How to Know the Real Dangers of Exotic Animals

All the biased and sensationalistic information we are bombarded with concerning exotic pet ownership would have one believing we should all be dead because of the danger. This is far from the truth as animals have been kept through all of recorded history and we still survive. Perhaps the true “danger” in keeping exotic pets is in using biased opinion as fact, repeating it often enough until it is believed?


The first step is an easy one- look for information by searching for information. You can research a particular animal or in general. There are many sites that will overwhelm the first part of any search, mostly based on opinion such as “They belong in the wild.” This is opinion and as our world gets smaller we may be better off learning to live WITH them rather than WITHOUT them.

Next, use critical thinking to decide if what is being presented is opinion or fact. If it is presented as fact, research what the claims are based on. Statistics? Opinion again? It can be a hard area to discern since much is presented as fact when a larger part is actually based on one or two experiences, personal ideology or media sensationalism to attract viewers and readers.

Third, you will need to look harder to find factual statistics but they do exist. The resource section lists one site very useful for facts, not fiction or hype. As for primate diseases, herpes B is often claimed to be a reason for banning primates while the CDC admits in a letter to a person (posted on the site) there has not been even one case of herpes B transmitted to a human in the private sector.

Fourth, consider all the risky activities most everyone is accustomed to being a daily part of life. It puts things in perspective a little more when you see statistics for drowning in the bathtub, horseback riding injuries, race car driving, stairways and more. The CDC does the job it was intended to during the limited disease outbreak prairie dogs were part of. Prairie dogs have since been removed from the ban and are legal to sell and own again.

Fifth, if you consider the risks too great for you or your family the best thing you can do is- not have an exotic pet. No one expects everyone to sky dive or even use the stairs. It is, however, others’ right to take risk they deem acceptable. The statistics show there is not as much danger in owning an exotic pet as claimed by some with other agendas.

RESOURCE:  REXANO Statistics

How to Adopt a Monkey as a Pet

I really dislike the use of the word "adopt" in reference to an animal of any kind. People adopt children, buy animals or sponsor the care of one elsewhere. If you sponsor a child in another country needing care, do you say you adopted him or her? Many words seem hijacked by the animal rights agenda and "adopt" is only one of them. The diluting of the meaning has went even further- I saw an ad to adopt a trailer (mobile home) the other day and almost fell off my chair! In interest of what is most often searched the title uses the word "adopt".

Learning how to adopt a monkey as a pet is not something everyone would choose to do personally. For those committed to doing so, here is some information. For those deciding to adopt a monkey by financially supporting one in a zoo or other facility there are also ideas given.

See:
How to Adopt a Monkey as a Pet

Responsible Exotic Animal Ownership

"It's better to live with than without" ~Me

Animals of all kinds have been kept through history as far back as can be researched. Even Egyptians kept exotic cats and many were mummified along with humans. According to Wikipedia:

Fashionable Egyptian society tamed wild animals of all kinds, including baboons, lions, and gazelles, in menageries at wealthy households. Click on the green highlighted link to go to Wikipedia to read more.

A guest editorial done by Zuzana Kukol, co- founder of REXANO, can be found at BellaOnline titled "Tiger Huggers" and is an insider look at big cat ownership while the REXANO website is packed with information concerning responsible ownership of many different species, different owners experiences and opinions, statistics and much more. It's a refreshing look at responsible exotic animal ownership without the hype of an animal rights (or liberation) agenda while also including common sense, rational thinking along with statistics to support responsible ownership of exotics.

So much information the general public is bombarded with daily is incorrect, hyped and not rational. Let's hope enough people take the time to research many things we are faced with rather than be blindly led down the media trail of oblivion instigated by animal rights organizations like HSUS and PETA plus many other smaller entities with financial gain such as scamtuaries (sanctuaries that keep said animals while claiming no one else can do so properly) while making money off the keeping of the animals.

Many private owners do not make money from keeping their pets, do not take in donations and support their own they chose to keep- even some needing a new home- without attempting to harm the rights of others. If exotic owners are crazy it's only in respect to the majority of those using animals to make money like some organizations and 'sanctuaries' do and instead, footing the bill themselves while fighting just for their right to keep them.  I'd rather be labeled crazy by 'those' than be hypocritical, dishonest  and attempting to control others for my own gain.