Animals are creatures that God blessed humans to roam the Earth with. Like Humans all animals come in many different shapes and sizes. Some animals are wild and exotic while others are tamed and domesticated. Owning any animal can be difficult; on the day-to-day basis animals typically get put into shelters because their owners have failed to take proper care of them. Having ownership over an exotic animal has become more of a flashy trend statement rather than someone having a passion for animals and taking responsibility of it. An exotic animal can be defined as “any pet that is not a dog, cat, or farm animal. This encompasses many different species of animals including pocket pets, birds, reptiles, fish, and amphibians in addition to those animals that are less often seen as pets such as primates, kangaroos, pot bellied pigs, and big cats” (Mcleod, 2017). Dominating over exotic animals serves a high risk of adding to the increase of animal extinction rates. As humans who are fortunate enough to share this planet with other creatures, it is our duty to protect the existence of all beings that cannot help themselves. Consequentially, separating animals from their niche or original home can cause serious harms to the state of mind of the exotic animal. When a human, plant or animal gets isolated from the place that it originally belonged to getting used to the changes can be challenging. Imagine being an animal that gets separated from its family, sometimes shot and caged, to be brought to a place that is completely different that what it’s used to. Essentially, we are over-stepping a boundary that many people can be ignorant to. Additionally, bringing an exotic animal to America risks the fact that that animal may or may not be carrying any foreign diseases this could potentially lead to the widespread of an illness across the country. No matter how cool an exotic animal seems to be, owning them should be illegal because not only is it morally wrong to take over the lives of these animals, but also it is incredibly unsafe for the animal and the human.
By taking exotic animals thousands of miles away from their home, you are essentially taking them away from their entire species. Animals nowadays are already so highly at risk for being endangered because humans think that it is okay to take these animals and shoot them for sport or pleasure. According to an article called The Extinction Crisis, “Extinction is a natural phenomenon, it occurs at a natural ‘background’ rate of about one to five species per year” (Greenwald, 2017). Extinction may be a part of the circle of life but endangering these animals faster by chasing them out of their natural habitat or skinning them for a fashion statement is an ethical value that most people look down upon. Even the President of the United States would agree that the killing of these majestic creatures is absurd. An article in The New York Times claims, “President Trump’s surprise intervention to try to save the elephants of Zimbabwe has drawn praise from across the political spectrum… Mr. Trump put a sudden halt to a new federal government ruling that would have allowed hunters to bring “trophy’ elephants killed in Zimbabwe into the United States, calling big-game hunting a “horror show” that he did not believe helped conservation” (Baker and Cochrane, 2017). Even the most morally frowned upon person in office believes in the conservation of unprotected animals. Greenwald further gives statistics of animals being endangered and going extinct, “There are 14,000 to 35,000 endangered species in the United States, which is 7 to 18 percent of U.S flora and fauna. The IUCN has assessed roughly 3 percent of described species and identified 16,928 species worldwide as being threatened with extinction, or roughly 38 percent of those assessed” (Greenwald, 2017). The extinction of animals is already a worldwide issue and people should not be adding to the increase of these rates because they think it is “trendy” or “fun”. We have a duty to go against the trends and whatever pleasures can be found in keeping exotic animals for our selfish entertainment. Exotic animals need to be left alone and free to go about as they please so that they can exist! They cannot be exotic if people keep using them as house pets or killing and putting them on the endangered species list.
Owning exotic animals should be illegal because these animals have needs that they can only get satisfied in their own natural habitats. Taking exotic animals out of their own comfort and home to put them into an unfamiliar place can really damage the exotic creature’s state of mind. It is very costly to own exotic animals more so to maintain and keep it physically and mentally healthy. In Di Lamont’s article on how captivity affects the mental well-being of all animals, “Exotic animals, farm animals, and domestic animals might not all share many traits in common, but one thing that they all share is the fact that they exhibit stereotypic behaviors when in captivity. (Stereotypic behavior is the term we use to describe animal behavior which is invariant, repetitive and serves no obvious function)” (Lamont, 2015). Lamont is explaining that holding any type of animal in captivity can cause them many serious metal behaviors. No one really knows the full capabilities of these foreign animals once put in a place that they are not naturally supposed to be in. Lamont goes on by saying, “Commonly seen and documented examples include big cats pacing around the perimeter of their zoo enclosure, shelter cats habitually over-grooming and the ‘sham-chewing’ behavior of factory farmed sows” (Lamont, 2015). These actions are not normal for any animal to be doing and Lamont states that we should be concerned about not only ourselves but also the animals that are displaying those abnormal behaviors. Being in captivity or any unfamiliar setting for a long time causes mental issues for the animal, which will lead to them to acting out and irrationally on human beings. There is no way of telling exactly why these creatures act out but it may or may not be because they are upset about being taken away from their families. Although dogs are not exotic animals they were the closest example to explaining that animals know who their family is, “It is possible that a dog can recognize a sibling by scent. A dog's sense of smell supersedes that of humans by 10,000 to 100,000, so perhaps this ability allows a dog to detect a littermate he has not seen in years” (Robinson 3). Robinson is saying that there is no concrete evidence that suggests dog siblings can recognize each other but there is definitely a possibility of it happening. So this could be why these exotic animals are so mad. They could be mad that they were separated and transported to a place that is foreign to them and expected to act rationally towards their new surroundings. Lamont concludes that, “All the behaviors are caused by an absence of some natural necessity: environmental, nutritional, social, you name it. Locomotion stereotypes like pacing are thought to be a result of an inadequate living environment, while self-directed behaviors are often a result of stress and anxiety caused by a lack of animals of the same species.” (Lamont, 2015) She is saying that these behaviors are not normal and not matter how much we would like them as a pet they need to be in their natural living environment. If this were to happen to humans and their homes, they would not like it at all and they would be furious at the people who did it to them. Animals have a right to stay where they live because that is their home, that is where they are comfortable and that is where they can fully live their lives. Humans should not be allowed to take that away from them, we have no right.
Dealing with exotic animals is intimidating enough, let alone risking the chance for these animals to be carrying crazy foreign diseases that could be seriously bad for the environment that they are brought into. In an article about the use of vaccines on exotic animals James L. Bittle writes, “There is little doubt that the use of vaccines has been the first line of defense in controlling infectious disease in man and domestic animals. This evidence by the control of great disease epidemics such as yellow fever and polio, as well as the worldwide eradication of small pox” (Bittle, 1993). These foreign diseases could lead to contagion and then a widespread of a plague. James L. Bittle proves that by stating what kinds of diseases had been spread before due to domestic animals. These animals are exotic and are being placed in an area that they are unfamiliar to which may result to their bodies badly reacting to the germs that we have surrounded them in. Bittle continues, “An example in vaccinating against a disease such as canine distemper to which many carnivores are susceptible. There have been deaths of carnivore species from live canine distemper vaccines. In many exotic canids, use of only killed canine distemper vaccines is recommended” (Bittle, 1993). Bittle is saying that science is trying to find ways to allow exotic animals to be around humans but there are many side effects on the animal after taking the vaccine. When the animal takes the vaccine it can cause them death and there have been many instances of that. Extracting these exotic animals from their homes and testing on them just to see if they can hang around humans is harmful on both sides. Not only can testing vaccines on exotic animals cause the animals death, but they could also be bringing in the next potential sickness that would be very bad for America. These foreign diseases could cause plagues that we are not able to cure with the different resources and knowledge that we have in the states. Viruses around the United States are already known to make sudden outbursts and can be traced from foreign contacts. Bittle claims that, “Many of these same vaccines have been used to control corresponding diseases in exotic animals. Perhaps there would be even greater use if there were more evidence for their safety and efficacy” (Bittle, 1993). Because we lack knowledge and experience with these exotic animals it is unsafe to bring them on United States soil since it may cause danger to a wide population of the human race. Viewing this in a utilitarian aspect shows that leaving these animals alone and not risking the health of Americans holds higher utility than the happiness if would bring to the one person it would please.
As you can see there are many ethical reasons why owning exotic animals should be illegal in the United States. On the other hand, some people say that owning exotic animals is a good thing. Zoos are a perfect reason of this because they educate the public about all these different types of exotic animals in a safe space. In an Earth Watch Institute Journal, Willa Stewart says, “We had filled the pond with water, a frog emerged from the undergrowth and took up residence right away. I looked up from planting the other week and found a fox looking at me and we discovered a vole in the compost heap that we relocated in a wooded area. Our lodgers have arrived already! It is hoped that the 1.200-square-meter garden, complete with pond, bird hide, woodland walk, and interpretive signs funded by Earth Watch, will interest the zoo's half a million visitors each year in conserving local wildlife as well as exotic species” Stewart explains her advocacy for exotic animals and local wildlife. She is one of many advocates who find the purpose of preserving zoos to be enjoyable. Dr Dave Hone entertains the idea of why zoos are good a good thing. He recognizes that some zoos can be bad or merely improved but besides that it is not just an argument for animals in captivity. Hone says, “I don’t think anyone would consider putting down a 10000 km long fence around the Masai Mara to really be captivity, even if it restricts the movement of animals across that barrier. But at what point does that become captivity? A 10000 m fence? 1000 m fence? What if veterinary care is provided or extra food as in many reserves or as part of conservation projects. I’m not pretending that an animal in a zoo is not in captivity, but clearly there is a continuum from zoos and wildlife parks, to game reserves, national parks and protected areas. Degree of care and degree of enclosure make the idea of ‘captivity’ fluid and not absolute” (Hone 2014). By this Hone means that there is much more to modern zoos than the collection of animals. Would people against containing animals, exotic or not, be okay with the idea of keeping them in captivity if there was care provided for them? A question for Hone’s statement would who would regulate whether or not these animals had someone caring and watching over them? Does the owner have a duty to attain the proper veterinarian for their exotic animal and how would we know that this idea would be properly executed amongst the animals in captivity? For the utilitarian, he or she could see how maintaining an exotic animal for educational purposes in a place that had all the needs that an animal in captivity could ever want would arise. However if we were to look solely in the eyes of the animal then holding these animals in captivity would definitely be seen as immoral.
To pose as a counterargument to the counterargument that owning exotic animals and holding them in captivity should be legal, we turn to SeaWorld. SeaWorld is the U.S chain of marine mammal parks, oceanariums, animal theme parks, and rehabilitation centers. “The park features killer whale, sea lion, and dolphin shows as well as zoological displays featuring various other marine animals” (Wikipedia). SeaWorld is a family friendly place that has education entertainment on marine biology. However, the list of beautiful exotic animals held in captivity at SeaWorld is disgustingly long. Many of these animals include: orcas, dolphins, walruses, and a variation of whales. Countless amounts of articles speak on the cruel imprisonment of these animals at SeaWorld. SeaWorld is worth millions of dollars meaning that they should essentially have this “veterinarian care” that Hone spoke of. Even if SeaWorld did provide this care for their exotic animals it has still been revealed to the public that SeaWorld manipulates these animals as much as they can. This led to the animals noticeably acting out, “The orcas also took their frustration out on birds. Though orcas are natural predators, the bird killings appeared to be an act of frustration more than hunger. "They'd constantly tear apart birds," Fischbeck said. "They weren't eating them at all. You'd find the whole bird – just in pieces” (Schelling 2015). Schelling writes the words of Sarah Fischbeck, a water quality diver at SeaWorld. Fischbeck worked jobs in the animal departments, performed maintenance on tanks, and regularly dove with the animals. Fischbeck continues, “"The whales were aggressive toward us," Fischbeck said. "They'd see us on the other side of the gate. I had more than one occasion where they got really angry and started ramming the gate … You couldn't get within arm's reach of the gate because they'd try to suck you in” (Schelling 2015). This explains just how violent animals could get when held in captivity for so long. SeaWorld turns innocent exotic animals into a way of making money and in the end it does nothing but lead to a life of misery for the animals and an unsafe environment for the workers and that is why owning exotic animals should be illegal in America.
In the end, these animals are not ours and we shouldn’t be taking them out of their home in the first place. They were born where they were because that’s where their biological resources are and that’s where they have naturally adapted. Owning an exotic animal is not supposed to be used as a fashion statement or for general entertainment purposes. Killing animals for sport is morally wrong and we have a duty to protect these animals from anything that would get them on the endangered species list. History has proven that bringing foreign animals can expose death to not only humans but also the animal. We see this at SeaWorld and as well as previous diseases that could be traced back to an exotic foreign animal. We as human nature always want the newest and coolest thing but your newest and coolest thing is actually animal cruelty. If the roles were reversed you would want someone to be fighting the fight that you couldn’t do for yourself.