It´s not a pet
Videos of wild animals as pets are going viral, reaching up to millions of people. While these videos may appear cute, liking and sharing them is substantially harming the welfare of those animals and is even bringing whole species closer to extinction. Why´s that? Studies have shown that these videos incorrectly suggest to viewers that endangered species make good (and cool) pets. With the increasing demand of a species as a pet, illegal capture and trade increase – bringing the species closer to extinctio
But exotic animals that have been bred in captivity are not suitable pets either. Owners are often unaware of their highly specific needs, and animals frequently show signs of stress, aggression, malnourishment, and illness. As these pets may have only known the company of humans, they can no longer be kept together with other members of their own species, and thus live the rest of their lives caged and alone in a rescue centre and die early.