea of causing an animal's extinction due to domestication is highly likely.
Wild animals can sometimes require special diets that can sometimes be unknown or expensive. By denying an animal what it is required to eat can be detrimental to the species. And some species need to learn from their mother what is needed to catch or obtain their food. If a wild animal is not taught how to get its own food it will not survive on its own. And providing a wild animal with what it does need can be very costly or even unobtainable to humans.
Captivity can sometimes cause a wild animal stress and discomfort. It is the reason some animals were not domesticated in the first place. Domestication requires a certain criteria and some animals are just not suitable for such a process. Doing so can be dangerous for the animal and for the human. The animal may become sick or depressed because it needs something you cannot provide and may even lead to the death of the animal.
It's very important to understand the dangers and requirements that wild animals have. We may not always be able to provide what is needed.
