Dangers of Keeping Exotic Pets

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Hidden Dangers of Exotic Pets

Ladies and gentlemen, ever wondered the harm that exotic pet you are fond of could cause you? First, exotic pets are wild animals that are kept within the human households and tamed to become domestic animals. Examples are chimpanzees, snakes, hedgehogs, turtle, and the skunk among others. Has anyone heard of the lady who was attacked by her pet snake two months ago? Candy owned a Burmese python pet called Rich. However, one day as she was feeding her pet, Rich fiercely attacked Candy where the attack led to her being admitted in hospital with brutal injuries. Candy even lost some of her fingers, and her face had scars all over. Regardless of exotic pets being friendly to their owners and also very popular in many households, they still pose a threat to their health. I have spent more than one-year studying cases where people have been attacked by their pets. Exotic pets have gained popularity among many people here. At the moment around 100 thousand people have been assaulted by their pets. Now, what other instances are the dangers of keeping exotic pets?

The Health Threats of Exotic Pets

Even though people prefer keeping exotic pets, they pose a lot of health threats to them. First, the exotic pets can become aggressive and injure someone in cases where they are not fed properly. Reason being, wild animals, are not used to making bonds with people and we as humans do not know how to feed the animals (Burghardt 448). The poor feeding makes them malnourished, and they adopt behavioral disorders. When I was ten years old, my mother used to have a chimpanzee by the name Chanel for a pet. However, one day as I was playing with channel while feeding her, she pounced on me and caused injuries on my body. Do you see these scars on my arms and legs?

Diseases Carried by Exotic Pets

The exotic pets also carry diseases that are easily transmitted to their owners. For example, monkeys are highly infected with the Herpes B virus. In my study, I learned that almost 90 percent of the monkeys have the infection. However, the disease causes no harm to the monkeys but is deadly in human beings. The monkey passes the disease through saliva or through scratching a person (Haro 476). About ten people in the last one year have been diagnosed with the disease after being scratched by the pets while playing with them. 30 people were also diagnosed with a salmonella infection after handling sick reptiles. How many of you own monkey pets or snake pets?

Suffering of Exotic Pets

The exotic pets also suffer in the hands of their owners. The pets have special diet needs and require an environment anywhere they are free to roam. Careless pet owners are not able to feed the animals well leading to their malnutrition (Cooper 245). Also, the wild animals are used to staying in a free environment unlike in the cages where they have been captivated. About 20 pets have died in the last few months due to poor nutrition. Some have escaped from their cages.

In Conclusion: The Importance of Avoiding Exotic Pets

In conclusion, while there are increasing numbers of wild animals being kept as pets, many owners don’t understand the dangers they expose themselves. The exotic pets often cause severe injuries to people and even loss of body parts. Additionally, they can transmit diseases to their owners. Lastly, pet animals suffer in the custody of their owners. Therefore, you should avoid keeping wild animals for pets. Thank you all for listening to me, hope you have learned a lot, and you will avoid exotic pets.

Works Cited

Burghardt, G. M. “Keeping reptiles and amphibians as pets: challenges and rewards.” Veterinary Record 181.17 (2017): 447-449.

Cooper, John E., and David L. Williams. “The feeding of live food to exotic pets: Issues of welfare and ethics.” Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine 23.3 (2014): 244-249.

Haro, Luc. “Injury and Envenomation by Exotic Snakes and Other Venomous Pets in Europe.” Clinical Toxinology in Australia, Europe, and Americas (2018): 471-483.