Article On Illegal Pet Trade - June 20 3 45

Adele Birkenes
June 19, 2014

The Hidden Side of the Exotic Pet Trade
With an income of approximately 19 billion USD per year, the illegal wildlife trade
results in the deaths of millions of exotic animals. Wildlife crime is the largest
direct threat to many endangered species and is second only to habitat
destruction in overall threats. According to People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals (PETA), For every animal that makes it to the store or the auction,
countless others die along the way. What is happening to these animals? Why is
it happening? What are the consequences of this trade on both society and the
environment?
Exotic animals suffer from the moment they are taken away from their natural
habitats and transported to warehouses. Parrots often have their beaks taped
and are stuffed into plastic tubes that can be easily hidden in luggage, while
baby turtles are trapped inside their shells with tape and shoved by the dozen
into tube socks. In May 2014, authorities at Suvarnabhumi International Airport
in Thailand confiscated hundreds of endangered tortoises from two wildlife
smugglers who aimed to sell them as exotic pets. Among the recovered animals
were 54 critically endangered ploughshare tortoises, which represented over 10
percent of the population of the entire species, estimated at 400 to 600
individuals. Within a few weeks, nearly half of the tortoises had died, most likely
due to shocks during transportation.
In the warehouses, conditions are crowded, dirty, and poorly ventilated, and
animals do not have adequate access to food, water, and basic care. For
instance, in one of the largest exotic pet seizures in U.S. history, veterinarians,
biologists, and other exotic animal experts partners with Texas state authorities
to investigate U.S. Global exotics, a major international wholesaler. They found
that 80 percent of the 27,000 animals were sick, injured, or dead; many were
dehydrated, starving, or infested with parasites. During a stock turnover period
of six weeks, nearly 72 percent of the exotic animals died and were discarded at
the facility.
Even the animals who survive long enough to be sold are subjected to
mistreatment at the hands of their owners, who are unable to provide
environments similar to the animals natural habitats. As cute baby animals grow
into dangerous adults, their needs for food, space, and stimulation are virtually
impossible to satisfy in a domestic setting. As a result, the animals often end up
in cages, where they are neglected and abused. Furthermore, children and
traditional pets pose a significant risk to exotic pets. Hedgehogs can easily
become injured if forcefully unrolled from their defensive position or attacked by
cats. According to the Western Cape of Africas Environmental Crime
Investigation unit, 90 percent of exported reptiles die within a year.
The exotic pet trade is fueled by consumer demand in increasingly affluent
countries. Viet Nam, for example, has only recently become a major market for
the industry. Since state controls were relaxed and foreign trade was opened to
the whole world in the 1990s, the middle class has expanded substantially, and
with it, demand for exotic pets to display wealth and social standing has risen.
Adele Birkenes
June 19, 2014
Additionally, potential consumers worldwide are able to negotiate deals through
the Internet, which has become a global marketplace. Illegal couriers can
sometimes pass through airport customs with relative ease due to corruption and
a lack of security enforcement. A further cause of consumer demand is the
popularity of tourism that promotes the domestication of exotic animals, such as
the Sri Racha Tiger Zoo in Chonburi, Thailand, which presents tigers as peaceful
and tame.
In addition to causing the unnecessary suffering of animals, the exotic pet trade
endangers the lives of the people who purchase the pets. According to the
Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are many exotic species
that may be unknown vectors of human disease. All reptiles and amphibians
carry salmonella; over 74,000 cases of salmonella poisoning are linked to these
pets each year in the United States alone. Exotic animals also tend to develop
behavioral issues that can lead to bites and attacks.
The exotic pet trade not only causes damage to the trafficked animals natural
habitats; it also has the potential to destroy ecosystems surrounding the owners
homes. Burmese pythons are native to Asia, with a natural habitat stretching
from eastern India through Viet Nam and into southern China. However, they
were first brought to the United States in the 1990s through the illegal pet trade.
Since then, a number of them have escaped from their enclosures and have
been released into the wild, where they have bred and thrived. Today, up to
100,000 pythons are estimated to be living in the Florida Everglades. They are
one of the top predators of the ecosystem and have decimated populations of
indigenous and endangered species. Twenty five different bird species, including
the endangered wood stork, have been found in the digestive tracts of pythons in
Everglades National Park, according to a study conducted in March 2010.
While governments and law enforcement officials are working to end the illegal
pet trade, it is ultimately up to consumers to reduce demand for exotic animals.
Therefore, never buy exotic animals in markets or pet shops. If you encounter a
species for sale that you believe may be endangered or illegal to sell, use
Freelands smartphone application, WildScan, to identify it and report the
vendors to local authorities. In addition, raise awareness among your family and
friends of the hidden impacts of the exotic pet trade. Support stricter legislation
that would make owning exotic pets illegal. Finally, donate to conservation
organizations that work to support alternative livelihoods for wildlife poachers.

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Adele Birkenes

June 19, 2014

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