Exotic animals are not meant to be kept as pets like dogs and cats

It is good to see the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) cracking down on those keeping exotic animals as pets (“Man jailed for illegal possession of seven exotic wildlife species”; Nov 2).

The rearing of such exotic animals not only risks transmission of diseases to humans, it could be a danger to the public if the creatures are not handled properly, as the AVA said.

It is a threat to the environment as well. If these animals escape, they could potentially become an invasive species and there are consequences to the wildlife ecosystem. They might cause the extinction of endemic species by preying on them or out-competing them for resources.

The rearing of such species will also encourage the trade of exotic animals, and encourage the hunting of such animals to meet the demands of this trade. In the long run, this might cause the animals to become endangered or even extinct.

What I feel we need is more public education. From the sentiments on Facebook on this case, one can see that a sizable portion of readers out there seem to view the rearing of exotic species as acceptable, comparing them to the rearing of regular pets such as cats and dogs.

The authorities and animal interest groups could do more to highlight the dangers of keeping such animals, by giving talks at schools or using public advertisements, for instance.

In terms of deterrence, the penalties for offenders could be raised. Those who possess such animals or trade them know these creatures have the potential to fetch a high value. For example, certain rare species of snakes can fetch up to tens of thousands of dollars in the black market.

Hopefully, the AVA will step up their efforts to draw more attention to such cases.