Another reason to avoid exotic pets
November 29th, 2006 by admin
An excellent Associated Press story about the health risks of owning exotic pets appeared in several Florida newspapers this week.
The article began with a dire warning, “Exotic animals captured in the wild are streaming across the U.S. border by the millions with little or no screening for disease, leaving Americans vulnerable to a virulent outbreak that could rival a terrorist act.”
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, in 2005 more than 210 million animals- “from kangaroos and kinkajous to iguanas and tropical fish”- were imported to the United States for the pet trade, zoos, research and hunting ranches. “Countless more” are smuggled into the country as part of the billion dollar black market. The federal government relies on just 120 inspectors to inspect arriving wildlife and catch signs of serious diseases such as Hantavirus, SARS and monkeypox.
The article included a quote from a Center for Disease Control employee who stated the obvious, “Taking an animal from the wild and putting it in your child’s bedroom is just not a good idea.”