Stupid Idea: Keeping Wild Animals as Pets

It’s hard to believe that people can be stupid enough to decide to trap and then keep a wild animal as a pet. These pets include everything from squirrels, chipmunks and raccoons to bats, snakes and lizards. “Pets” such as these are not pets…they are wild animals who are meant to lead a life outside of humanity.

But, besides considering the well-being of the animal, you really need to consider the well-being of yourself as the recipient of such a wild creature. Besides bringing in fleas and ticks and probably other vermin into your home, you are also susceptible to harmful diseases such as rabies, salmonella, and herpes B virus.

According to the Humane Society of the United States in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “The herpes B virus commonly found among macaque monkeys can be fatal to humans. Tens of thousands of people get Salmonella infections each year from reptiles or amphibians.” Salmonella can be deadly to children under age five. In support of discouraging keeping wild animals as pets, the CDC cited a 2003 outbreak of monkeypox that was obtained when African rodents and prairie dogs carrying the disease were imported and sold as pets.

Furthermore, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, a division of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, notes that rabies is a deadly viral infection spread through a bite or any contact of infected saliva with a person’s broken skin (a cut or sore). In the past, human cases of rabies have mostly been linked to dog bites but more recently, more and more cases of human rabies have been connected with bites from bats and raccoons.

The Meadville Tribune reported last month that cases of human rabies have doubled since last year at this time. In June, it was reported that neighboring Venango County discovered a rabies-infected raccoon. Last year, there for 450 cases reported across the state involving rabid animals, many of whom were wild – raccoons, skunks, groundhogs, bats and foxes.

The CDC as well as the State Department of Agriculture strongly recommends avoiding all physical contact with any wild animal. Do not handle bats or any animals that you may find on the ground and never move a dead animal. If you must move such an animal, protect yourself by wrapping plastic bags around your hands first. Don’t assume material gloves will protect you as animal fluids may seep through.

So, be smart. Stay away from wild animals. As “cute” as they may seem, they can be just as deadly. Here is a list from the CDC of diseases most commonly associated with wild animals:

Baylisascaris Infection (raccoon roundworm): A parasitic disease associated with raccoons.
Brucella Infection (brucellosis): A bacterial disease associated with bison, deer, and other wild animals.
Giardia Infection (giardiasis): A parasitic disease associated with animals and their environment (including water).
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (hantavirus): A rare viral disease associated with some types of wild mice.
Herpesvirus simiae Infection (B virus): A deadly viral disease associated with macaque monkeys.
Histoplasma Infection (histoplasmosis): A fungal disease associated with bat guano (stool).
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis: A viral disease associated with rodents and house mouse.
Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection (TB): A bacterial disease associated with deer, elk, and bison.
Plague (Yersinia pestis Infection): A rare bacterial disease associated with wild rodents and fleas.
Rabies: A viral disease associated with wildlife especially raccoons, skunks, and bats.
Tularemia: An infectious disease associated with wildlife especially rodents, rabbits, and hares.

Don’t be a victim of one of these diseases. Be smart and keep your distance from wild animals. If you believe you have come in contact with any wild animal, please contact your primary care physician or visit the emergency room.

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Diseases from wildlife. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/healthypets/animals/wildlife.htm.

The Humane Society of the United States. (2009). Should wild animals be kept as pets? Retrieved from http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/exotic_pets/facts/.

National Center for Biotechnology Information. (2012). Rabies. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002310/.

Titusville Herald. (2012). Rabid raccoon reported in Centerville. Retrieved from http://www.titusvilleherald.com/articles/2012/06/19/news/doc4fdffb95ae555339141002.txt.