They may be kept with the best of intentions, but exotic pets can create havoc at home and in nature.
Sometimes they turn on their owners, as happened to Kelly Ann Walz, 37, of Saylorsburg, Pa., who was mauled to death Oct. 4 by a 350-pound black bear while cleaning its cage.
Walz reportedly had thrown a shovelful of dog food to one side of the cage to distract the bear while she cleaned the other side, instead of putting the animal into a separate area.
That, experts say, was a case of a human disregarding basic rules of keeping wild creatures. Such incidents are relatively rare, they say, and tend to happen when owners grow so used to their undomesticated animals that they drop their guard.
"It's misplaced trust that the animal won't harm you because you have a relationship," said Jerry Feaser, spokesman for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. "Wild animals don't think that way."
Aggregate numbers are difficult to come by, but exotic pets represent a growing market nationwide even as the U.S. government prohibits importation of more wild species. Many are bred in captivity, circumventing the bans and giving rise to critics who consider that keeping wild animals is cruel and inhumane.
Owners have been known to release exotic pets into the wild when they get too big or troublesome to care for, menacing humans and native species. The animals may carry and spread disease that others have no defense against. They also may reproduce or crossbreed, upsetting the local ecological balance.
Burmese pythons set free by their owners have invaded the Everglades, where they multiply, kill pets and threaten people. A U.S. Geological Survey report released this month said five giant, non-native snake species pose a high risk to wildlife, especially in Florida, where some 270 pythons were removed from Everglades National Park alone.
In addition, Chinese snakehead fish, which breed rapidly, kill other fish and are said to be able to "walk" on land for short distances on their fins, have taken over bodies of water in Maryland and elsewhere. In Maryland, the snakehead fish was traced back to a home aquarium owner.
There's not much regulators can do about people illegally dumping pets into the wild except fine them if they're caught doing it. Pennsylvania is one state that is trying to closely control and monitor the buying, selling and keeping of exotic species.
Under the state's Game Commission code, owners must have a permit to keep exotic pets at home. As of 2009, the permit requires proof of two years hands-on experience with that animal. Also mandatory is an inspection to ensure that housing arrangements protect the animal's welfare and the public safety. Permits must be renewed every year.
Feaser said the tightened rules have reduced exotic pet permits. Still, he said, Pennsylvania's best efforts are undercut by nearby states.
"Ohio, Virginia and some others are very lax in their rules and regulations," he said.
Pennsylvania residents who can't legally obtain certain species will simply cross state lines, get the animals they want and smuggle them home. That's what happened with a 160-pound mountain lion, which was discovered in a small apartment across from a shopping mall.
There's nothing new about imported species threatening native wildlife. In the 1800s, the European starling and the English sparrow were brought to Central Park, where they bred and became competitive with native blue birds for nesting areas.
Sally Kalson can be reached at skalson(at)post-gazette.com. For more stories visit scrippsnews.com
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Incidents with exotic animals happen all the time
Born Free USA is a group that tracks media reports of incidents involving exotic animals kept as pets, and things happen MUCH more often than one would assume
Here is their list:
http://www.bornfreeusa.org/popups/a3b_captive_animal_incidents.php
It's unfortunate for both the people and the animals and a crackdown is sorely needed. There is no real point in keeping such animals as pets - it's torture for the animals.
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