7 Reasons Why Buying Wild-caught Animals Hurts You

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It also hurts the wild animals and our environment too.

Getting a pet should be the start of a happy and rewarding relationship, but buying a wild-caught pet hurts you and the animal on all counts.

1. You may catch something

Wild-caught animals may harbour internal parasites and zoonotic pathogens (i.e. diseases that normally exists in animals but can infect you). Wildlife smugglers do not quarantine them because they just want to make a quick buck.

2. You have to deal with a chronically stressed animal

Wild-caught animals tend to arrive stressed (because smugglers are indifferent to animal welfare) and will continue to remain so even after you bring them home. Why? Because wild animals never fully adjust to captivity and if they are unable to get used to the enclosure you have prepared for them, they will stay chronically stressed, making them more susceptible to illnesses.

3. You may face aggressive behaviour

Wild animals are not meant to be captured or caged as pets. Some wild animals may get used to being around humans but they can still display aggression.

For instance, Asiatic Wildcats can be tamed or get used to interacting with people, but unlike domesticated cats, these wildcats can turn violently aggressive under stressful situations.

What is the difference between tame, domesticated and wild? See why it is important to understand these terms here.

On the other hand, farm-bred, domesticated animals are often well-adjusted to captivity and those from reputable breeders should be parasite-free.

4. It’s tough for you to keep them

To thrive, wild animals need specialised conditions and equipment in a captive environment. This can be difficult to replicate in Singapore, e.g. a baby Spectacled Caiman may be cute but it will grow to a length of 2 metres, and requires a huge enclosure that allows it to swim and move on land.

They also may not recognise the feed you provide to them as food.

5. Needless deaths behind every wild-caught animal

For every wild-caught animal that survive being smuggled, many others would have died during transport and from mishandling. The wildlife trade is the 4th largest illegal trade in the world and a multi-billion industry (after drugs, human trafficking and counterfeiting).

6. You may unwittingly contribute to trafficking

Wildlife trade is often closely tied to human, drug trafficking and other criminal activities.

Even though Singapore has strict laws that only allow certain animals to be kept as pets, the list is rather restricted. This means there is a large black market for wild-caught animals in Singapore and our strategic location also makes us a popular transit hub i.e. smugglers take advantage of our connectivity and strong air and sea links.

7. Your kids may never get to see these animals

Wildlife trade robs our natural world of its beauty and has driven many species close to extinction e.g. Star Tortoise from India (pictured here), Ploughshare Tortoise from Madagascar and Slow Loris from Southeast Asia.

Instead, choose to preserve what is left of nature for us and our children (or nieces and nephews) by adopting cats, dogs e.g. Singapore Specials or buying captive-bred pets such as canaries, finches, terrapins, discus, goldfish etc.

For all reasons above, if you are considering to bring a pet into your home, please adopt or buy from reputable pet breeders. Find out more from pet breeders or pet shops, and ask questions about the animal’s origin, vaccination history etc.

P.S. Any animal, regardless of how it was obtained, still deserves access to quality healthcare and treatment. Gaia Veterinary Centre is a full-service facility that welcomes and treats pets of all species. Talk to us today!