Having Wild Anaimals as Pets

Having Wild animals as pets

Keeping wild animals as pets can be appealing, but it is important to remember that keeping a wild animal as a pet is associated with many potential problems, not to mention legal and ethical issues. Keeping wild animals as pets requires a great deal of research and preparation, as well as provision of ideal housing and diet as well as medical care (which may be very difficult to find). That said, in the world of exotic pets there are wild animals that can be a real handful (potentially destructive or dangerous) and those that are less of a challenge.

By far the most important ethical issue about keeping wild animals as pets pertains to the welfare of the animal itself. In captivity, can we provide a wild animal with the proper diet, exercise, and socialization that it would get in the wild? Before deciding on a wild animal as a pet, carefully consider whether the animal is better off in captivity or in the wild.

If you are considering a wild animal as a pet, the first thing to do is check the laws where you live. There may be local laws (at your city or county level), or laws at the state/provincial or federal levels that restrict the types of pet you may keep. Don't rely on information from the internet, and don't assume just because you can find an animal for sale locally that it is legal where you are. Get official confirmation; ignorance of the law will not protect you or your pet if you are turned in or discovered, and your pet will likely be confiscated.