"L ast summer, Dane County Humane Officers found a three year old baboon living in a Madison man’s basement laundry room.
While investigating a sexual assault last year, Milwaukee police found crocodiles living in the bedroom and den of a reptile collector’s home.
These days,anyone with access to the internet and more cash than brains can buy himself a “pet” lion, tiger,python or, yes, a baboon, and according to Wisconsin state Veterinarian Yvonne Bellay, the amount of money and violence involved in the international trade of these so called “exotics”is outranked only by that associated with drug running and arms dealing.
So, it may surprise you to learn that there are no Wisconsin laws that prohibit the private ownership of a lion, tiger, python or baboon or any one of thousands of other species of non-native wild animals that may end up living in your neighbor’s basement or backyard.
Although the DNR or police may confiscate a family’s beloved “pet” raccoon and local law enforcement may take your pit bull,the state has no authority to confiscate a “pet” tiger unless the animal is being cruelly treated under Wisconsin’s “Crimes Against Animals” law. Dr. Bellay,who works for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and who works for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture and
Consumer Protection, relates that she cannot count the number of telephone calls she receives every year from people who follow the sound of a roar to a lion living in a pen just feet from their yard and who are then shocked to find out there is nothing they can do but hope a chain-link fence keeps the predator at bay.
Cities and villages have the authority in Wisconsin to enact local ordinances to prohibit “inherently dangerous” animals from living within their boundaries, but if you live in many of the“unincorporated”areas of the State,watch out because it may be a jungle out there.
The United States Department of Agriculture’s Role.The USDA plays a limited role in regulating the private ownership of some exotic animals but only if the owner plans to exhibit or in some other manner commercially exploit the animal. If that is the case, there are a few
minimal housing and other animal care regulations that are on the books but even these laws are barely enforced.
It should come as no surprise that the cute little tiger cub that could be kept in a play pen in the living room will quickly grow into
a 300 pound predator with an appetite that would strain the food budget of most families.
Once these animals reach a few months of age, the “owner” will realize they are incompetent to care for the animal and soon also find that the local zoo, animal shelter or “sanctuary” has no room for the castoff either. Many of these poor beings end up shut into dark airless garages or filthy basement rooms and in pens that are so small the animals cannot stand-up or turn around. These wild animals,
who are meant to run, climb or roam for miles, will have no enrichment or even the companionship of others of their species. They will display the selfharming and repetitive pacing and other stereotypical behaviors of the typical dog who has gone “kennel crazy.”
Monkeys, dressed up like human children, will often have their teeth removed to make them less dangerous to their owners. Lions and tigers are continuously bred to provide a constant supply of baby animals to attract tourists to roadside attractions or photo opportunities. Older animals will be shipped to butchers who sell the animals parts for hundredsand thousands of dollars.
T he private ownership of exotic animals should be closely regulated. Owners must be required to provide adequate shelter and veterinary care for all of their animals.
To eliminate the breeding of exotic animals within our state,owners should be required to either neuter their adult animals or provide secure segregated housing to control breeding opportunities.
In order to protect the public, Wisconsin should require the owners of inherently dangerous exotic animals to maintain liability insurance of at least $250,000.00 per animal. Only those persons who are financially able to provide adequate shelter, food, water, veterinary care and enrichment should be allowed to own these wild animals. Wisconsin needs to join the majority of states that have already taken steps to contrlharmful and dangerous trafficking of these beautiful creatures. *
http://www.allanimals.org/files/newsletter_AutumnWinter2011.pdf
Maybe you have read about this
Breaking News: Exotic Animals Run Loose in Ohio
http://www.care2.com/causes/breaking-news-exotic-animals-run-loose-in-ohio.html