Every year millions of wild animals are being taken from their natural habitats and being sold for large amounts of money around the world. This is a very popular and large business that is referred to as the exotic pet trade. A large part of this trade is performed illegally and results in a global black market that is worth billions of dollars. The exotic pet trade has been in existence throughout history, but has recently increased in recent years.
Recently, we have been seeing the ownership of big cats as a major trend. Many people are watching the Netflix original series, Tiger King, starring Joe Exotic and his ownership of lions and tigers. In this show we see how popular it is for people in the US to own large tigers and lions in their backyard. In the show, we also see how problematic it is to hold these wild animals in captivity. It is also very common to see big cats in music videos and social media platforms. This trend has lured people into irresponsibly purchasing exotic animals, supporting the black market. To keep this market growing, many of the animals are bred in captivity and others are taken from the wild, then smuggled out of the country.
During my winter break, I went on a vacation to Cancun, Mexico and witnessed ten lion cubs taking pictures with tourists at an outdoor mall for money making purposes. I was saddened to see a newborn lion cub away from its mother and constantly being woken up every ten minutes to take a photo with tourists. I was also very surprised to see a white tiger cub, knowing how rare these tigers are. They deserve to be in the wild with their mothers and not stuck in a small enclosure at a mall surrounded by humans. The exotic animal trade is a harmful money making tactic that should be discontinued.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/reference/exotic-pet-trade/#close
Really cool topic and I like the attachment of a person story my question is does the Netflix documentary help or harm? Is it bringing light to an important topic or is it romanticizing the big cat trade?
ReplyDeleteThis is a really good point. I've only seen the first episode, but from the looks of it, they seem to be acquiring the exotic cats "legally," even though that just means there is a lack of laws restricting it. The show seems to focus on the drama and conflict between the different parks but it seems to romanticize the big cat trade as well, given that it points out that it is legal. Also, Carol Baskin, who receives more positive public feedback, is also running a private zoo and monetizes it, even though the cats are "rescued"
DeleteI agree exotic animal trade needs to stop. It is not only cruel towards the animals themselves, it is also putting the species being traded at risk for extinction. Wild animals deserve to remain in their original home in the wilderness. If more and more animals continue to disappear or go extinct, who knows how it would affect the food chain. It could potentially wreak havoc and cause more imbalances in the ecosystem itself.
ReplyDelete