There is a Yeti in the back of everyone’s mind; only the blessed are not haunted by it. ~ old sherpa saying

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Monster Quest and Exotic Pets

This week's MQ was about big cats in the North Eastern part of New York. Sightings of large black cats, attacks . . . and good evidence they're around, from the claw marks in tree bark, prints, etc. Theory is that the cats seen are black leopards, escaped from, or let go, by their owners.

The most disturbing thing about the program is the fact that people insist on keeping tigers, leopard and other big cats as "pets" -- MQ even showed a man who kept cougars and sold baby cougars as pets! Aside from animal rescue places, animal reserves, and a Sigfrid and Roy kind of thing, no one should, no one needs to, have big cats as pets.

Many owners have been attacked by their "pet" tiger, lion, etc. This is a surprise? You try being kept in a cage for years and see what happens. It is literally criminal that it is legal to keep exotic animals as "pets."

I realize MQ isn't in the business of being political; it's entertainment. And it's implied in various MQ episodes that keeping wild animals as pets is dangerous, stupid, and to a lesser degree in their implication, cruel. But I would like to see more of a definitive statement towards support of legislation that outlaws keeping exotic animals as pets.

No comments: