naturalpet
Forbidden Creatures Author Peter Laufer On the Dark Side of “Owning” Exotic Pets
by Gail Condrick P
eter Laufer, Ph.D., is the James Wallace Chair in Journal-
ism at the University of Oregon School of Journal- ism and Communications, a broadcaster and the author of 12 books. His latest, Forbidden Creatures, exposes the illegal network of hunters, traders, breeders and customers who are nega- tively impacting the lives of exotic ani- mals, humans and the environment.
In Forbidden Creatures, as you explored people’s fasci- nation with collecting exotic and forbidden animals, what
did you fi nd? Many of us like to think that humans are the ultimate animal, and that we can tame the rest of nature. My research for the book intro- duced me to an engaging cast of charac- ters, many of
who fantasized not just about communing with exotic beasts, but controlling them. Such dreams can
mals also exists, along with trade that skirts the law. It is the illegal wildlife trade that further threatens already endangered species and creates a crisis for survival.
How many exotic animals are
there in the United States? No one knows the answer, because there is no census of exotic pets and the legal enforcement issues differ from state to state and by locality. In fact, while we licensed dogs, we have no overarching law governing exotics, or even a national registry of own- ers. This remains a great frustration to many people and organizations work- ing for the benefi t of the animals.
dissolve into night- mares in seconds and without warning.
Exotic animals are col- lected and owned by celebrities, criminals and your neighbors. In
fact, there are more captive-bred tigers in private homes in Texas than in the wild in India. I found a tiger in the back of a feed store in Idaho, a colony of chimpanzees in the countryside south of St. Louis and laundry bags full of pythons at a former missile base in the Everglades. There are legal auc- tions of exotic animals from aardvarks to zebras in Missouri, and sales of black market chimps on the Internet.
You have stated that illegal trading of wild and protected animals is growing exponen-
tially; how profi table is this? Wild animal traffi cking profi ts are estimated by Interpol to be $10 billion to $20 billion a year. It’s the third most lucrative illegal business in the world, trailing only drugs and weapons smug- gling. It is easy to accomplish, the risks of capture are slim and penalties are minimal. Many amateurs also bring in animals for their own pleasure, based on their personal fascination for the exotic.
Legal trade in endangered ani- 20 Greater Oklahoma/OKC Edition |
www.NaturalAwakeningsOKC.com
What can animal lovers do?
Education is needed to make conscious choices. Most of the people who col- lect exotics are ignorant of the long- term impact of owning these animals. The cute and cuddly tiger cub or baby chimp may look like an entertaining pet now, but what about the future? What will this animal be like in six months or six years? When animals reach their ado- lescence and full body weight, we must ask: How will they be cared for and what will their lives be like? Chimps and other great apes grow to be stronger than a man, are overtly dangerous and must be corralled. Pythons can grow to 20 feet, endan- gering other pets and humans. Often, people cannot keep up with the expenses of the food and care, and release the animals to sanctuaries or simply drop them off in the wild. This creates further repercussions for society and the en- vironment. The
reality is that exotic pets will not live
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