Expert Explained: How Exotic Pets Affect the Environment

20.06.2023 19:00
Updated: 13.05.2024 21:25

Exotic or wild animals can become pets as they seem more interesting and unusual. In addition, a special interest in certain types of animals may be associated with social networks.

How exotic animals can harm the environment

Quite often, wild animals are simply unsuitable for life in a human home.

For example, popular capybaras are large enough animals that cannot be started one at a time.

An adult capybara can reach up to 200 feet. In addition, these animals definitely need a deep enough pool to swim and eat up to 8 feet of plants.

Since wild animals are difficult to care for, sometimes a person decides to release his pet into the wild. In this case, the animal is not adapted to the wild and dies from predators or starvation.

capybaras
Photo: Pixabay

If predators are absent and the climate is suitable, such species become invasive. For example, for this reason, there are problems with exotic snakes in Texas and red eared slider turtles in Japan. These species now outnumber native reptile species.

Sometimes pets are carriers of diseases for wild animals. Such types of diseases are dangerous not only for animals and people, but also for the environment.

Therefore, before you start an exotic animal, you should take this issue responsibly and prepared.

Author: Diana Dashkevich Editor internet resource