Hoot Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Does anyone have any book suggestions that look at both sides of the exotic pet debate with regards to both private ownership as well as zoos, aquariums, and sanctuaries? A variety of books would be fine; I'm not expecting everything in one place. DS14 is considering possibly going into a field working with animals and I want him to be aware of both sides of this issue. I can obviously find lots of noise from the opposition, but I can't seem to find anything credible that isn't purely emotion-based from those who support the right to own wild animals as pets or have them housed in facilities for public viewing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 There is an amazing series of books called Opposing Viewpoints that offer more than a simplistic glance at two sides to a story. They contain essays displaying the complexity of issues. I tried googling to see if they produced a book examining your issue but I wonder I am not using the right key words. So I'll toss out the series name in case anyone else has encountered within it a book or books that may assist you. Jane Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted March 24, 2014 Author Share Posted March 24, 2014 Ooh. Thanks Jane. I'll look those up. Sounds like even if they don't include this particular issue they could be useful in other areas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jane in NC Posted March 24, 2014 Share Posted March 24, 2014 Ooh. Thanks Jane. I'll look those up. Sounds like even if they don't include this particular issue they could be useful in other areas. Our library system has a bunch of books in the series which we found to be provocative. I highly recommend them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 There is a recent issue of National Geographic in 2014 with exotic pets as the cover story. The story is mainly negative, but with some sympathy for pet owners, and interviews with current and former pet owners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 There is a recent issue of National Geographic in 2014 with exotic pets as the cover story. The story is mainly negative, but with some sympathy for pet owners, and interviews with current and former pet owners. Thanks daijobu. We have that issue and have read it already. It is one of the reasons that I was looking for something more balanced. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 There is a book by the head vet of a zoo, I think the San Diego zoo that I read a few years ago. It alternated chapters about his experiences with chapters on the history of the zoo. There was some interesting stuff like during the Depression they culled some of the animals because they could t afford to feed them. They then fed the grazing animals to some of the carnivores they were trying to maintain. I think this is the book. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0231132492?qid=1397048007&sr=1-10&vs=1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted April 9, 2014 Share Posted April 9, 2014 Thanks daijobu. We have that issue and have read it already. It is one of the reasons that I was looking for something more balanced. It's really interesting, isn't it? Some of these owners seem to have real issues with the humans in their lives. Others are clearly after the status of not having a "regular" pet. I was really surprised at that guy who went from pet-owner to pet-rescuer, and how he said he can't get too close to the animals because of his "addiction." That hedgehog on the cover was adorable, wasn't it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoot Posted April 9, 2014 Author Share Posted April 9, 2014 It's really interesting, isn't it? Some of these owners seem to have real issues with the humans in their lives. Others are clearly after the status of not having a "regular" pet. I was really surprised at that guy who went from pet-owner to pet-rescuer, and how he said he can't get too close to the animals because of his "addiction." That hedgehog on the cover was adorable, wasn't it? That hedgie is adorable. I've actually wanted one for years. While it can certainly be an addiction for some people, I think more often than not it is more of a statys thing. It can also be about ego - feeling like you have this special and unique relationship with a type of animal that no one else has. The thing is, not everyone has these self-serving motives. That is where the water gets murky. How do you tell the good guys from the bad guys? Sometimes it isn't as simple as seeing whether the animal is healthy or well cared for. I actually have exotics, though nothing as drastic as the ones in the article, and I know LOTS of people with exotics like the ones discussed in the article. The thing I find interesting are that so many people are willing to talk about them openly. Most of the people I know don't openly talk about their exotics, even though they are legal, for fear of a variety of repercussions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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