Skip to content
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube

The Winnipeg Humane Society does not support the transportation and use of exotic animals in traveling shows and educational presentations, and urges its supporters and the general public to avoid attending these shows.

From: “The Reptile Zoo”

 

Why doesn’t the WHS support these kinds of activities?

An exotic animal is an animal non-domesticated by humans. This includes lizards and reptiles, which are often forced to be repeatedly held and restrained against their will throughout these “hands-on” traveling displays and educational programs.  Leading research by reptile biologists has shown that the majority of reptiles in captivity do in fact display stress while being exhibited (Denardo, 2009).

Moreover, Warwick, Frye and Murphy – three leading researchers on reptiles in captivity who published one of the most comprehensive manuals on this subject – caution readers that “…it may never be possible to hold these animals, or other wildlife, under artificial conditions where they not, either consciously or otherwise, notice that they are not where they ‘should be’ or where they are not adversely affected by their captivity.” However, public and handlers often fail to recognize the warning signs, and the animals are chronically stressed as a result. 

Exotic animal displays also pose a severe public safety risk as they force non-domesticated species to interact with public (especially children) in an unnatural, foreign environment which can result in bites, scratches and other serious injuries. Disease risk is also a critical issue as microorganisms like Salmonella and E. Coli can commonly be transmitted to unsuspecting humans.

Many exotic animal displays market themselves as being educational. There is very little evidence to support that these displays provide substantial educational value of any kind. In fact, these displays often can undermine true exotic animal welfare and conservation efforts. The handling and parading of exotics in unconventional settings only promotes the ownership of extremely misunderstood, complex animals.

Reptiles, like most non-domesticated species, have an immense biological desire to express their psychological and physiological behaviors. Even the ‘best’ captive conditions, or animals bred in captivity, often fail to provide proper opportunities for such behaviors to be carried out effectively.

The Winnipeg Humane Society urges the public to approach such events from the animal’s perspective and to not attend and support exotic animal shows and displays. For more information about exotic animals, please check out the following links:

https://www.zoocheck.com/feature-campaigns-2015/exotic-pets/

http://spca.bc.ca/animal-issues/wildlife/exotic/about-exotic-animals.html

https://www.captiveanimals.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Exotic-pet-factsheet.pdf