Cuddly Wildlife Can Turn Dangerous

It's tough to resist the charm of a baby animal, whether it's a puppy, a kitten, or something more exotic. Let's face it—babies of all kinds are adorable, and we seem to be hard-wired to care for them instinctively. Our pets are our family, and it is only natural to love them as our own. However, when it comes to wildlife, despite how very tempting it is, it is a terrible idea to keep a wild animal as a pet for many reasons.

Dangerous Behavioral Issues

Handling a wild animal, regardless if it is a baby or a fully matured adult, is not safe. There is a big difference between a wild animal and one that has evolved over centuries of domestication to become a fitting companion to humans. Wild creatures have their characteristics, temperaments, needs, and traits that have everything to do with leading a self-sufficient life of survival in the natural world and nothing at all to do with enduring a controlled and confined life amongst humans. Because of that, their behavior is dangerously unpredictable when we attempt to bring them into captivity. Wild animals reared or kept by humans may appear tame and even loving, but they could attack, bite, scratch, or otherwise harm their caregivers—people who might sincerely love them—often without any apparent provocation. Sadly, history is awash with news stories of wildlife/human relationships that ended in tragedy and, sometimes, death.

Health Hazards

Beyond wild animals' erratic behavior, there is another compelling reason why keeping wildlife as a pet is very unsafe. The diseases, parasites, vermin, and bacteria that wild animals carry is exceptionally dangerous to us. The fact is that the human immune system has adapted over the years to handle health hazards that come with dogs, cats, and commonly kept pets. However, wild animals carry an endless variety of zoonotic diseases that are just as exotic to us as the animals themselves. Our bodies are ill-equipped to protect us from these unknown pathogens and contact with them can make us extremely sick. At times, it can be deadly. Indeed, many worldwide pandemics began with a human handling an exotic animal.

Legalities

Another good reason to avoid keeping wildlife as pets is that it's illegal. In many states across the country, it is against the law to keep many wild animals confined or as pets. In Mississippi, the list of prohibited wildlife is vast. Failing to comply with these laws can result in exorbitant fines and possible jail time, depending on the circumstances.

Animal Cruelty

Another reason wild animals make bad pets is that it is often impossible for us to give them a happy life. Chances are, you might initially take in an animal that seems to be in need. While your intentions may be right, being kept inside a cage, a home, or a confined space is not the kind of life they were destined for, not the type of life they deserve, and not the kind of life that will give them contentment and happiness. To deny them their fundamental freedom constitutes animal cruelty.

Criminal Activities

Keeping an exotic animal as a pet may also contribute to criminal activities. Animals are illegally trapped and brought into the country by criminals at an alarming rate. By owning an illegal exotic pet, you fuel that illegal trade by motivating those activities. Furthermore, the animals are treated inhumanely by these traffickers. Babies are often targeted and they are subjected to extreme trauma, stress, illness, and death.

Specialized Care, Training, And Habitats Are Required

Even under the best of circumstances, taking in a wild animal requires special care, nutrition, veterinary treatment, and customized habitat. If your goal is to provide a helping hand towards rehabilitating an injured or abandoned animal, without the proper training, facilities, and in-depth knowledge to accommodate the animal's needs, you are more likely to do more harm than good.

What To Do When You Encounter Wildlife

If you encounter wildlife in nature or in or around your home, please do not risk handling the animal, and please remember that wild animals are not meant to be pets. For removal or rehabilitative care, the smartest and kindest thing you can do is to leave the animal alone and contact a professional wildlife removal and control company immediately. As the leading wildlife-handling experts in Mississippi, you can rely on the services of Wildlife Resolutions whenever you need us —we are fast, effective, humane, and available to you 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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