An estimated 5,000 tigers are kept as pets in the United States, compared to only 3,900 that still ive in the wild. – Gitnux Report 2024
What is the pet trade?
The exotic pet trade refers to both the legal and illegal multi-billion dollar industry of breeding wild animals in captivity or taking them from their natural habitat to be sold and kept as pets.
Where do the animals come from?
Some animals are bred in captivity for sale. Others are captured in the wild.
If the species is not protected by legislation, an animal captured in the wild can be legally obtained. However, the demand for protected species is extremely high, frequently leading to poaching and other illegal trade activities.
Some wild-caught animals are labeled captive-bred to avoid protected species trade laws and regulations.
Wild cats sold as pets typically come from breeders, other private individuals, ranches, or zoos.
What happens when the animal is transported?
When the animal is transported to a new pet owner, pet store, or exotic animal auction, many will suffer and die in transit, especially animals captured in the wild.
What happens after they are sold?
Most owners of exotic pets lack the knowledge, financial ability, or space to properly care for their pets and meet their needs.
Many of these pets will either become sick or injured and die or end up being sent to a zoo or exotic animal sanctuary.
According to one report, the chances of a new exotic pet after being bought is just over 20%.
Wild cat ownership in the U.S.
An estimated 18.1 million exotic pets are owned in the United States, of which 20,000 are wild cats. Of the 20,000 wild cats, approximately 5,000 to 7,000 are tigers. There are more tigers in captivity in the U.S. than in the wild (CNN)
The new Big Cat Public Safety Act now makes it illegal to own or breed big cats privately. Big cat owners had until June 18, 2023, to register their cats.
The impact of social media on the exotic pet trade
Social media has popularized the ownership of exotic pets. Sharing exotic pet stories and images has increased the demand for wild animals as pets.
How is the exotic pet trade harmful?
The exotic pet trade is considered a threat to the survival of many species, especially wild cats.
- Many animals die before ever reaching their owners.
- They do not receive the care they need to thrive.
- Wild cat populations are rapidly declining. Cats taken from their natural habitat 1) reduce the size of the population even further and 2) can no longer breed.
- Removing apex predators like wild cats from their habitat harms the ecosystem they were a part of.
Research, references and quotes
“The staggering numbers of tigers and cheetahs being kept as pets in the US and Gulf States seem to suggest that owning an exotic feline is the new must-have accessory for the discerning homeowner. Apparently, having more of these majestic creatures lounging in suburban living rooms than roaming freely in their natural habitats is the latest trend.” – Gitnux
“Global demand for exotic pets is increasing, a trend partly caused by social media and a shift from physical pet stores to online marketplaces…Wildlife trade can have major negative consequences. It can threaten the wild populations from which animals and plants are harvested, and introduce novel invasive species to new environments. It can also lead to diseases transmitted from wildlife to humans and threaten the welfare of trafficked animals.” – phys.org
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