May 16, 2008 09:43 am
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COLLEGE STATION – So you’ve thought about buying a neat animal like a lion or tiger and making a pet out of it in the backyard?
Not so fast, say animal experts.
“There really is not one good reason for an individual to own big exotic carnivores,” says Dr. J. Jill Heatley, a professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University and an expert in exotic pets.
“There are numerous reasons why you should not own one. I would strongly advise anyone considering this idea to think it through very carefully. If a person buys one, it’s a good bet that both the animal and the owner will end up unhappy.”
Big exotic carnivores include lions, tigers, jaguars, servals, leopards, bears and cougars.
Texas is home to more exotic animals than any state in the country, and there are thousands of the animals living in homes and ranches across the state. So many, in fact, that the state passed some new laws several years ago intending to restrict the widespread ownership of dangerous exotic animals.
The new laws say each county must have its own regulations and enforcement regarding exotic animals. Many counties have banned ownership of exotics, while others have much stricter laws regarding the animals.
The negatives of owning an exotic animal far outweigh any benefits, Heatley believes.
First consideration is cost. Many exotics animals can cost thousands of dollars each. “Plus, they need a specific diet, and that includes high-quality meat or meat products, and these diets can be very expensive,” Heatley adds.
“A large cat like a tiger or lion can easily consume 6-8 pounds of meat a day. It’s very rare when an exotic can be trained to eat cat food like a typical house cat.”
Another huge consideration: personal risk.
It’s not uncommon for an exotic animal to turn on its owner or others for seemingly no reason, Heatley explains. Recently, a bear used in several Hollywood productions suddenly attacked its trainer, killing him.
“An exotic pet can go from a loving, trusting pet to an attack animal in a split second,” Heatley says. “When a 300- or 400-pound animal has a mood change, the damage it can inflict can be very serious. We must remember that these are still wild animals and as such their reactions can be difficult if not impossible to predict.
“There are some remarkable stories about owners having the same animal for years and suddenly it attacks them. And if the animals should ever escape, many people can be at risk.”
Even those animals which have been declawed and have their teeth filed down or surgically removed can still inflict mortal damage to a human in a few moments, she adds.
Because exotics are often kept outdoors, it means they must be placed in cages, and rarely are such cages a healthy environment, Heatley notes.
Many cages are too small, and the living conditions are often less than ideal for the animal and can border on outright abuse and neglect.
The bottom line: leave caring for exotic animals to the experts, Heatley advises.
“We have some wonderful zoos in our area that do an excellent job caring for and protecting and preserving big cats and other large exotic carnivores, such as the Houston and Waco zoos,” Heatley says. “These are excellent places to view and enjoy the majesty of these beautiful creatures without the danger or expense of private ownership.”
“Some game preserves or licensed exhibitors might have a need for some exotic carnivores. But for the average citizen, there is no good reason for him or her to own such an animal,” Heatley says. “Even for those who do own exotics, you can often find several glaring faults in their ownership methods.”
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