The Risks of an Exotic Pet

They creep, they crawl, slither, and fly – and people keep them as pets. Everything from tarantulas to pythons appears to be fair game in pet shop windows. While these animals are thrilling to watch and serve their place in their own ecological systems, there are several factors to consider when bringing them into a domestic environment.

There is, first and foremost, the issue of public health. Exotic animals can carry exotic diseases. Prairie dogs were the source of a Monkeypox outbreak in the Midwest in 2003. This led Indiana state officials to restrict the rodents as pets.

Beyond rodents, reptile and primates pose a health threat as well. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 70,000 people contract salmonella from pet reptiles. Salmonella is found in 90% of reptiles and can be transferred to humans through feces.

A growing pet trend is keeping Macaque monkeys. However, these monkeys frequently carry Cercopithecine herpesvirus 1 (commonly known as virus B), which is harmless in monkeys but can be fatal in humans.

Another concern is public safety. Most state laws are written after an attack by an exotic pet occurs. These incidents typically deal with large cats and venomous reptiles. After two North Carolina children where both mauled by caged tigers (in separate incidents), the state banned the possession of big cats, non-native venomous reptiles, non-human primates, and wolves.

Like domesticated animals, the law holds owners responsible for the actions of their exotic pets. When considering keeping an animal from the wild as a companion consider the possibly dangerous traits of the species. Research any diseases that the species carries and how it could be transmitted to humans.

If you have been injured by someone’s exotic pet, contact an Rhinelander animal attack lawyer from Habush, Habush, & Rottier S.C. at 1-800-682.3434.