It is estimated that there are well over one million wild animals kept as exotic pets in the UK, including reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals. Evanna Lynch, famous for her role in Harry Potter and in the US TV series Dancing with the Stars, talks about the realities behind the exotic pet trade and the difficulties of keeping a wild animal as a pet.
In the film industry wild animals are still occasionally used on set although we’re seeing the use of CGI more and more which is fantastic. One of the problems associated with using captive wildlife in film, TV or music that I’ve recently learned about, is that it can sadly lead to an unintended surge in demand for wild animals for the exotic pet-trade.
Not domesticated
Exotic pets such as parrots, snakes, lizards and sugar gliders are common in the UK. However, they are not domesticated like dogs and cats and remain wild animals with wild traits. They have so many complex needs and behaviours that can only be met in their natural habitat, which makes them unsuitable to be kept as pets.
Captivity limits their natural behaviours and puts their health and wellbeing at risk. For example, parrots will typically fly miles each day and live in large social groups. Feather plucking is common in captivity because of stress, boredom and isolation. It is comparable to self-harming in humans. In fact, abnormal behaviour is common in exotic pets and is a sign of the suffering they endure.
Multibillion-pound industry
Unfortunately, hundreds of species are cruelly poached from the wild or farmed in unnatural conditions to supply this global multibillion-dollar industry. The expansion of air travel and the explosion of the internet has resulted in the exotic pet trade booming for decades and the increase in different species available to buy.
Dozens of wild animal species are easily purchased online at the click of a button. It is a shocking fact that even thousands of primates and dangerous wild animals are kept as pets in the UK.
Pet shops and exotic pet fairs make it seem normal to keep exotic pets. But often the conditions animals are displayed in are poor, with only the minimum legal standards being met. Worse, they feed the misconception that it is acceptable to keep these animals far from the freedom, space, interaction and diet they have in their natural habitat.
Keep wild animals in the wild
I know many people in the UK who keep tortoises, birds and other wild animals and I’m certain that they love their animals very much.
However, buyers of exotic pets must consider the lives of these animals before they reach the pet shop or fair. Even though it is legal in the UK to keep exotic pets, the life for one of these animals before it reaches the home is likely to have been stressful and traumatic.
Please think twice before considering buying a wild animal as an exotic pet. If you already have an exotic pet then give your pet the best life possible, for the rest of its natural life.
If you haven’t already, you should seek advice from a vet that specialises in exotic animals to ensure you are doing everything you can to meet its needs. We also ask you to sign World Animal Protection’s Wildlife Protector pledge and promise not to buy another exotic pet in the future.
Evanna Lynch
Evanna Lynch is an actress and animal welfare campaigner and can be found on Instagram here msevylynch