Exotic animals escape scrutiny
Matt Carter, The Province
Published: Monday, June 05, 2006
A virtual absence of regulations for exotic animals in B.C. means no one knows how they're treated, where they're kept or what threats they pose to human health, animal-care advocates warn.
Animal cruelty charges laid last week against the Greater Vancouver Zoo highlighted the issue of exotic animal care in the most high-profile of places.
But according to the B.C. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, there are countless unmonitored farms and "roadside zoos" housing exotic wildlife.
"The scary thing for us is, we travel by hundreds of farms each year and we have no idea what's on the other side of the fence," said Shawn Eccles, an SPCA animal protection officer.
"The problem we're dealing with is, we're just not aware of what's out there . . . There could be huge numbers."
The only exotic wildlife regulations in B.C. are a mix of bylaws, most of which are simply bans on exhibiting the animals in city limits. The SPCA has the authority to lay animal cruelty charges and seize animals they believe are in distress, but has no way of knowing how many or where the animals are.
"These animals are very easy to acquire," said Rob Laidlaw of the watchdog group Zoocheck Canada. "Tigers, you could probably get for free if you put an ad in the right place. People buy them when they're cute little cubs, but within a few months they're 50, 75, 100 pounds and then people start looking to get rid of them."
There are strict regulations for importing exotic animals, but once in the country they can be easily bred in captivity.
Laidlaw believes trade in large exotic animals is concentrated in eastern Canada, but that B.C. has a booming reptile market.
On a website called Used Vancouver, owners are selling a variety of snakes, including boa constrictors, pythons, rat snakes and tegus snakes for as little as $95. One of the boas is advertised as almost two metres long.
"People often assume when they acquire [reptiles] that if they're eating and breathing then they're fine. That's absurd. There's a whole range of things that need to be done and don't get done and that's why most of these animals die," Laidlaw said.
"The No. 1 problem is space. Even avid hobbyists seem to think reptiles don't need space. You often see them kept in small glass containers or Tupperware-like containers."
Reptiles excrete salmonella bacteria in their waste. When kept in a confined space, they become coated in it. Salmonella poisoning, which can be fatal, is a particular threat for children under five and the elderly.
"If you have an iguana and it's walking on your counter and on your floor and you're letting it crawl all over you, that's a problem," Laidlaw said. "I've been in stores that sell snakes and asked about salmonella and they said it's not a concern if you wash your hands, which is complete nonsense."
Pet primates -- which can spread diseases including hepatitis, tuberculosis, rabies and herpes virus B -- have also proven to be a problem in B.C.
In January, a Kaslo couple was given a suspended sentence and a 10-year ban on owning some animals after the SPCA seized 103 animals from their property, including Barbary apes, marmosets and a Japanese snow monkey. The animals, kept in a dark garage, were malnourished and covered in filth.
"Is that just the nub?" Eccles asked. "Are there a lot more out there? We just have no way of knowing."
EXOTIC ANIMALS IN B.C.
Greater Vancouver Zoo (Aldergrove)
600-plus animals include four lions, three tigers, two giraffes, one jaguar, one hippo and one rhino.
Vancouver Aquarium (Vancouver)
550-plus species include four belugas, four Pacific white-sided dolphins and four sea otters.
Rainforest Reptile Refuge Society (Surrey)
70-plus species include 24 crocodilians, two pythons and one desert-horned viper.
Mountainview Conservation and Breeding Centre (Langley)
150-plus animals include four giraffes, two pygmy hippos, two condors, two zebras and one rhino.
Victoria Bug Zoo (Victoria)
50-plus species include tarantulas, praying mantises and giant African millipedes.
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