Exotic Animals as House Pets

3/29/2021

Many of us humans are animal lovers and having a pet is just a “must” in our lives.  And while many of us have a dog or a cat, some have more than one and in certain instances, multitudes. And yet, there are those of us that, rather than having the traditional pet, have a desire for a more exotic animal.

Exotic often refers to a species which is not native or indigenous to an owner’s locale, and “pet” is a companion animal living with people. In general, an exotic pet is a pet which is relatively rare or unusual to keep, or is generally thought of as a wild species. However, many of us use the term to include native species such as snakes, as they are found in the wild. The international organization the American College of Zoological Medicine has defined the exotics group as “zoological companion animals.” Legally, the definition is subject to local jurisdiction. As a matter of fact, the definition of “exotic pet,” is an evolving one, where today some rodents, reptiles, and amphibians have become firmly established and are no longer be considered exotic. And sometimes any unique or wild-looking animal (including common domestic animals such as the ferret and the rat; both considered common pets in the renaissance) is considered an exotic pet.

Other common exotic pets include marsupials like flying squirrels, Chacoan pygmy opossums (from the central part of South American), sugar gliders (Australia); both gaining popularity as “pocket pets” as well as hedgehogs. And while such animals may look “cute,” a warning to anyone who is not an experienced pet owner: these creatures can be quite demanding of one’s time, food and economic resources! Many of these animals are quite social and are meant to be living in groups of 2 to 7.  And therefore, when there is only one, the owner has taken on a challenge of donating a lot of time.

According to the United States Code of Federal Regulations (9 CFR 1.1), the term pet animal means “any animal that has commonly been kept as a pet in family households in the U.S., such as dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits, and hamsters.” The regulation further states that “This term excludes exotic animals and wild animals.”

The problem with owning an exotic animal is that they retain their unpredictable wild nature, with some being physically capable of maiming or killing their owners. Mammals are the most likely exotic pets to injure or kill humans, with non-human primates topping the list (a mammal having such distinguished features as hands, varied locomotion and varied complex behavior with social interaction and cultural adaptivity).

Even if a certain species is bred for the pet trade and raised by humans, they may be unpredictable, relatively resistant to training; in some cases, especially as full-grown adults, they can be dangerous. Injuries to humans are known to be relatively common; however, reported yearly deaths due to exotic pet ownership are rare. Statistics compiled by an advocacy organization indicate a yearly average of less than 3.5 fatalities per year in the United States; records indicate that there have been 87 exotic animal incidents resulting in human death from June 20, 1990 to April 15, 2016.

It has been estimated that as many as 15,000 primates are kept by private individuals as pets in the United States. Meanwhile, nine states ban persons from having non-human primates; however, there is no federal law that regulates ownership. In 1975, the CDC prohibited their import into the US for use as pets. As a result, the breeding industry uses descendants of animals imported before 1975. Non-human primates of various species, including those listed as endangered, such as cottontop tamarins, baboons, chimpanzees, Diana monkeys, lemurs and gibbons are still available for purchase in the US, although due to captive breeding, this does not affect wild populations. For example, chimpanzees are popular in some areas despite their strength, aggression, and wild nature. Even in areas where keeping primates as pets is illegal, the exotic pet trade continues to prosper, and some people keep chimpanzees as pets mistakenly believing that they will bond with them for life. As they grow, so does their strength and aggression. Owners and those visiting persons with chimpanzees have been known to have lost fingers and suffered severe facial damage among other injuries sustained in attacks while attempting friendly interaction.

Many professionals, including veterinarians, zoologists, humane societies and others, strongly discourage having primates as pets, as their complex emotional and social needs and other highly specialized requirements may be difficult to meet by the average owner.

Although the breeding population has been largely isolated from wild populations outside the US, they still have the potential to transmit zoonotic disease. This includes research workers who have died contracting diseases from non-human primate research subjects. Conversely, there is considerable risk to the non-human primate pet through transmission of human disease. One such example is herpes simplex virus, which can be deadly to certain smaller monkeys.

Approximately 75% of wildlife diseases are vector-borne viral zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are complex infections residing in animals and can be transmitted to humans (as the recent concern of COVID-19 where it has been postulated that its emergence into the human population may possibly be due to “wet markets” in China). The emergence of zoonotic diseases usually occurs in three stages. Initially the disease is spread through a series of spillover events between domesticated and wildlife populations living in close quarters. Diseases then spread through series of direct contact methods, indirect contact methods, contaminated foods, or vector-borne transmissions. After one of these transmission methods occurs, the disease then rises exponentially in human populations living in close proximities.

Transmissions occur when humans encounter firsthand contaminated feces, urine, water sources, or bodily fluids. Bodily fluid transmission may happen either from ingesting pathogens or through open wound contact. Indirect contact transmissions occur when humans interact within an infected species’ habitat. Humans are often exposed to contaminated soils, plants, and surfaces where bacterial germs are present. Contaminated food transmissions occur when humans eat infected bushmeat, vegetables, fruits, or drink contaminated water. Often these food and water supplies are tainted by fecal pellets of infected bats, birds, or monkeys. Vector-borne transmissions occur when individuals are bitten by infected parasites such as ticks or insects like mosquitos and fleas.

Other factors for escalated disease transmissions include climate change, globalization of trade, accelerated logging practices, irrigation increases, sexual activity between individuals, blood transfusions, and urbanization developments near infected ecosystems.

There are many pros and cons to owning an exotic pet, but does the good really outweigh the bad? Experts agree that our lifestyles play a significant effect on whether we have the ability to properly care for an exotic animal in our homes.

Until one has loved an animal a part of one’s soul remains unawakened

Anatole France (French poet, journalist, and novelist)