Exotic pet owners are inadvertently supporting the illegal trade in wildlife, laments animal activist Natasha Nadarajah.

“Thousands of animals from all over the world, such as Madagascar, Indonesia and Africa, are smuggled into Malaysia for the exotic pet industry. The Internet has also made it easier for people to buy and sell animals illegally,” explains Julia Ng, of the wildlife trade monitoring network TRAFFIC Southeast Asia.”

“When you ask the shop assistants, they usually tell you what you want to hear anyway, so what’s the point in asking? There should be more efforts by the government to inform the public of the dos and don’ts of buying exotic pets,” shares photographer Susan Thomas*, 35. Advises Ng, who has been working in conservation for seven years, “Until Malaysia fixes this outdated law, don’t buy animals of suspicious origins.”

THE DANGERS OF EXOTICA
There are also other reasons that make exotic animals a poor choice of a pet. You can catch diseases from them, and they from you, says veterinarian Dr Koo Li Lia. Exotic animals are also not easy to care for. Their needs are complicated, and most people lack the expertise or patience to acquire the skills to adequately care for exotic animals. The welfare of the animal is something that even the biggest animal over may not realise when purchasing an exotic animal. The animals are subjected to horrible conditions of capture, packing and transportation. Many die along the way as they are sensitive when under stress.

SALES GIMMICK
“The exotic pet industry does not care what people’s motives were when they bought the animal, only that it made its profit,” explains Julia. “And because they contributed to the demand, the pet shop will go and get more animals to fulfil that demand.” Wild animals belong in the wild. They should be able to roam free in their wild habitats, free from the threat of capture for the pet trade. It is your responsibility to ensure that that is where they remain.