Wild populations of some species decline rapidly as trappers anxious to meet consumer demand use unsustainable methods to catch and sell animals.
The pet trade, like any other industry, is ruled by trends. As certain exotic animal species become popular pets, an opportunity for indigenous people to earn a living by capturing them from the wild for the illegal pet trade emerges. Unfortunately destructive practices used to collect pet trade species often damage wild populations when too many individuals are taken, and those left behind cannot recover from the loss. Smaller populations of animals are more vulnerable to many types of problems, including inbreeding (when no suitable mates are available, and animals are forced to breed with close relatives, causing birth defects and greater susceptibility to disease), or risk of eradication by just one natural disaster (such as a tornado or hurricane). Entire ecosystems may become off-balance when only one component is altered. Removal of a species from its ecosystem jeopardizes the balance of that ecological network and can be damaging for other species that may be reliant on that animal. For instance, forcing a predator to prey on new food sources may cause a ripple effect, similar to dominoes, ending with the collapse of the entire system.
You Can Help
In order to ensure that the purchase of your exotic pet does not support the trade in endangered wild animals or unsustainable collection practices, only purchase captive born exotic pets from reputable sources, such as licensed breeders or pet stores that do not trade in wild-caught animals. Conducting research in advance will help to obtain accurate information on where a business is getting its animals. Go to
Take Action for more ways to help.