Exotic Animals As Pets: Good or Bad?

Luke Johnson, Contributing Writer

There has been a lot of debate on whether or not exotic animals should be kept as pets or not. I do not think that keeping exotic animals as pets is a good idea, and for a couple of reasons.

They are wild animals, they require extensive care, and they can spread diseases to people. Not only that, but the animals that are kept are, in most cases, being mistreated. With the new release of the show “Tiger King,” people could see how the Tigers were being treated poorly.

Beginning with the fact that exotic animals are wild, most of these animals are dangerous to be kept as pets. Now while some may argue that not all exotic animals are dangerous, such as the sugar glider, a majority of exotic pets will pose some type of threat. According to PETA, a 4-year-old boy got his arm ripped off by a pet Bengal tiger that lashed out. Some pose more threats than others, but the bottom line is these animals will always be wild, no matter how much we try to domesticate them.

Furthermore, exotic animals require extreme amounts of work to be cared for. While you can see a few instances where people legally buy an exotic pet and they have the dedication and resources to care for these pets, most people do not have these things. Not many people can dedicate a lot of their time and money to take care of an exotic pet.

What’s worse, if these special and important needs for the animal are not met, they can have serious mental and health issues. According to National Geographic, if tigers don’t have natural flooring substances in their enclosure, it can hurt the health of their feet. Also, if tigers don’t have many toys or activities to do, it can hurt their mental health. Most people often underestimate how much care these animals need, and the animals end up living miserable lives.

In addition, exotic animals can pass on diseases to humans. According to PETA, seventy-five percent of all new infectious diseases originate from nonhuman animals. Exotic animals pose a health threat to humans, as they can transmit dangerous diseases like the monkeypox.

To stop exotic animals from being sold as pets, do research which ones are to avoid buying them. Instead, get an actual domesticated pet like a dog or a cat, as they are easy to care for and don’t have any of the problems that exotic animals do. On top of that, they will love you unconditionally!