Exotic Pet Trade Needs to Be Stopped

A two-month-old tiger cub found inside a plastic container in Mexico.

The exotic pet trade is infamous for illegally smuggling endangered species from around the world to meet consumer demands. These animals come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, including youngsters. This was the case in Mexico when a two-month-old Bengal tiger cub was found inside a plastic container in a sedated state at the New Tlaquepaque Central Bus Station in Jalisco. The cub, which was found by a sniffer dog at the postal center, was said to be transported from Jalisco to the state of Queretaro in central Mexico. Mexican Federal Police took photos of the cub and posted them on Facebook. Although the cub appeared sedated and dehydrated, it had not been hurt in any other way. It has now been given to the animal management center and the case is being investigated.

The discovery of this tiger cub goes to show how the exotic pet trade continues to be the most lucrative and life-threatening business in the world. Endangered wild animals are smuggled on a large-scale and this includes youngsters like this Bengal tiger cub. I really think that intensive efforts need to be put to combat the exotic pet trade, in order to prevent such animals from being separated from their parents and their natural habitats. It is extremely disheartening that young animals are taken away from their parents and transported overseas to meet the demands of public consumption. People should understand that if they love wild animals and care so much about them, then they should not keep them as pets. It is a very miserable life for the animals, compared to their natural habitats. In addition, when young animals, especially carnivores, grow up into adults, they become to difficult to manage and there is always a chance that they end up getting killed in the hands of human beings.

View article here