WILD ANIMALS DO NOT MAKE GOOD PETS
From the AZA brochure, 7/90

WHAT IS A WILD ANIMAL?

A wild animal lives in natural environments and requires definite periods of conditioning and learning in the presence of its parents and peers.  It has certain inborn behavior patterns and also requires learned behavior to survive in competitive natural environments.

WHY CAN’T HUMANS SUBSTITUTE FOR NATURAL PARENTS?

It is virtually impossible for a wild animal to adapt to traditional household living. It is also impossible for pet owners to influence behavior patterns of wild animals or to predict when wild and often destructive behavior will occur.

DO WILD ANIMALS TRANSMIT DISEASE?

A wild animal is especially dangerous in this regard, since an owner would have no way of knowing what diseases the animal had been exposed to in its natural environment.  Diseases such as rabies can have extremely lengthy incubation periods, last several weeks or even several months.

Wild animals harbor parasites which can be lethal, especially to infants and young children.  Internal parasites such as ascarid worms, tapeworms, flukes, and protozoa can cause debilitating and often fatal diseases in humans, while external parasites such as ticks and fleas transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, bubonic plague and other serious diseases.

WHAT ANIMALS DO MAKE GOOD PETS?

A pet is a domesticated animal that is kept for pleasure rather than utility. Domesticated animals make good pets because they have been bred, many for thousands of years, to coexist with humans in a household setting.  In fact, behavior patterns which are especially appropriate for the domestic animal’s existence in a human household setting are consciously selected by breeders.  The following animals are recommended as pets: dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, domestic mice, domestic rats, budgies (parakeets), canaries, cockatiels, doves, pigeons, domestic ducks and geese and some common forms of captive-raised tropical fish.

WHAT ABOUT ZOOS AND AQUARIUMS?

Zoos and aquariums were once places where disenchanted pet owners could unload their problem pets. Today, zoos and aquariums, through the American Association of Zoos and Aquariums have established wildlife conservation as their highest priority.  One way of increasing their efforts is to discourage the taking of animals from the wild by not accepting donations of pets.

Captive wild animals should be managed in a zoological park or aquarium by professional biologists and other specially trained persons.

Members of the AZA invite you to join them and learn about wild animals and the care provided them in zoological parks and aquariums.  Visit the website at www.aza.org.

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