At 25 billion dollars a year, the pet industry is a huge international business. Even more surprising than the enormity of this figure is that an estimated one-third is generated through illegal activities. The illegal side of the trade in exotic pets negatively affects wild animals from all over the world and is exceeded in size only by the illicit sale of firearms and drugs.
Making responsible pet choices should involve research no matter what type of animal you're considering. In the case of exotics, further examination of potential conservation issues surrounding these animals, including the secondary effects that may be associated with the capture of wild individuals, is also recommended. More information on the nature of these problems and how they affect responsible pet choices and ownership can be found below:
Decline of Wild Populations
Wild populations of some species decline rapidly as trappers anxious to meet consumer demand use unsustainable methods to catch and sell animals.
The pet trade, like any other industry, is ruled by trends. As certain exotic animal species become popular pets, an opportunity for indigenous people to earn a living by capturing them from the wild for the illegal pet trade emerges. Unfortunately destructive practices used to collect pet trade species often damage wild populations when too many individuals are taken, and those left behind cannot recover from the loss. Smaller populations of animals are more vulnerable to many types of problems, including inbreeding (when no suitable mates are available, and animals are forced to breed with close relatives, causing birth defects and greater susceptibility to disease), or risk of eradication by just one natural disaster (such as a tornado or hurricane). Entire ecosystems may become off-balance when only one component is altered. Removal of a species from its ecosystem jeopardizes the balance of that ecological network and can be damaging for other species that may be reliant on that animal. For instance, forcing a predator to prey on new food sources may cause a ripple effect, similar to dominoes, ending with the collapse of the entire system.
You Can Help
In order to ensure that the purchase of your exotic pet does not support the trade in endangered wild animals or unsustainable collection practices, only purchase captive born exotic pets from reputable sources, such as licensed breeders or pet stores that do not trade in wild-caught animals. Conducting research in advance will help to obtain accurate information on where a business is getting its animals. Go to
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Collateral Damage
Some of the practices associated with capturing wild animals for the illegal pet trade are inherently destructive, and may result in the wiping out of entire habitat systems.
Poachers looking to make money by selling high-demand illegal animals are often willing to obtain them by any means possible; that includes chopping down trees where birds nest to capture nestlings (such as wild-caught macaws), or spraying small amounts of cyanide over sections of coral reefs to temporarily stun fish and allow for their capture, killing the coral in the process. These practices disturb and degrade natural habitats for these animals, and undermine the survival of those individuals remaining in the wild.
In addition to habitat loss and destruction, deplorable living conditions suffered by some animals while in the process of being sold and smuggled is a serious concern. One report states that as many as 75% of parrots smuggled out of Mexico die during transit as a result of inhumane treatment. Other wildlife species are sometimes inadvertently caught by traps that have been set for target exotic pet species, similar to the way in which dolphins can become entangled in tuna nets. These non-target animals may be killed by the poachers, who did not intend to catch them but who take advantage of the opportunity to make a profit on their capture through the bushmeat trade.
Issues such as habitat loss, inhumane transport and living conditions and indirect threats to non-target species are the common result of activities associated with collecting wild animals for the illegal pet trade. They are important aspects of a process that frequently causes more damage than removing the target species alone.
You Can Help
Illegal logging also contributes to the illegal pet trade. Roadways built by logging companies into otherwise inaccessible areas of the forest are also used by poachers to explore new hunting grounds; while opportunities for loggers to collect wildlife for the pet trade or the bushmeat market increase as habitat is destroyed and animals are displaced. To make sure your wood purchases aren’t contributing to the illegal pet trade, look for wood certified by the
Forest Stewardship Council as coming from sustainably managed forests. Consumer demands for these types of products will help reduce the illegal logging industry. Go to
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Released Pets
Animals that become too large or difficult to care for are sometimes released into the wild by owners who mistakenly believe the wild is the best place for their exotic pet.
Just as capturing animals from their natural habitat for the illegal pet trade can have far-reaching, negative impacts – releasing former pets into the wild, regardless of origin or species is never a good idea. Many exotic pets, such as some types of reptiles, can reach very large sizes as adults. Owners who can no longer care for their over-sized or unwanted pet often find that no one (including their local zoos) will take the animal from them. As a result, owners sometimes release them into the wild, perhaps under the mistaken impression that it is better for the animal to be wild than in captivity anyway.
What these owners may not consider is the ability of their pet to survive in the wild or the effect their former pet will have on the other wild animal species found in the area. An animal at large in a habitat where it does not naturally occur can be damaging to the ecosystem. These animals, known as "invasive species," may consume resources formerly used by native animals, prey on the native species themselves, or introduce new disease to 'naïve' populations. Burmese pythons are a classic example of former pets that quickly become invasive species, preying on local wildlife. By the same token, snakehead fish, a species from Southeast Asia, have been introduced to numerous local waterways, most recently in Maryland, when the fish grew to be too large for their owners to handle. Voracious eaters and consummate predators, these fish can eat or out-compete a small pond of native fish in little or no time, severely damaging the ecosystem. The chytrid fungus – a disease that scientists believe was introduced, in part, via released exotic pet amphibians - has become a global threat, eradicating wild populations of frogs all over the world.
But exotic animals are not the only pets that pose risks when released. It is estimated that free-roaming domestic cats kill hundreds of millions of wild birds, small mammals, reptiles, and amphibians each year. A well-fed cat will still prey on local wildlife; it is a natural instinct to stalk and kill prey animals, regardless of the need for them. Feral cats, descended from un-neutered house cats, are also a problematic predator in many areas, causing the same problems as their domestic relatives.
You Can Help
Simply keeping cats indoors is a big step in preventing loss of local wildlife. Sox may come home at night, but what does he do during the day? Not only will keeping your cat indoors prevent it from damaging the local bird population, it also protects it from exposure to diseases associated with wildlife. Finally, keeping your cat indoors and out of trouble will prevent homeless pet overpopulation. Go to
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Trade in Wildlife Parts
Illegal trade in wild animal parts, an occasional derivative of the illegal pet trade, is also a conservation issue.
Like the illegal pet trade, illegal trade in wildlife parts is damaging to wild animals. Much of this industry is fueled by the traditional Asian medicine and food market; demand for tiger bones, shark fins, and bear bile causes the depletion of wild populations of these species. Animal parts are also used for cosmetic purposes: animal skins used in rugs or clothing, jewelry made from the shells of sea turtles, and decorative products made of elephant ivory or rhinoceros horns are a few examples. Generally, trade in animal parts is considered to be illegal if the species in question is endangered.
International agreements, including CITES (Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), provide legal barriers to the trade of live animals and their parts between countries, but the illegal industry still exists, and is a large problem. TRAFFIC, a joint program of the World Wildlife Fund and the World Conservation Union (IUCN), monitors the wildlife trade and is a valuable source of information on this topic.
You Can Help
You may not be intentionally supporting the trade in wildlife parts, but use caution the next time you take a trip. International travelers are often targeted by souvenir peddlers looking to make easy money. Be sure to ask where any souvenir item came from, and don't purchase anything made with animal parts. If you're suspicious, don’t take a chance! You could face fines or jail time upon your return to the United States, depending on what you’ve bought! Go to
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