Captive Versus Wild. My last few papers have been on the subject of wild-caught versus captive-bred

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1 Chris Newman Malory Klocke Argument Captive Versus Wild My last few papers have been on the subject of wild-caught versus captive-bred exotic pets. I have presented information and explained both sides of the debate extensively, but I had to do so completely objectively. In this paper I m allowed to share my own opinion on the topic, which I will gladly do. To clarify; when I say exotic pet I am not referring to large carnivores, such as tigers and bears, or non-human primates such as chimpanzees and capuchin monkeys. The suitability of those animals as pets has been under much debate in recent years, and is as such a completely separate topic that I am not going to delve into in this paper. When I say exotic pet in the context of this paper, I am referring to animals already commonly seen in the pet trade such as ferrets and other small mammals, bearded dragons and other lizards, turtles, tarantulas and other invertebrates, and smaller, non-venomous snakes. Basically, it refers to anything commonly kept as a pet other than a domestic cat or dog. My stance on the debate between captive bred and wild caught pets is almost 100% on the side of captive breeding, for numerous reasons which I will cover here. I have to concede that wild capture does have a role to play in the exotic pet trade, since it is true that every captive bred specimen has a wild caught animal in its bloodline if you look back far enough. My own view on that is that once you have a healthy and

2 Newman 2 substantial captive breeding population, wild capture of those animals should cease to avoid damaging the native ecology you are taking them from. The danger to the native ecology of these species cannot be emphasized enough. There is an entire genus of tarantulas native to India that has reached the endangered species lists of every major animal conservation group. The poecilotheria genus is so rare in the wild that it is believed that several species will become extinct in their native habitat within the next 20 years. If that comes to pass, the specimens kept by pet owners and captive breeding projects will be the only ones remaining in the world. It may be possible that in the future captive bred examples of these species can be reintroduced to their native ranges, but the necessity of that happening can be averted by the cessation of wild capture for the pet trade. Capture for the pet trade and habitat destruction are the two main causes of these spiders current plight, and both of those things are preventable. The sad thing here is that there is already a sizable captive breeding population of these tarantulas in the United States and Europe, and yet they are still hunted to become pets of people who want to have a rare animal in their collection. It is not just tarantulas that this happens to. Nearly every exotic animal species that is commonly kept as a pet is under threat in the wild from over-harvesting for the pet trade. Captive breeding projects can solve the problem of over-harvesting, but many people are impatient and want their flashy exotic pet as an adult right now, instead of waiting for several years for a captive bred specimen to reach adulthood. Those people honestly anger me, because they view these animals as nothing more than a status

3 Newman 3 symbol to show off to their friends. If their contribution to over-harvesting means that their pet is now more rare than it was before, that just makes the status of having one that much more appealing. The health of the animals is also of concern. In an interview conducted by myself, Jennifer Newman, LVT, informed me that Wild caught animals need to be screened for parasites (both internal and external) as well as other contagions such as viral and bacterial infections that can possibly be transmitted to humans. For example, rats in the wild can carry plague (from fleas), and leptospirosis. Wild caught reptiles and invertebrates are prone to mite and fungal infections that can infect and potentially wipe out an owner's collection of similar animals. (Newman, 2012). She also went on to say that the stress of capturing them in the wild can lead to injuries of the animals, both short and long term. Tarantulas can develop cysts that pose a threat to their future well-being, and other animals can sustain broken bones and stress-related illness during the shipping process to their destination as someone s pet (Newman, 2012). Captive bred animals avoid the majority of these problems by never having been exposed to the parasites common to their wild brethren in the first place. Captive bred animals are also not usually shipped overseas, as most captive breeders take care that their animals are not in transit for more than a day or two before reaching their new homes. As a breeder of tarantulas myself, I feel horrible if I discover that something has happened to a spider I had a hand in breeding, either in shipping or after reaching its destination. A dealer of wild caught animals has no such attachment to what they sell, because their stock was plucked out of the wild and they simply think Oh well, there s

4 Newman 4 more where that one came from. Another excellent reason to avoid wild caught animals as pets is the fact that a wild caught animal will take much longer to bond with its new owner, if it ever bonds at all. Many wild caught pets are captured as adults or near-adult juveniles. As such, their first experience with a human being was most likely being snatched out of their home environment and stuffed in a box or bag. Animals that have gone through that experience may view human beings as a threat for the remainder of their life, making bonding with a pet owner impossible, or at least very unlikely. My own bearded dragon was a captive bred baby when I purchased her directly from a breeder. Since she has interacted with humans her entire life she does not view us as a threat, and actually seems to enjoy interacting with me. When I pet her she closes her eyes and extends her head upward into my finger, and does not give any of the signs that species uses to show that it feels threatened or defensive. I have witnessed similar interactions with a wild caught lizard of the same species and that one s reaction was very different. It did not attack, but it flattened itself out to appear larger and bearded out, which is when they extend the skin on their throat to appear larger and more threatening. That is not the reaction of a happy lizard. Since the bonding between a pet and its owner is one of the main reasons to own a pet in the first place, why would you want a pet that sees you as a threat? The next reason captive bred pets are preferable is the mistreatment commonly conducted by the people capturing wild animals or shipping them abroad. Even if it is legal to own an animal in the country you live in, it does not mean that animal was

5 Newman 5 legally brought into the country. Parrots, for example, are still commonly caught in the wild as young adults and smuggled into the destination country. In a Seattle Times article titled Beastly Crimes Kevin Hall goes into detail on some of the inhumane practices used by animal smugglers to get their contraband into the destination country without being caught. One of the techniques used on endangered parrots is to drug them and tape their legs and wings shut, as well as their beaks, and then stuffing them into a plastic tube in someone s carry-on bag. Elsewhere in the article, Mr. Hall mentions that monkeys are blinded with a hot needle so they will appear tame to buyers, even though they may have been captured just hours before in the rain forest. The feathers of macaws are often covered in motor oil so they will not fly away (Hall, 2001). Those are just some of the terrible things illegal animal smugglers will do to make a quick buck off these animals. And almost without exception these animals are legal to have as pets if they are bred in captivity, which just makes the fact that they are subjected to such treatment that much worse. In conclusion, I believe that if you want to have an exotic pet, captive bred examples of the species are the only ones you should consider. The impact to the ecologies of the animals native range is too great, the decline of the numbers of them in the wild is too rapid, and the treatment of the animals in transit is to abhorrent to consider wild capture of these animals to be a viable option. Or at least not one you should consider if you want to have a clear conscience.

6 Newman 6 Works Cited Hall, K. G. (2001, August 16). Beastly Crimes. The Seattle Times, p. A3. Newman, J. (2012, February 19). LVT. (C. Newman, Interviewer)

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