Academic anecdotes and ethical essays
The Ethics of Owning Exotics
Is it reasonable to own an animal just because it is “cool” or “exotic”? We can define the term “exotic” as from another part of the world. An African rock python isn’t indigenous to Canada, and iguanas don’t roam the streets of Seattle. Removing these animals from their native habitat stresses them, and disrupts the other members of that ecosystem.
As a biologist, I recognize the impossibility of simulating nature in an aquarium tank. Heat lamps and store-bought substrate can at best imitate the most basic components of an ecosystem. Animals thrive on the stimuli from their environment. It’s what drives their behaviour, their health and excitement, even their reproduction. We, as humans, simply can’t provide the environmental enrichment found in the wild.
From 2003 to 2005 I acted as coordinator for the Turtle Invasion! program, co-sponsored by Surrey Parks, Culture and Recreation. The purpose was to investigate 
the effect of non-indigenous red eared slider turtles, the most popular exotic pet available, on native flora and fauna. These turtles were found in nearly every pond investigated in the Lower Mainland, almost certainly a result of frustrated owners dumping them. Due to their voracious feeding habits and aggressive behaviour, their introduction into the Greater Vancouver area is highly detrimental to native plant and animal species. If the sale of red eared slider turtles had been halted earlier, this problem would be non-existent.
Now don’t get me wrong. There are owners who care wonderfully for their exotic pets. They do their research, treat them with compassion, and make a lifetime commitment. Admirable, yes, and far too few. Yet still problematic.
First, there is the purchase. When you buy a reptile from a pet store, you support the trade of this animal. Although your intention may be to give this animal the best possible home, it will inevitably be replaced by another. This keeps the exotic pet trade turning. The idea that you have “saved” this animal is false, because your money ultimately has a domino effect on the next in line.
When profit is involved, there is vested interest. Either through ignorance or deceit, pet store employees often fail to mention the full-grown size, lifespan, and meticulous care of the animals they sell. The same issue arises with breeders. Someone who breeds boa constrictors doesn’t want to care for a dozen adult snakes himself. He has a need to sell—for money, and lack of resources. Home breeding for conservation purposes is a dubious enterprise, since successful re-introductions are so far and few between, and are only attained when human interaction is kept to a bare minimum.
Then there are health and safety issues. Large snakes, caiman and anything venomous have, in the past, been fatal to their owners. Additionally, all reptiles are potential carriers of Salmonella.
What about cats and dogs? If exotic animals can’t be owned, shouldn’t that also exclude these popular pets? No, because cats and dogs are domesticated mammals, and have the capacity to form a bond with their owners. They are not threatened with extinction, and the idea of reintroducing them into the wild is ludicrous at best. Furthermore, countless animal shelters are overrun and forced to euthanize.
Education is heralded by all. Buying a turtle for your child can teach them a lot about this animal: what it eats, how it swims, why it hides. Yet it also teaches your child that keeping animals in cages is okay. If one accepts the caging and captivity of an animal, one which the child may very well “love,” are we teaching an appropriate lesson? To dominate and control? As a species, all our attempts to dominate and control nature have resulted in ecological nightmares. Conservation and preservation should be the
mandate, with captivity only a stopgap measure.
For these reasons, I whole-heartedly support a ban on the sale and possession of exotic animals.
Lee Beavington
Biology Lab Instructor, Kwantlen University College
June 24, 2007
