[harazza]

Did anyone watch Primetime a few nights ago? I dont usually like or watch the show but I caught a preview.<br><br>
I really thought these people were selfish for wanting to keep wild animals as pets. The couple that raised the chimp as a child was just bazaar. The man said he was their son.<br><br>
I admit we all think animals are cute and cuddly but they are animals and MUST be left alone to live and be happy in there own environment. You cannot dress chimps as children or adults. It is NOT a happy environment for them. They will eventually have to go to a zoo or sanctuary. They may even forget they are a animal or forget how to be one.<br><br><br><br>
And for the man who wanted to be a grizzly bear. I really think he had some kind of mental problem. I mean he would stalk and act like a bear around people sometimes.<br><br>
Observing them is one thing but living with them and thinking you can tame them and make them except you is another.<br><br>
I really think people who own exotic pets are selfish!<br><br>
(((off my soap box)))))<br><br><br><br><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1030398&page=1" target="_blank">http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1030398&page=1</a><br><br><br><br><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1044680" target="_blank">http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1044680</a>

 

[raw jess]

Some people feel the same about domesticated pets, but I know what you mean.<br><br><br><br>
I didn't see it, but that bear-man just sounds creepy.

 

[troub]

*raises hand<br><br><br><br>
/runs away

 

[Tom]

I don't think I'd have a problem with it if it didn't harm either animals or humans, but how often does that happen?<br><br><br><br>
Someone I knew on another board once mentioned how even commonly-kept animals often don't get the care they need. She knows a lot about herps, and was mentioning how even a "common" green iguana has specialized diet and habitat requirements which most people are unable (or unwilling) to provide, such as a cage the size of a small bathroom.

 

[Tesseract]

Whatever you think about keeping animals that have been domesticated as pets, all the issues are bigger problems when trying to turn non-domestic animals into pets. It's just a bad idea, and these people rarely have the best interest of the animals at heart.

 

[orderandlaw]

You're right. People that take in wildlife and call it a "pet" are selfish, but they are also stupid.<br><br><br><br>
I cannot prove where these animals are coming from, but I'm almsot willing to bet they are being ordered via internet or snuck over the state line from down south somewhere and kept until the ******* owner cannot afford to feed the animal anymore, or it takes a chunk out of somebody and they release it thinking by doing that eases their own personal burden somehow.<br><br><br><br>
We do have people here that are licensed through the state to rehab wildlife. That I do not have a problem with as these people respect the fact the the animals that are caring for are wild and the animals are released once they are better or have recovered from their injuries.<br><br><br><br>
We also have programs here through zoos that keep wildlife that would otherwise die in the because of severe injuries. A aquarium in CT has such a program. Last time I was there they had a bald eagle that was shot in the head with an arrow. The eagle survived, but he is blind so they keep him and use him for educational purposes for children and adults alike. Even though the bird is blind, they still respect that he is a wild animal. He has his own enclosure and is expected to fend for himself as much as possible ( while be watched to make sure he doesn't starve or hurt himself by some other means) so that he doesn't become completely dependant on humans.<br><br><br><br>
Then there are people that work at zoos and try to show off to their friends only to end up injured themselves. There was that story a few years ago where a guy lost his arm while trying to show his friends that the lions "liked him" so he could pat them whenever he wanted. They liked him so much they thought he was a tasty treat. Then there was that other story where the moron crawled into a lions den and was mauled.<br><br><br><br>
Those kinds of stories have a tendency to shock people, but it isn't enough to keep them from taking in animals that do not belong to them or belong on captivity.