Wild Ones

WHAT FACTORS DRIVE PEOPLE TO BUY MONKEYS, TIGERS, AND OTHER WILD ANIMALS?

- Mary Bates

In ordinary neighborhoods across the United States, people share their homes with wildlife kept as pets. The laws around privately owning wild animals vary by state, with essentially no restrictions in some places. So while you need a license to own a dog, you may be allowed to bring home a monkey, a tiger, or a boa constrictor and keep it as a pet.

When people buy exotic pets, they're keeping a global trade in wildlife going. This trade makes some people a lot of money. It can also harm the environment, the animals themselves, and the people who care for them. Removing animals from the wild may disrupt ecosystems and drive species toward extinction. Wild animals, whether captured from their natural habitat or bred in captivity, sometimes suffer greatly when kept as pets. They can also carry diseases that can be passed on to native wildlife, livestock, or even people. Finally, large portions of the wildlife trade are illegal and linked to other forms of organized crime.

Despite all these concerns and the potential dangers of owning a wild animal, the idea continues to appeal to many people. What makes a person feel the need to own a bear or a baboon as a pet?

Four Possible Reasons Why