How can anyone trust wild animals as pets? Do you?

Question

We see it all the time more and more. Shamoo bites down on a woman... pet pythons kill the owner... bears hurt people... pet wolves hurt people... I remember an american bald eagle bit president G.W. Bush (but that was a rare exception when it was something I would have done). I saw a video of a dummy standing chest high around numerous bull sharks. He was trying to say he and other people in the water were safe
http://jimlynch.com/index.php/page/3/

Answer 1

It's important to remember that wild critters are indeed wild, and don't necessarily have predictable behaviour, no matter how much we think they like us.

That Grizzly Dude up in Alaska learned that one the hard way.

But it's not just wild animals that we have to treat with respect. More people (especially children) are injured or killed by pet dogs than any other critter in North America. Even friendly old Fluffy, who his owners claim would never hurt a fly, can do things we don't expect them to if they are provoked, confused, injured or even if their hunting instincts are inadvertantly piqued by a running child.

I myself have gotten more blood-spurting wounds from allegedly 'tame' hamsters than I've ever gotten handling wild spiders.

Any critter that can potentially cause harm should be treated with caution and respect.

Answer 2

No matter how cuddly the animal looks, or how many generations it's been in captivity, all animals have the potential to defend themselves. All animals need to be treated with a great deal of respect. Doing any less is not fair to the animal and potentially dangerous to humans.

When bringing a wild animal into a domestic environment, the problems jump exponentially. If you do not know it's natural behaviors (or you forget them, as Jeff Corwin just learned) you run the potential of setting off an ingrained defense or offense mechanism. Play submissive once with a "pet" wolf, and it is suddenly fighting for dominance of the pack with you (with teeth, claws, and speed).

I had 2 pet ferrets for years. I loved them dearly. I knew what they did by nature, and interacted with them accordingly. When I had children, I chose to give them up because I knew there was no way I would be able to control them around the baby. I was honest with myself and with the ferrets. I did not pretend that they were anything but what they were born to be and gave them a good home with someone else who could take care of them responsibly.