In the News
"B.C. slaps ban on exotics as pets "
Copyright 2009 Langley Advance. All rights reserved.
British Columbia -- Strict new rules banning the ownership of many exotic pets are being hailed by the Greater Vancouver Zoo.
This week, provincial environment minister Barry Penner announced the new regulations covering non-native species.
From elephants to wild dogs, snakes to crocodiles, a wide variety of animals are now forbidden from being kept privately.
"We're totally behind it," said Jody Henderson, spokesperson for the zoo. "We don't believe in having exotic animals as pets."
Henderson hopes the regulations will mean fewer discarded and abused pets turning up for the zoo to take in.
"We have so many here that are former pets," she said.
About 90 per cent of the zoo's reptile house is composed of animals once owned by private citizens. Some of the animals were also seized when they were being smuggled across the border from the United States.
The vivarium's residents include an African spurred tortoise, pythons and boa constrictors, caimans, skinks, geckos and frogs.
They are usually cared for poorly by their owners.
"Most of them are in pretty poor condition [when they arrive]," Henderson said.
All of the zoo's tropical birds, including parrots, are also former pets. In many cases, large intelligent pet birds have difficult accepting new people into homes, whether it's a new spouse or a child. The birds become difficult to manage.
The zoo has even seen large predators kept as pets. They have a caracal, a long-eared cat resembling a lynx, that was once kept in a home.
When it comes to large animals and reptiles, most people simply don't have the expertise and knowledge to take care of them properly, said Henderson.
The zoo may have also been an unwilling part of the trade in exotic pets.
On May 7 last year, someone broke into the spider monkey enclosure at the zoo, killing a monkey named Jocko and stealing his mate, Mia.
Despite a hefty reward, the missing monkey and the thief were never found. It was speculated at the time that Mia was stolen to keep or sell as a pet.
Almost 10 years previously, another break in saw a young Brookswood man steal a pair of squirrel monkeys to keep as personal pets. They were recovered and he faced charges.
The new rules are being applauded by the B.C. SPCA, as well.
"It will finally provide legal direction and ministry support to our officers who are often called upon to investigate complaints of cruelty involving dangerous foreign wildlife," said the SPCA's Sara Dubois.
However, it was attacks by animals on humans as much as human cruelty to animals that helped spur the new regulations into existence.
In May 2007, Tania Dumstrey-Soos was killed by a privately owned tiger in Bridge Lake, near 100 Mile House. In December of the same year, a Surrey man lost his finger after being bitten by a cobra. B.C. hospitals can't effectively treat bites by non-native snakes, because they have no way of keeping supplies of antivenin for every possible species in the world.
All of the species identified are considered a potential risk to public safety.
Animals that are now listed as illegal, but which are already in the hands of private owners, can be kept. However, the animal owners will have to apply for permits by March 31 of next year, and comply with a number of restrictions. They cannot breed or release the animals.
The film industry will also face new regulations when bringing in listed animals.
Penalties will include fines of up to $250,000 and two years in prison, seizure of the animals and removal from the province at the owner's expense, or removal to a zoo.
Animals that can't be removed may be put down. The full list of controlled alien species is posted on the Ministry of Environment website at www.env.gov.bc.ca/fw/wildlifeactreview/cas/.
Credit: Langley Advance