Exotic Animal Trade

The exotic animal trade is an issue that concerns me greatly; the trade is dangerous to the citizens that own them, as well as being a generally atrocious situation for the animals. Exotic animals are constantly being brought over to the United States illegally, with the occasional legal transactions. They can be bought from roadside menageries, from the people that capture them in the wild, from auctions, over the internet, or from backyard breeders. It’s legal in a few states to own them, but they aren’t seriously considering the hazards the animals can bring. Many of them carry diseases, they are volatile, and they are wild animals. Wild animals are not safe, and their owners can’t provide the correct care for non domesticated animals. Taking into consideration these risks, does this really seem like a safe situation to condone?
When people buy exotic animals they don’t realize how much care these animals need; transferring from the wild, to an enclosed structure is a big change, and not a good one. They need special care, appropriate housing, a specific diet, and so on. With all this work average people are not able to provide for the animals. This leads to poor conditions for them, a lot of times they are trapped in small metal cages with no shelter. Situations like this can lead to abnormal animal behavior such as self mutilation. The animals at that point have essentially been driven mad. Cruel and inappropriate treatment is common among exotic pet owners; they are beaten into submission, they will have the animal’s claws and teeth removed and are left alone for extended periods of time almost in solitary confinement. These animals are wild, they cannot handle being in that kind of environment, it is unhealthy, and it is bad for their mental state. When the owners decide that they can’t sufficiently care for them, they give them away to zoos, there isn’t enough room for all of the unwanted animals though, meaning that a lot of times they end up being