On Keeping Wild and Exotic Animals in Captivity

[Typografix5]

You might want to reconsider your claim that wild animals kept in captivity by private individuals pose no threat to public safety. Look the incident this week in Zanesville, Ohio that resulted in the tragic death of 49 lions, tigers, bears and other large mammals. These animals do not belong in back yards. They are kept to bolster the ego of their owners. It is selfish and ignorant. Leave the preservation of endangered species to zoos and wildlife reservations.

[iMaheaa]

animals die faster in captivity. ):

[philliesphreak10]

In my opinion, I would agree that preserving these animals' habitats is the best course of action to save these animals. The problem is, we can't force everyone in the entire world to think in the same mentality. In other words, there will always be people who are willing to break the law and kill these amazing creatures for profit. Nations too, like China and India will continue to build off of their land in order to compete with us. Saving their habitats may be harder than it looks on paper.

[StrawberryMooses]

i think i know how to solve the human problem. we should start spaying and neutering humans. we are overpopulating and i do love to see animals in their beautiful environment but it's just not safe now. i do believe that captive breeding animals would be very helpful. alot of these comments sound like PETA: if we cant free them from than we will kill them.. that seems to be PETA's implied motto.... i feel bad that so many people are led on to their lies... they dont help animals at all. :'(

[abhi001981]

i would recommend all of you to watch a documentary on tigers - the lost world of the tiger - you will c people and conservationist who are actually trying to save the species....do go by this video..it is just business for these people to have tigers in capt

[abhi001981]

This is one pathetic video, who so ever has loaded this is not a wild life lover, it is sad people like these call themselves saviors of tigers. They dont know a thing..these animals are meant to be born free and live free.....

[elusivemelody]

I am for responsible exotic animal ownership. This does not include hybridizing animals and portraying yourself as conservation conscious human. Great Apes have no place in a human home they only in rare cases can be handled beyond the age of five and as a result suffer miserably from depression when they eventually have to be caged away from their caregivers. Crossing Bornean and Sumatran Orangs is not conservation. They are biologically separate.

[potterthecockatiel]

I used to breed rats in my garage. Until the daddy rat got killed by a snake and the mommy rat died with a tumor.

[Ochn77]

the world's population wouldn't be an issue if you followed God's law. He gave you those laws for a reason; so you wouldn't destroy yourself. if people didn't screw everyone in sight, and only had sex when they were having a child. like animals. naturally. there'd be probably a tenth of the world population. no war, and no enviromental problems. course, i'm saying this to someone that spends thousands of dollars saving animals but probably can't donate 20 bucks to an orphanage.

[hlforumhl]

great video!!! I love my exotic pets, and they love me. I have seen bad owners, but why punish everyone? We don't ban dogs because some people participate in dog fights.

[maximum411]

animals change over time in captivity- in the wild, animals are constantly under selection pressure by nature. only the strongest of each generation survive, and the vast majority do not make it to breeding age. in captivity, even the weakest and most maladapted animals can survive. after many generations in captivity, most species would not be able to survive if reintroduced. the only sustainable propagation of a wild species goes on in the wild. captive breeding is for human use only.

[FilmerOfBobcats]

What a wonderful video with some truly refreshing opinions. I believe a person has a right to live with anything they want as long as it is properly contained and cared for. My aunts and one grandmother had monkeys (ugh!). Many of my relatives have had coyotes. A few have had wolves. I have had a coyote x GSD hybrid. Is there any actual action going on that we can join and add our strength?

[GaaraLuver234]

This vid is semi- nice. the world's population is constantly growing. how is it going to stop? Sterilize ppl, mass killing? As long as these exotic pet owners kno wht they are doing, kno the risk they take and is willing to take it, and the nutrition and needs of these animals. Then i dont see a problem. however i do agree that if captive animals are bred, the offspring should be released into the wild, not in backyards. Unless the animal is missing a limb or have nutritional deficiencies

[inkspray]

@GaaraLuver234 It is very difficult to release animals that were in captivity. It isn't a simple matter of opening the cage and letting them go.

[thomaskirby169]

Telling people not to keep tigers in their homes is a way to make sure that human colonization pushes the animals out. If you can't see that it's like being unable to do simple arithmetic. We don't have to think of human habitations as "ruined" for the animals. We're hearing serious talk about displacing humans and sterilizing us and even killing us by the millions, but having a big cat for a pet is "risky"? This reasoning is seriously screwed up and wrong.

[100LEGIONS]

@thomaskirby169 You sir .... are a moron

[thomaskirby169]

Supposedly there is such a desperate need to save the tiger and the lion that millions of human beings must be displaced and even killed. This is the conservationists talking. If we were actually treating it as this desperate, then a bit of inconvenience for the tigers is certainly warranted. I will tolerate almost anything to farm these animals and build their numbers back up. What I will want and wish for is that every such animal be in circumstances that make them comfortable and happy.

[elfwhitewave]

OMG -

did you just serioulsy say that being banned from owning a tiger is agaisnt you constitution (jesus, that is alsways an americans answer to anything they dont like)

no - its just someone who wants to feels 'cool' because they are walking next to a tiger or lion.

i dont deny they care for the animals but if you loved for them the owners would think beyond their own selfish attitudes.

[elfwhitewave]

there is a lot of false info in this video.

yes humans need to captive breed animals for them to survive - but it should be done by reputable zoos who also run in situ programs and release captive bred animals back into the wild, not in peoples back yeards.

animals such as tigers that are no longer wanted and givento zoos are not viable to use as breeding animals due to unknowns about their history.

and thousands of wild partots are imported to the USA every year.

[MissMysterics]

5:37 I definatly think certain farming practices should be outlawed, battery farming is just sick, if we have to not eat meat so be it, if you have a carnivorous animal you should be prepared.

[dudde111223]

I kinda agree with this vid IF you have the space and meet all of the nutritional needs as well as habitat needs and NOT in it for money then fine have them HOWEVER dont think them tame u are risking your life if you spend time with them, dogs still have their instincts and we have demosticated them for well over a thousand years (although I doubt they can survive in the wild) these exotic "pets" are wild you may treat them wonderfully but if they are spooked,feel threatened they can turn on u

[JackKangaroo1]

I'm not opposed to captive breedings of these animals but we must understand that a captive bred and raised animal is not filling its ecological role in the wild. Unless living wild as nature intended a tiger, for instance, is not a fully-realized apex predator, as it was meant to be, any more than a human who spends his whole life in a mental institution is a fully-realized human being. Animals express themselves through their actions and their place within a natural environment.

[DivaMomochi]

what you use for death tolls is common deaths that could happen to everyone but not everyone has an exotic animal if we all did there would be way more deaths. Firefighting is for someones life not there own another bad example there. Even though there are few deaths by exotic animals when it happens it is gruesome and horrible. There is lots of blood everywhere and the person usually cannot be recognized the beating was so terrible

[fmkenshin]

If you can preserve a species, more power to you. Wild animals will always be wild, in the sense that, after decades of domestication, the cubs can still trained to hunt and released into a preserve, where they can live how nature intended, without the chance of being poached.

[HeavyClaw]

Captive breeding should be done by zoos and facilities that promote education and preservation of wild animals, not by for profit breeders or individuals who don't know how to handle dangerous exotics.

[ReinaEquina]

THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE SPECIES IS TO PRESERVE THEIR HABITATS!!!! By breeding captives, what are you doing? Nothing. All the animals out there that could be saved in their natural habitat are being shunned off because "O we can just breed them captively instead of actually going for the problem." PLEASE help preserve the habitats to help preserve the ANIMALS!!

[tantrangle]

@ReinaEquina I'd like to hear Rexan reply to your comment. What is Rexan doing to preserve and protect wild habitat? What is the point in putting a bunch of animals on an "Ark" if they're never going to be able to go back to their homes? All animals have evolved with their environment, it's a symbiotic relationship with their homes no human contraption can ever hope to mimic. Its not OK if all the wild animals are one day reduced to being mere Pets because humans are so out-of-touch with reality

[inkspray]

@ReinaEquina The problem is, the world does not agree in doing so! They simply prefer luxury over conservation so unfortunately, while that would be ideal, an effective method is still captive breeding. Many populations of species have been saved due to captive breeding. Ever hear of a budgie?

[FascistFemale]

@ReinaEquina No, you have to breed them so the population stabilizes (which has to be done in captivity more often than not), enforce bans on hunting them/destroying their habitat, often to the detriment of human expansion, and then keep tabs on the wild population to ensure the aforementioned problem doesn't reoccur.

It's not easy, it's not cheap, it's not quick, and it's not guaranteed. You want to help animals? Protect them in the present, THEN rant about their future.

[abdulbade]

your correct!!!! there is nothing wrong with keeping wild animals as pets, i raise a striped hayena, a lion, and cheetahs in my garden and house. thoese who say you cant domisticate them, your wrong, cheetahs are so easy to tame, so freaken easy. watch my videos and youll see what im talking about

[AllyDuke]

@abdulbade well maybe it's easy, but how would u like to be taken out of your home and everything you've know and everything your instincts are telling and put in2 a place where u know nothing? im sure you'd be scared shitless.

[abdulbade]

ok maby you dont understand. but ill make it simpl. im from saudi arabia, land is much cheaper than america, so in my hugggge garden, i already have a habitat for them when im at work or not training them. they seem happy, when i come from work they start jumping and show excitement, even though they are fed, and thats somthing only big cat owners understand.

[Fleefles]

Wow, you cruel bastard, keeping those WILD fish in fishtank for your selfish human amusement. They should be out in the WILD!

How can you tell people they cannot own exotic pets when you have slaves of your own?

Those poor fishies must be miserable. You should have them euthanized so they no longer have to endure the torture of being in captivity!

/sarcasm

[Fleefles]

I find it odd how people believe we can breed the instincts out of animals. Dogs may look more cuddly than a wolf, but they can be just as aggressive.

For example, I'd rather stay overnight in a room with a captive bred and human raised cougar than a feral husky, despite the husky being the "domestic" animal and the cougar being "wild."

[firegirl26]

me too

[Fleefles]

"Well good for those owners, but it still doesn't make up for the countless animals that are abused and suffer cruel lives because of the exotic pet trade."

What about all the animals that suffer because of the domestic pet trade? Millions of dogs are killed yearly. Countless are kept in unsuitable conditions. Many people, mostly children, are bitten and mauled, some even killed, by "pet" dogs.

Do you think dogs should be banned as being kept as pets? No one *needs* a pet dog either.

[comehome14]

(cont) In addition, the statement "wild animals should stay in the wild" is founded on an inverse Appeal to Inherent Nature. And example of such appeal done straight is "X is naturally predisposed to Y, and thus it is good." Poison kills. Is that good? What you're doing is inverting it and saying "Exotic animals are from the wild, so taking them as pets is cruel." This is why I expect proof.

Did I say "deflate your ego"? I meant "try to get everyone to ROFL at your failing logic". :O

[comehome14]

"your're so ignorant and oblivious"

"You're the naive idiot who reverted to insults."

How hypocritical!

"As much as 'Millions of flies' is"

If you couldn't tell, I'm accusing you of an Appeal to Popularity, which is a logical fallacy. AND YOU'RE STILL DOING IT!

"I don't see you citing any sources"

Well, you're the guy who said "OMG ANIMALS SHOULD STAY IN WILD". But, if you insist, there are quite a few responsible exotic owners with HAPPY pets on YouTube: foxalbiazul, SpiritWhiteFox2, etc.

[comehome14]

"I don't need to prove anything."

Regardless of any burden of proof, yes, you do. Unless you have no proof and should shut up.

"Since the majority of society--"

Eat s***! Millions of flies CAN'T be wrong! Oh, and source please.

"shouldn't you be the one proving..."

Well, let's see. You made the baseless statement. It's your responsibility to prove it.

If you can't prove it, I highly recommend you either apologize or shut up. Otherwise, I just might have to gleefully deflate your ego.

[comehome14]

Prove it.

No, really. Prove that exotic animals as a whole should stay, well, wild, instead of what appears to be following your emotions.

[vak182]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tmhteacher]

I have kept and keep many species. Some have been exotic. I do not want to see a ban on keeping exotics, but I do believe in regulation. There is a big difference in the keeping of a ball python as opposed to keeping a chimp, which I believe most people should not be able to own. We need a lot of education about any of these animals. For example, many of us are attracted to beautiful breeds of dogs, but if we were educated, we would learn what breed actually fits our specific lifestyles.

[samthesnakeman]

people should stop having children so frivilously,the chinnese 1 child policy is harsh but they have the right idea

[robertdjwizard]

We humans are capable of the worse crimes against nature.

The world will be a desert if we don't stop now,have a little mercy for the rest of the animals.

We are the plague,we are rational self destructive animals.

Have you ever wonder why man has mamal glands,nails,hair? think,think,think,think,think,­think,think look at the other spicies and see your ancestor and where we came from.

No hypothesis only facts.

[Fleefles]

Can I ask why you continue to live in the society that is "destroying the earth" if you are so against it? Your very existence does more harm than good for the earth. You may be interested in vhemt(dot)org.

Unless you support killing a large portion of the human population, more animal habitat will be made into human habitat. Wildlife was destroyed to build my home, its only fair that other future people can have places to live as well.

[minishowmedia]

i love animals

[gerry1976]

A good idea would be that REXANO Organization buys a big 5,000 thousand acre ranch and start breeding animals inside that private ranch in their own wild habitat and would keep the species out of extintion.

[timbalionguy]

Wildcatz, captive cats adapt very well to captivity; this is as much part of their survival mechanism as hunting is. Although we all hope and pray for a bigger 'wild', the real truth is that the 'wild' will go away. (Even then, future release into the wild is not the main reason people keep captive lions.) Better is a happy lion who is well adapted to life in captivity (and maybe someday domesticated) than an extinct lion who lived only in the wild.

[windap55]

Do you breed and sell wild animals, or do you have them as pets?

[kipluck]

Most of us in REXANO have exotic pets, some are only interested in them, some breed them, some sell them. Just depends. REXANO isn't, like A breeder, or A place, they are more like a club. It is made up of a bunch of people.  The videos are made by members of the group about their animals and supporting our causes of Responsible Exotic Animal Ownership.

[xeileen916x]

I have submitted pictures to to Rexano to be used. I have two squirrel monkeys as pets. Since I was a young girl I was always fascinated by them. I have a 2 year old male and a 4 year old female. Awesome little guys.

[claudiaeli04]

keep doing what your doing great job

[a15singh]

all i can say is give me an fing break!

[flugtug08]

I think your all idiots, a specie such as a tiger is millions of years in evolution, i hardly believe that a few years of captive breeding to promote population numbers is going to damage its geneiology. Also if these animals had a place to go where they could be safe and free from human contact that would be great! but us humans are arseholes so they dont. so good people give up their lives to creating a home so they can exist, so my kids kids can know what a tiger is and not have to imagine

[wildcatz05]

due to the unregulated breeding the exotic animals are usually highly inbred. If they were going to introduce those animals it would harm the existing population

reproduction in the wild favors mutation/adaptation in a way breeding in captivity never can. fact can be found on any biology book.

[wildcatz05]

they dont need to be poached, they need to be in peace in nature, the enviroment without human intervention will provide them hard living conditions, lions need to fight with another lions to protect their pride. tigers need to suffer hunger for a few days before make a sucessful hunt.THESE ARE TOUGH CONDITIONS TO WHICH I REFER,an indivudual may be happy in you home but captivity is not healthy for the whole specie in an long term point of view. is not viable way to protect them from extinction.

[wildcatz05]

animals will become extinct if we continue exploiting their world to satisfy our consumerist lifestyle. is not our obligation to provide them a "new home" is our obligation just let them in peace and let nature go ahead.

and remember you cannot be sure about where your exotic pet came from, perhaps comes from a herd of animals who were murdered for defending their pups

[REXANOEXOTICS]

Where do you come up with this stuff, lion becoming another species, environment makes up the biology, let nature go ahead, it is not what they want, it is not what they need, and cant be sure where they came from? So you are saying they need to be extinct, poached, killed for their body parts. Do you have any information based on facts, rather than your mis-informative opinion?

[wildcatz05]

nature have millions of year working fine without us, (which means without the need of keeping wild animals in captivity) if we want to repair the damage we did. all we need to do is let nature go ahead.

if captivity become the only way to survive for any specie the mechanisms of their evolution (natural selection and speciation) will change or desapear. making them unable to come back to the wild. in a long term view obviously

[gabehDUH]

@REXANOEXOTICS Question, do you take into consideration the particular subspecies of a cat before breeding...and by this i mean ensuring its bengal with bengal ect. Because there is only one registered breeding acceptable female bengal in the US as of now...So i can see ensuring the purity of the blood lines you're 'saving' are probably not credible. Also you have a white tiger? Are you not aware by doing this you are supporting unhealthy inbreeding?

[TheSolaceDream]

@wildcatz05 Where were you when the Yanzee river dolphin went extinct? Collecting wild animals and breeding them in captivity could have saved them. Letting them be in nature in this age leads only into sufferage. As humans it is our job to be stewards for God`s creation and care for them.

[tantrangle]

@TheSolaceDream Do you also expect an infant to care for itself? How could humans- knowing so little about the processes of nature be the "steward" for it? God would have to be a complete fool to give humans such a role. The Earth does not belong to us, we belong to the Earth, it cares for us. The answer is- we need to stop pretending that we know best, that mindset has led to the habitat destruction. we're merely another animal- one that's way out of touch with the world we depend on.

[elfwhitewave]

@TheSolaceDream

its not as simple as collecting all endangered wild animals and breeding them in captivity. some animals just do not take to being in captivity (the javan rhino is a perfect example - only a handfull left but humans have tried taking them into captivity but they just couln't cope with it)

cetaceans especially find it hard - the river dolphins would not have been suitable candidates for captivity.

in situ progrmas were set up but the chinese government hindered them

[wildcatz05]

learn a bit about biology and realize that the enviroment that make lions become lions and tigers become tigers is VERY different that the enviroment in your home. even if you could provide them huge space enough and quality food and distractions the ambient of your home or ranch is NOT what they need

[wildcatz05]

there are a lot of misinformation in this video.

animals are like they are because the evolutionary forces make them. because that

wild ambient and hard living conditions are needed to keep an strong genotype in the population. they don't have such conditions in a backyard or ranch. if lions would become domesticated they eventually let to be lions and become another specie

[sophmirah]

animals are just like humans. they have a dad, mom and the kid. :) They drink milk from th mom just like babies. Theyve got feelings too. i love animals. great video!

[tikercat]

Animals enjoy a stress free life in captivity. no predators to steal food or kill their young. responsible owners know their animals well and look for signs of illness in their behavior. captive breeding is healthy!

[jillerz18]

i think keeping an animal in captivity could be good cause they might not be able to survie in the wild and many other reasons but its bad cause unfortunatly some places these animals are being kept are in conctrete cages or on  more concrete and only used for deplacy its kinda a bitter sweet thing...

[charmingbanana]

why is feeding a carnivorous animal a veggie diet leading to premature death ..

[timbalionguy]

Charmingbannana, carnivores are designed from the ground up to eat other animals. This is especially true of the cats, which must have meat in their diet. Their bodies are so used to eating high protein meat that they can no longer synthesize some common amino acids (building blocks of protein). These amino acids are only synthesized in the bodies of animals they eat. They also need vitamins only produced in animal bodies. If thesy do not get these important nutrients, they will die.

[charmingbanana]

thanks for such detailed explaination :)

but no, i never feed my cat veggies lol

[eapcar]

I AGREE WITH YOU 100%

Love the video!

[stevehgenius]

although i agree that it is mans responsibility to sort out the problems we have caused by encroaching on animals natural habitats i do not believe that the video is good zoo's and breeding programs are in place for this reason there is no need for some exotics to be kept as pets for example the lions and tigers on leads in the video as well as the mental trauma that can be done by incorrectly keeping primates as pets

[thomaskirby169]

Private breeders can raise a thousand times more animals than zoos can under better conditions than are often found in nature.

[KVedd]

Since this is such a commonality, can you please name three types of animals who live better lives in captivity?

[thomaskirby169]

Animal with heartbeats. Animals with tails. Animals that have teeth. Animals that don't have teeth. Animals that have scales, fur, or feathers. That's just to name a few.

[Fleefles]

"Better" is subjective. Many people would still argue that a mouse out in the wild that is eaten alive by an owl lived a better life than a mouse that lived in 50 gallon tank full of toys and food until it died of old age.

IMO, we should judge whether or not it is cruel to keep an animal by examining the animal itself. Dogs would much rather run free than be behind a fence. However, if a pet dog is not showing signs of stress and is content, is it still cruel to have dogs as pets?

[Fleefles]

@Fleefles

Likewise, the animals like Bam Bam the lion do not look like they are upset or stressed out. It looks as content as your average house cat. Therefore, I cannot logically say it is "cruel" to keep it in captivity. If it is, then so is keeping a house cat, and they should be spayed/neutered out of existence to save them from their misery (much like PETA and other AR want) of being captives.

[Fleefles]

People have this odd notion that if an animal is condered domesticated, that it means it "enjoys" being captive. If someone has a "wild" snake that eats and sheds normally and shows no signs of stress, and someone else has a dog that rips the house up when alone and escapes the yard every chance it gets, people would say it is the snake owner who is being "cruel" for confining an animal, even though it is the dog that is showing stress from being in captivity.

[rammgirl30]

@KVedd How about your cat, dog, fish tank, bird, or even your horse? All of these animals have proven to not only be domesticated, but also make companions for humans. At one time these creatures were wild. They have a permanent shelter, are guaranteed a meal and fresh water, and don't have to hide from poachers in another country where respecting wildlife means nothing! The wild animals in other countries are suffering because the country is developing like America did.

[rammgirl30]

@rammgirl30 We don't realize what creatures are extinct or going extinct from developing our country. By damming up a river you threaten thousands of fish/amphibians/reptiles just from blocking the natural flow of a river. But you don't care about that. When you level a forest for building homes and laying down pavement for roads you eliminate more homes for birds, small mammals and even large mammals. By having a farm you shoot at coyotes and wolves that come for your herd.

[rammgirl30]

@rammgirl30 But you don't care about that either! So by keeping animals that would normally be threatened inside a perimeter that keeps other people away you have given that creature a chance at surviving the next sub-division project! And just try to go overseas and tell China/Indonesia/Vietnam/India that they aren't allowed to develop their country like we did because they threaten their native species. I dare you.

[sandaili]

You guys need to give him a break - and one, ferrets aren't exotic, they are domesticated animals. But the point is - in countries that have destroyed habitat and continue to do so - exotics will only have homes given to them by people pretty soon. This is not a bad video.

[Bristow42]

The poachers pouch because people want them, like you. Your country is the next stop after Singapore for buyers of exotic animals.

[user12348071]

And you're an expert in exotic animals? You've kept and raised how many?

[oceancrooner17]

well said imaginaryfriendship..I completely agree with you.

[SnowLeopardQueen]

I Agree with you! To SAVE WILD animals is to preserve and reserve habitat for the animals because if all the species of animals die off, the ecosystems fail therefore killing the trees and plants, inturn kill all living things. You're just killing your self by letting these animals suffer!

Just Say YES To Exotic Pet Bans- Save A Life Badopting A Loving Shelter Animal Insted Of Letting A WILD Animal Die Slowly Because Of Not receiving A Proper Diet And Home Range!

[thomaskirby169]

That doesn't even make sense, SnowLeopardQueen. Private breeding helps preserve the animals until such time as we can create better wild habitats. Banning ownership of exotics puts them at much greater risk of extinction. Try to think with your brain, please.

[pieofangel17]

Yes, they are wild animals...Can we live together? Absolutely, we've been since the beginning of time...We have the responsibility as the "higher life form", so to speak as it is said, to protect, care for and ensure these creatures live on! It would be a sad day when there are no animals...In fact, we won't be around either people!

Kimberly Edwards :(

[thomaskirby169]

Kimberly, humans and animals have a lot of fun living together. Getting together like that just makes life more enjoyable.

[KINGbiggypac]

I have a leopard gecko, green anole, brown anole, long tailed grass lizard and a house gecko..These are all lizards...they are all pretty common (except for the long tail and house gecko) but are still just as exotic as any other monkey..i kno the love that people have for their pets and it is not right to ban keeping exotic pets in captivity...Realy great vid i couldnt stop watching it

[tikercat]

our government has allways perverted the truth and censored the facts; it's time we realized as americans wanting to share our world with these animals to take our efforts outside of this country-to foreign lands.

[tikercat]

absolutely wonderful video message. Do you know if it is possible to capture endangered animals, artificially inseminate them and release them back to the wild? would this increase the species numbers? I am a videographer, try putting your work on tv news, animal planet, reach out more. god bless you

[REXANOEXOTICS]

Actually, problem is not the breeding, animals are more than willing to breed in the wild and have babies without AI. Problem is their habitat is shrinking. Think of cougars in USA, there is enough of them for now so they are not endangered for now, but we are now building cities in their habitat, young cougars looking for new territory don't have enough 'real estate' available to them.

[AmyinOH]

I don't believe any primate owner will ever tell you there are no 'mishaps'- from the smallest to the largest. It all comes under education, the willing to accept the risk and are animals worth it? The long term existence of animal ownership worth it? The survival of some that are not $ worthy of zoo space? ALL have a place even in marketability- saved a few before ar activism, worth a look unless you believe in a ratis a boy is a pig type BS.

[intactivist1]

Captive chimpanzees in a California chimp sanctuary brutally attacked a couple in 2005. The woman's thumb was bitten off and the man's genitals were destroyed.

[AmyinOH]

By your short little blurb I would assume your knowledge of animal behavior is very limited. If I'm wrong, I apologize. If you're an animal rights activist, let's go. First, the couple were there to visit a chimp wrongfully taken from them after many years of living side by side and integrated. The woman was defending her 'troupe', her husband. The chimp that was part of their troupe was not involved in any way with the attack, just forced to be a bystander....

[intactivist1]

My knowledge of primate behavior comes from having kept monkeys and marmosets as pets for many years. Also I knew some people who kept a chimp here (Vancouver) for many years until it bit a neighbour's finger off. Just wanted to counter the idea that there are never any mishaps with captive primates.

[AmyinOH]

Chimps from another background got out of their enclosure and attacked the man (male, alpha in their world) taking a birthday cake to Moe,the chimp he and his wife had WAY after puberty and adulthood. The 'sanctuary' grounds were territory, possibly Moe being the newer resident...

[AmyinOH]

The male taking food to a 'lesser' member/resident would be the most likely target- male/genitals would be not a senstionalized event but one learned from animal ownership and observation. If you have a personal 'conflict' with this then I would suggest private therapy and an understanding of nature.

[intactivist1]

I don't think I need therapy though I understand why you are defensive. I appreciate you know the details of this event. But its important that people with stars in their eyes thinking, "Oh I'd like to have a monkey" (or chimp or big cat, etc.) know the reality of such a desire.

[AmyinOH]

I agree with knowing the 'reality of such a desire' but I don't agree with denying the reality of such a desire. Education and NOT legislation would be a much more realistic goal- to live WITH rather than without. Some may be lost in that battle also but still much preferable than non- existent.

[aviandy]

Do big cats react to catnip the same way that house cats do?

[REXANOEXOTICS]

Here is a reply form one big cat owner:

...have not seen lions and tigers have interest or care much for catnip I have seen them respond to cedar and juniper and some other plants, both cut and fresh much like Domestics do to catnip...

[REXANOEXOTICS]

Here is a reply from another big cat owner:

I have one adult cougar and he does respond to fresh catnip like a house cat. But not to the dried variety.

I have taken both to the facility where I work with lions, tigers, leopards and cougars and most ignore the dried, but respond to fresh. As with house cats, it seems to depend on the specific cat, how into it they get.

[aviandy]

Thanks, I appreciate the responses.

[OrcaLover7]

P.S i'm new in Youtube! how do you make a video or picture video?

[OrcaLover7]

I mean .. Think if God had made that ..Hmmm..lets say lions are the best creature ever made..And do you think they should have the opportunity to make Lion money to be rich and get money off our hard work??... That's what it is saying to us! Or me ..Dont you understand that it's not just us in this world?...God had made a plan for both us AND mammals! do we have to spoil it?

[TamanduaGirl]

We ARE mammals. We are animals too. There are instances of wild animals keeping "pets" and even "farming" other animals. Animals CAN be happy and healthy in captivity even sanctuaries believe this or they would kill every animal that comes to them instead of keep them. There is no harm done if the animal is happy and healthy. There's no harm done if they are bred in captivity as most exotics are. The few cases where they aren't is HIGHLY regulated.

[OrcaLover7]

GREAT!... But wich side are you on? captivity or NON captivity?...I have planned on being a vet but, I really do think i'm gonna work with Big great cat's, Any thing i get an opertunity to work with!, But mostly i want to be with orca's, Not seaworld!!!... I dont hate seaworld but it's just that i think and feel so bad for the sea mammals!...Their hole Entire life is working and working rasing money for the humans!...Dont they get a life of their own?,

[modeath420]

spay and neutering laws are a GREAT thing. there are lots of people dumb enough to continue to over populate our planet....even the exotics...there are thousands of unwanted exotic animal in the us that are miss treated or crowded in failing sanctuary's...and all the animals in this video seem to have great parents... but permits will protect the animals that dot end up with great parents....and there are far more of those...

[godessbast]

What a beautiful video. You have a gift for getting the messatge out. Every US legislator should get a copy of this video!

[sanasia]

KoroXwolfXshifter,

Your comments are based on a misconception about life in the wild. Unless habitat is destroyed or overrun, the animal doesn't have to travel far at all because its needs for food & water are met close by. In other areas animals may be forced to travel long distances to search for food at times of drought & famine. In captivity animals are provided a secure supply of food, vet care, companionship of conspecifics & get enough exercise to keep them stimulated & fit.

[sanasia]

Births in captivity are one indication that the biological and social needs of the individual animal are being appropriately addressed. The animals are obviously healthy and comfortable in their surroundings. A captive born animal has never known life in the wild...captivity IS it's natural surrounding. Call it restrictive and you are correct as the definition of restrictive also means providing care and protection.

[ginigoneape]

When God destroyed the earth with a flood, he first ordered Noah to gather the animals 2 x 2 and place them on the ark so that their species could reproduce and survive to replenish the earth.

With the animal's natural habitat again being threatened with destruction from poaching, logging, bush meat, human encroachment, disease, and even civil war, these animals today have the same 'right' to survive as a species....to be gathered and protected by human caretakers.

[janssnakes]

It would be wonderful if these animals could be free and safe at the same time but that isn't going to happen. Parks set aside for tigers in India are now devoid of any tigers. We humans are destroying our lands and wildlife. If people are responsible with their animals and take special care of them, then I say let them have what they want. And there are many responsible exotic owners out there; you just don't hear about them because they do everything right.

[kokoroXwolfXshifter]

You have many problems with your arguments! first of all, they are not OUR animals! They were meant to run ild and free, not live in a humans househld where they have restricted activity. So many younge animals die early in life due to mistreatment or malnutrition, and THAT is the real abuse! if we are the ones taking aay their land we, instead of protesting the right to lock them up inside,we should protest for saving of lands or be starting more wild animal refuges!

[TamanduaGirl]

A wild animal's average life span is always much much shorter than a captive animal's lifespan of the same species. So your statement is false. It's only a small minority that do wrong and there are neglect and abuse laws to deal with them. You wouldn't make it illegal to have children in order to stop child abuse would you?

[kokoroXwolfXshifter]

But they are devoid of doing many of the things natural for them! Ho would you like someone to take away everything you do... take away the food you are domfortable with and give your somehting strange and foreign, have only a small space to live in comparrisn to your natural life, and not be able to use the instincts god gave you?

[TamanduaGirl]

They use their instincts aa part of the enrichments people give them in play rather than having to fight for food or their life. The vast majority of exotic pets come from captive breeding they are not ripped from the wild and are raised on those foods. I know people who have lemurs who run inside the house at the first drop of rain and freak out at a insect near them, all born domestically and all having their owners wrapped around their little paws giving them whatever they want.

[KawaiiKemonomimi]

TamanduaGirl and many others I know have given exotics the best care a creature could ask for. Most of them are spoiled. Hehe! A wild fox is lucky to live past the age of 2, but a captive fox bred with people could have a happy life of a good 15+ years!

[Kurupt01]

Kudos to Rexano for producing this most awesome video. I especially love the orangutan and chimpanzee photos. Very touching pictures that speak volumes without any words needed. Thank you for taking the time to educate people about these obviously happy and well cared for exotic animals. Keep up the good work.

[vktucker]

Great educational video -- excellent reasons, backed up with FACTS from credible sources! Thank you!

[afqu]

Excellent video, and great message. It says volumes! Keep up the good work!

[GasMaskGuy343]

You make a GREAT point. Time to get me a tamandua!

[Caracalover]

good stuff!

[shnookey1979]

Very well done. I hope you manage to spread this video and I hope all your very well thought out facts will get to the ears of the people who are responsable for making these laws final. You did a awsome job.

[thomaskirby169]

The habitat doesn't really disappear. Humans can share their habitat and it is worth the risks. We ask Africans and Asians to put up with a lot worse to create protected areas for animals to live.

[SacramentoMom]

Rexano: thank you for explaining why we *must* allow captive bred and owned exotics. If their original habitat disappears, where will the exotics live? Thanks for the info on 'regular pets' too. How do most adults who love animals learn that love? By being responsible for pets as children.

[janssnakes]

As long as people are responsible exotic pet owners, why not let them have ownership of what they want? I am more afraid of some of the kids in my neighborhood then I would be of having a tiger next door that is owned by a responsible exotic pet owner.

Video is wonderful:)

[kokoroXwolfXshifter]

because they are not OUR rights to keep animals, it is the ANIMALS right to be free... we shouldnt be taking over their land!

[sprinklemist1]

In the US even wild animals are shot by the government. it is a matter of life. like cats and dogs, they are loyal to their owners and are treated royally in most cases. wild they may be shot for their coat or meat, so why not live the easy life? What is wrong?to share life with a cat or monkey or tiger, surely the animal will be happy eating and being protected.You should not tell others what to do as they KNOW these animals. If you feel it is not right then YOU don't have animals. Simple.

[mtwohawks]

what you are saying makes no sense....AT ALL. First of all, it is captive breeding especially in the private sector, that will insure the survival of species that people are forcing out of their habitats....dude...run free and be wild? There is less and less WILD in the world...where do they go then? You really need to wake up or better...GROW UP and get educated.....

[kokoroXwolfXshifter]

No need to become aggresie, hold your tounge! first of all, captive breeding is only going to make beautiful animals become tame housepets that need people to help them survive forever... that don't have free will... is that what you want? and if certain animals must be in captivity, people should be requird to have certain qualities and certification!

[allysia02]

actually captive breeding is NOT going to ensure survival of the species as most animals in captivity are not and cannot be released in the wild. You are right that there is less and less wild in the world. Lets focus on saving their natural habitat instead of creating unwanted pets in captivity.

[mtwohawks]

Actually...you at least put "most" in your sentence....good for you. There are no "unwanted" pets in captivity. The two words in the same sentence is contradictory.... A "pet" is not unwanted...and as these great videos show...the "pets" you see are very much wanted, and cared for, and loved. AND OF COURSE, the primary focus of ALL of these owners is to SAVE HABITAT.

[allysia02]

Actually, the fact that there are hundreds of sanctuaries in the U.S alone dedicated to caring for abused and unwanted exotic pets proves that my sentence is not contradictory.

[TamanduaGirl]

But the sanctuaries want them. Also if the sanctuaries did like they do for domestic pets and adopt them out to suitable homes there would be a lot less in sanctuaries but they want their sanctuaries to be crowded. There really are not that many exotic sanctuaries. It's hard to find one except for the big names. Even if it were hundreds that's hardly anything compared to the number of exotics said to be out there. So statistically exotics then have a forever home more often that domestics.

[allysia02]

well look at it another way. If private breeders stopped breeding so many animals there wouldn't be so many displaced animals(even tho u say they arent that many) and the sanctuaries would not be crowded. Even if they did adopt them out to suitable homes,if ppl kept breeding and selling these cats then eventually they would run out of those as well. I just think we should stop the problem at its source.

[TamanduaGirl]

The flaw being everything dies eventually so there will always be new home opening up as well as people who mature and now will want one. population grows then so do the homes.

[TamanduaGirl]

Oh I've heard the same from rescues about domestics. Just stop all breeding for Xyrs we may start to get a handle on the problem. No matter how large or small a population there will always be some "unwanted" where the family had to move or someone got sick or died. The amount will go up or down with the population but the percent that get turned over will be the same. Only if you go to 0 in human hands will you get zero in need of a home.

[allysia02]

however domestic and wild animals are two different things. Which was my point to begin with,especially endangerd ones at that.If you are claiming that private captive breeding saves the species then that is incorrect because you have to be part of a SSP program. If you are keeping them for your own personal pleasure thats a different claim all together, don't mix the two.

[TamanduaGirl]

So if a species is extinct in the wild but is only in private hands it doesn't count as existing? You should tell that to American bison. It was private bison owners who donated stock to repopulate the wild.

[allysia02]

the species in the video were not extinct, there are still existing populatons in the wild that need to be considered. They aren't going to introduce new specimens if it puts the current population at risk.

[TamanduaGirl]

Maybe not but it doesn't mean we shouldn't have some in reserve. There are many bird and reptile species kept commonly as pets that are extinct or near it in the wild. There are many cases of private owners saving a species.

[allysia02]

that should be left up to the association of zoos and aquariums who are in charge of the SSP programs, not private breeders. They are the only ones breeding for the survival of the species not private breeders. If you WANT to help the animals, focus on conservation and leave it to the professionals. We have MORE than enough of these animals in cages right now.

[allysia02]

SSP programs therefore will not be able to use the specimen bred in the private sector because 1- you must be able to trace its ancestry back to the wild and 2- due to the unregualted breeding the exotic animals are usually highly inbred. If they were going to introduce those animals it would harm the existing population. Thats why the association of zoos and aquariums is so picky.Therefore private breeding does more harm than good for existing populations.

[TamanduaGirl]

mismanaged ssps are do more harm than good for many species. What does it matter what subspecies of tiger it is or if it's a mix of subspecies. That's a tinny difference similar to breed of dog. There are not enough of any one subspecies to preserve it. Just saving the tiger should be enough. There will have to be inbreeding, cross subspecies or they just all die out. I would think tigers in private hands are less likely to be inbred to any degree since there is a bigger more open gean pool.

[allysia02]

also reproduction in the wild favors mutation/adaptation in a way breeding in captivity never can.

[TamanduaGirl]

Which means when captive bred animals are reintroduced they will adapt as needed to the environment they are in. Evidence of such adaptation is shown in a island population of finches. The island burned and the finches that survived adapted by developing bigger thicker beaks. One sudden change brought about another. There will be no problems adapting to reintroduction just like rehabbed animals. As they repopulate they will adapt to their environment making all those little differences.

[allysia02]

that worked because the finches were already varied and some were able to survive. SSP programs are careful about who they breed for that particular reason. The specimens they have are varied enough that if they were released and if something happened some would survive. Because the ones in the private sector are not as varied less of them would survive the fire or what have you than the SSP ones.

[TamanduaGirl]

Individual differences that could help survive a disaster will also arise again as they always do.

[allysia02]

If u get two of these post I apologise. Subspecies in tigers does matter because they live in diff. parts of the world. The sumatran lives on the island of sumatra, the siberean lives in eastern russia,the south china tiger lives in southern china, bengal tiger is from india and the indochinese tiger is from thailand. It is not like dogs at all

[TamanduaGirl]

This answers both of your posts. they are the same. All dog breeds came from the wolf so the geans of each breed of dog is in each dog and the wolf. All those differences are still possible. All the subspecies of tigers are related coming from one common ancestor species. All the variety of geans exists in each. Even if mixed into a mutt the geans still exist and will develop once again the differences that make a subspecies once living in that area again.

[allysia02]

0 in human hands is what we want because they are wild animals. We want them to be able to survive in the wild without our interference. So emphasis should be put on saving existing populations and conserving habitat not on private ownership.

[TamanduaGirl]

But then it comes down to personal opinion and not what harm is done. If a person or entity can keep an animal happy and healthy then the government has no right to say they can't. That's like outlawing cars because a few people don't like them and would rather just have bikes and horses. It should only be illegal to cause harm. It is already illegal to abuse or neglect an animal regardless of species most places.

[allysia02]

I guess u are right it is a personal opinion. I believe bringing an animal into the world and making it live in other than natural conditions for creatures of his or her kind cruelty. I believe they are good owners out there, but there are MORE than enough wild animals in captivity. We don't need anymore.

[thomaskirby169]

The vast majority of private owners do a wonderful job and help the animals tremendously.

[Carlhines]

Florida Fish and Wildlife has recently instigated new rules addressing the release of non-native snakes into the everglades. Americans should not be denied the right to own the animal of their choice because a few irresponsible people released their pets into the Florida everglades.

[trinityterror]

the everglades are ful of pythons and boas as we speak. this is terrible.