People who keep wild animals as pets

[Prowler]

What do you think about it? Most people get domestic animals such as dogs or cats. Farmers keep cows, pigs, horses, chickens, ducks, etc. And then there's people who pick less common choices for pets such as geckos, turtles, snakes and iguanas. But then there's people out there who keep TIGERS, CROCODILES, BEARS, etc. as pets. Here's some examples:

Brazilian family with pet tigers:

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Russian family with pet bear:

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Indonesian family with pet crocodile for about 20 years:

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According to some comments the authorities took the crocodile and put it in a zoo.

What is your stand on people keeping wild animals as pets? I don't like the ide one bit. Even if they're raised since they're babies and thus don't have their wild instincts that heightened it's still pretty dangerous. Crocodiles, tigers, etc weren't made to be kept as house pets. Also, what's with the trend of of American and European tourists going to soe exotic country and posing with a leopard or something? That animal might be being exploited, just saying.

Nah, these people are crazy man. The fact the people in the videos above allow their kids being close to the crocodile or the tiger is even mader.

Thoughts?

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Personally, I don't mind the practice of keeping wild animals and all regardless of whatever animal it is, but I do believe that it is foolish to keep them as our equals (sleeping in human beds, hanging out around kids etc.) That is usually what leads to trouble.

I mean, you don't see people keeping Cattle and horses (which are very big and dangerous, capable of killing people easily) inside their houses, and yet keeping them can be safe if you follow the correct procedures. Even people in my home country keep Camels and Elephants with not many problems.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

Personally, I don't mind the practice of keeping wild animals and all regardless of whatever animal it is, but I do believe that it is foolish to keep them as our equals (sleeping in human beds, hanging out around kids etc.) That is usually what leads to trouble.

I mean, you don't see people keeping Cattle and horses (which are very big and dangerous, capable of killing people easily) inside their houses, and yet keeping them can be safe if you follow the correct procedures. Even people in my home country keep Camels and Elephants with not many problems.

Well at least horses and cows don't eat people like crocodiles and tigers do lol

[IndigoErth]

Only a matter of time. If adults want to risk their own lives, well, that's on them, but to put their kids in direct contact? Really? FAR too much false sense of control over the situation. One quick move, for no reason understandable to humans, and that child is a goner. The same thing that made me not so fond of Steve Irwin... that he'd go and mess with those crocodiles with his infant child under one arm. Utter foolish arrogance to think you have such total power and control over the situation. (Always figured something would get him one day, but figured it would have been one of those crocs.)

And that guy in the first video rescued two from a circus?? He's been luck. MAYBE raising one from a cub and it entirely sees you as its family might be slightly different, but only slightly. Still wild and by nature they are solitary animals, they may not necessarily have the same sense/instinct/acceptance of living as a family that lions probably have. They aren't hardwired to need to rely on a group so its "family" may not be as important to it as it could be to some other species. A tiger probably damn well knows if it escaped it could do just fine looking for things to eat in the area, even if it's humans.


On the other hand... look at the woman some years ago who'd had her face ripped off and was horribly injured and disfigured by her friend's pet chimp. I mean, there is a reasonably intelligent animal, supposedly socialized with humans since birth, and... one day I guess decided he didn't like her friend.

We can't always even understand the reasons why other humans do some things, we certainly shouldn't be foolish enough to believe we can 100% know and understand a creature that is not human or what might motivate them to lash out.



edit: Yeah, horses are far more trustworthy.... Look at the miniatures that some people do keep indoors. Okay, that would be kind of awesome. And at least it's not going to get some idea in its head to up and maul you to death in your sleep. Bite your toes... maybe.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Well at least horses and cows don't eat people like crocodiles and tigers do lol

Ever heard of Micheal Jamison btw? Famous south African user known to keep a few tigers in his house, this is one of his more famous videos, cute you have to admit but also kinda scary lol

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

I think it's awesome. Incredibly stupid and dangerous, but awesome.

Were I a rich and powerful drug kingpin, I'd have a pet tiger or komodo dragon or something. Because why not.

[Prowler]

FWL: nah first time I hear of him. Good video.

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

I think it's awesome. Incredibly stupid and dangerous, but awesome.

Were I a rich and powerful drug kingpin, I'd have a pet tiger or komodo dragon or something. Because why not.

It is cool, indeed.
Check otu this cute 22 year old girl playing with aligators btw:

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[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by Prowler

FWL: nah first time I hear of him. Good video.



It is cool, indeed.
Check otu this cute 22 year old girl playing with aligators btw:

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Such a cute little leather puppy. With such nice teeth!

He'd never bite anyone or eat a poodle ever! Nothing to worry about!

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Such a cute little leather puppy. With such nice teeth!

He'd never bite anyone or eat a poodle ever! Nothing to worry about!

I like how she casually says she could lose her fingers or get her face bitten off one day.

She mentioned she went on a date with a guy but he didn't want to continue dating her. Yeah well, I wonder why. Imagine if your gf/wife spent most of her day kissing or playing with alligators?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by Prowler

I like how she casually says she could lose her fingers or get her face bitten off one day.

She mentioned she went on a date with a guy but he didn't want to continue dating her. Yeah well, I wonder why. Imagine if your gf/wife spent most of her day kissing or playing with alligators?

I would make sure she had her own medical insurance policy so I wouldn't have to pay out for a face transplant.

[Shark_Blade]

[plastroncafe]

Definitely awesome, but in the classical meaning of the word.
It's only a matter of time before someone confuses tame with domestic, and they get hurt.

And when that happens the animal will be the one punished.

[Prowler]

You know, Pokémon trainer run a lot of risks too, now that I think about it. Although I think poké balls magically make them friendly and tamed? And also gym badges?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Definitely awesome, but in the classical meaning of the word.
It's only a matter of time before someone confuses tame with domestic, and they get hurt.

And when that happens the animal will be the one punished.

That is almost always the case.

A lady keeps a chimpanzee as a roommate and even takes baths with it... then it rips her face off, and gets put down. I still think of that incident every time this is mentioned.

Lady, you're not a Colombian drug lord. Get a Siamese cat. Don't be Cheryl Tunt.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

I would make sure she had her own medical insurance policy so I wouldn't have to pay out for a face transplant.

I'd like to know how freaky she is in the sack... but I'm afraid one of her gator buddies would walk on us during the act.

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Definitely awesome, but in the classical meaning of the word.
It's only a matter of time before someone confuses tame with domestic, and they get hurt.

And when that happens the animal will be the one punished.

Agreed 100%

If people want to keep less conventional animals as pets then get turtles or geckos, I dunno. Or even owls or koalas. Not something that can eat you or easily kill you.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by Prowler

If people want to keep less conventional animals as pets then get turtles or geckos, I dunno. Or even owls or koalas. Not something that can eat you or easily kill you.

Or volunteer at a zoo.
That's what I did for many years and it was great.
Learned how to handle alligators, snakes, birds of prey, and even a bobcat.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by plastroncafe

Or volunteer at a zoo.
That's what I did for many years and it was great.
Learned how to handle alligators, snakes, birds of prey, and even a bobcat.

Damn, you did that? Crazy. If I worked at a zoo I'd not want to touch anything but sea lions and penguins. At my city zoo, when I was a kid, they too out one of the sea lions off the water and asked children if they'd like to get kissed by it. I didn't have the guts to request for a sea lion kiss. I imagine its breath smelled of fish.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Originally Posted by Prowler

You know, Pokémon trainer run a lot of risks too, now that I think about it. Although I think poké balls magically make them friendly and tamed? And also gym badges?

In the recent Sun and Moon series, the new Pokemon Bewear is said to be so large and powerful that it has accidentally hugged trainers to death.

Likewise it must be extremely difficult to maintain Pokemon such as Snorlax who according the Pokedex, won't be satisfied until it eats almost 900 pounds of food a day.

[Candy Kappa]

My opinion is that, as long got as you can provide enough space, habitat and diet so that the animal can thrive and not just survive, and that's it's legal as well as the animal is not taken from the wild but captive bred or unable to live in the wild I've got no issues with it.

Most reptiles and fish are not tame animals despite being a hobby animal. And lots of livestock and other farm animals are also wild in behavior, my dad have Old Norwegian Sheep, usually called Wild Sheep, and while the ones he kept on his farm was tame, the other 500+ that was fenced on islands and on the lands he owns are not and act like any wild animal and avoid humans. He also have wild goats, wild turkeys and most of his birds can't handle other people then himself.

But, I do think having wild large predators or animals that can cause lots of harm or are particularly hard to keep, should be registered or have a license for.

[Prowler]

FWL: You mentioned camels. When I went to Tunisia as a kid some of the locals would try to sell tourists dromedaries. A lot of them were being sold by kids, even. Dromedaries seemed docile and shy tbh. They're probably easy to domesticate. No idea about actual camels.

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

In the recent Sun and Moon series, the new Pokemon Bewear is said to be so large and powerful that it has accidentally hugged trainers to death.

Likewise it must be extremely difficult to maintain Pokemon such as Snorlax who according the Pokedex, won't be satisfied until it eats almost 900 pounds of food a day.

Yeah good thing it's a fictional world and not real life. But when you think about it, it's crazy that parents allow their young kids to travel alone when there's a lot of potentially dangerous pokémon out there.