With the release of the new Netflix series, Tiger King, there has been a lot more buzz around the amount of exotic animals in America. The series has a large focus on a man called Joe Exotic who owned a private zoo in Oklahoma, which at its peak had around 200 exotic "big cats." This included tiger-lion hybrids which have less regulation on them due to not technically being an endangered species.
Every state has slightly different laws about what exotic pets are allowed and if permits are needed to keep them. In a lot of southern states, private zoos with exotic animals are surprisingly popular. However, to look at exotic animals in America, we need to go back to the beginnings of zoos in this nation.
The Philadelphia Zoo was created in 1874 and didn't house too many exotic animals at that point, but it was the first of its kind and attracted a lot of attention. This zoo continued to grow and have accomplishments like breeding cheetahs and opened their own research center. Other zoos popped up in America following this. Around the same time, and into the mid 20th century, travelling circuses were quite popular. These performances included elephants and lions super often, and although that's its own blog in itself, it made these animals available and more relevant in America.
The 1973 Endangered Species Act helps to protect endangered species that are taken directly from the wild, however, many of the animals that Americans have as pets have been bred in America, and therefore not protected by this act. Cubs are born in the states and sold to random people without permits, and these animals aren't being tracked to make sure they are in good hands.A lot of the novelty of having exotic pets wears off as soon as the animals are no longer young and begin to become more dangerous and cost more in upkeep than originally planned. This means that they aren't being given proper care and overall isn't a good situation for the owners or the animals.
Exotic pets are still at large in America, especially in states like Florida, and can be devastating to communities when tens of animals are accidentally (or intentionally) released into a neighborhood and there isn't any protocol on what to do if you see a cheetah walking down the street. There need to be federal laws on the private ownership of animals not native to America and better screening in order to get these animals out of endangerment of extinction.
Sources:
https://longreads.com/2020/03/16/tiger-trafficking-in-america/
https://philadelphiazoo.org/about-the-zoo/
https://www.turpentinecreek.org/history-of-the-exotic-pet-trade/
https://bigcatrescue.org/state-laws-exotic-cats/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-44444016
I think that this phenomenon of a show truly surfaced the extent of animal rights abuses that continue to take place throughout America. I think that the many incidents brought up in the docuseries also highlight the need for increased regulations because exotic animals have too many times ended up in the wrong hands. One of these situations brought up in the show is the Zanesville Exotic Animal Escape of 2011, which involved a 62 year old veteran uncaging 56 exotic pets into the Ohio suburbs area surrounding his animal farm. Most of these animals were shot dead by first responders and police and the man who released them died as well, but this created great confusion as a man who claimed to have loved animals willingly set them free into what would be instant death.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.gq.com/story/terry-thompson-ohio-zoo-massacre-chris-heath-gq-february-2012
I really enjoyed reading this post and I thought it was very interesting since I also just finished Tiger King on Netflix. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) has saved many animals, including the Bald Eagle, from extinction. Recently, though, the Trump Administration proposed rolling back on the ESA. The possible changes involve altering what counts as a critical habitat and what protections endangered species receive. This proposal was designed to make the implementation of the ESA more consistent. Many environmentalists criticized this proposal, arguing that it supports corporate interests, especially for the oil and manufacturing industries.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/19/17591746/endangered-species-act-us-fish-and-wildlife-noaa-threatened-critical-habitats
I really like how you have brought to light an interesting topic of exotic pets, but also explain the issues surrounding them and how the United States needs to take action on it. Upon further research, I found that exotic pets actually pose serious issues to human health. Not only can they bite or scratch their owners, but can also carry deadly diseases like the herpes B virus and salmonella bacteria.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.livescience.com/16667-exotic-pets-attack-ohio.html