able if our own sur- vival is at stake. But to subjugate other beings for our amusement diminishes our own self-worth.


Animal smuggling exists because there is a market for it. Deci- sions to purchase or own


an exotic animal cannot be made in isolation; every action has an impact upstream. We need to realize that there is an environmental impact of removing creatures from their habitats and teach the benefits of seeing animals in their natural environments. Wild animals do not need us. We should leave other animals alone, and they should remain forbidden creatures.


For more information, visit


PeterLaufer.com.


Connect with Gail Condrick, writer and work- shop leader, at GaelaVisions.com.


Respect for the Wild Things Local Experts Agree: Exotic Animals Are Not Good Pets


by Yvette Lynn L


ike his older brother and zoo director, Da- vid, Tim Tetzlaff, direc- tor of conservation and communications for the nonprofit Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, grew up around a collection of rare and exotic animals. His parents, Nancy Jane and Larry Tetzlaff, also known as Safari Jane and Jungle Larry, managed zoo operations and were


Tim Tetzlaff


internationally recognized expedition leaders, who traversed lush Amazonian rainforests and dusty African roads Yet even with their vast experience, their home wasn’t filled with exotic pets for their sons. “Other than the iguana I had for several years before it went to live at the zoo, we often had a young animal in our home when it needed round-the- clock care but my parents always took it back to the zoo when it was older.” “David and I grew up taking care of our two dogs and a domestic cat,” says Tetzlaff. “Mom and Dad knew that animals like lions, tigers, venomous snakes and monkeys don’t make good pets because they can be aggressive and unpredictable, and can never be truly domesticated.”


Anja Kordon, a doctor of veteri- nary medicine and owner of Animal Health Oasis, a holistic veterinary practice, agrees wholeheartedly. Before opening her practice, Kordon per-


formed veterinary services for an exotic animal clinic in Fort Myers. Offering an education to naive clients at every opportunity, Kordon cautioned that a domestic environment is the wrong place for wild animals. When clients brought in their sick turtles in plastic bowls with plastic islands and min- iature plastic palm trees, they frequently asked Kordon if she knew why the turtle quit eating and got sick. “I pointed to nature and told them to go sit by a pond and watch turtles in their natural habitat,” says Kordon, who recommends enjoying nature’s bounty of wildlife where it lives, or at the zoo. Tetzlaff says the subject of exotic pets is discussed during the zoo’s Safari Can- yon Theater shows, and it is common for people to ask


if a particular wild animal would make a good pet for their family. “People see these extraordinary animals with a celebrity on TV or at a pet store, and they want one,” he affirms. Tetzlaff un- derstands the emotion because he has been blessed with a lifetime spent with wild creatures, but he cautions that few individuals comprehend what it takes to properly care for exotics or the dam- age even small animals can do. Tetzlaff has seen problems arise


after someone realized that their teen- age fascination for owning a python was over, and they didn’t want to care for the snake 20 years later. Or, they woke up to the fact that their parrot or tortoise was going to outlive them. Al- though many people assume that a zoo or sanctuary will be a grateful recipi- ent of a “free” animal, this is a myth. “The zoo now fields enough unwanted pet calls, that we have the subject as an option on our incoming recorded message,” advises Tetzlaff. “Zoos have limited space and resources to care for wildlife and simply cannot afford to take in unwanted animals.”


Anja Kordon


The Florida Fish and Wildlife Con- servation Commission, which licenses and monitors ownership of exotic spe- cies, cautions people to do their home- work regarding state regulations. Visit MyFWC.com, and click on Ask FWC to learn more about regulations governing class-one animals and other captive wildlife. “The best thing is to not buy an exotic animal, but if you do, ask lots of questions and do plenty of research before making a purchase,” empha- sizes Tetzlaff. “That’s common sense when buying anything except a new iPad, which won’t need to be fed, watered, exercised, cleaned and taken to the vet for the next five to 50 years.”


Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, 1590 Goodlette Rd. N., Naples 34102. Visit CaribbeanGardens.com.


Animal Health Oasis, 6720 One Oak Blvd., Naples 34109. Call 239-297- 6519 or visit AnimalHealthOasis.com.


natural awakenings April 2011 43


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