Exotic animals are not your average pets

By: Ben Tracy

(CBS News)

After the recent events in Ohio, where an owner of a farm freed several exotic animals and then committed suicide, it begs the question: How does someone end up with his own dangerous animals at home?

It turns out some states make it easier to keep a tiger than a dog, as CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports.

Martine Colette runs the Wildlife Waystation, a sanctuary outside Los Angeles for nearly 500 animals -- everything from chimps to alligators to tigers -- who were once in people's homes or backyards.

"It may be a wonderful thing for an individual to have them as a pet," Colette said, "but it's a miserable life for the individual animal. It's not who it's supposed to be."

They end up at the Waystation when most owners inevitably realize they are not like other pets.

"It is not a dog," she said. "It will never be a dog. You can love it like you love your dog, but a tiger is a tiger, and a lion is a lion."

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Exotic animal farm owner had history of trouble

The problem is that getting exotic pets is all too easy. They are sold on auction and in the classifieds of animal magazines, where $8,000 can buy you a baby tiger and $30,000 for a snow tiger.

Twenty-eight states ban ownership of the most dangerous exotic pets such as lions, tigers and bears. Fifteen other states require a license to own them.

The Humane Society says Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio and Oklahoma are the most lenient when it comes to allowing dangerous wildlife as pets. In some places, there are actually more laws about having cats or dogs than there are mountain lions.

Colette says an animal's psychology is often damaged by having been someone's pet and then abandoned.

"What happens to these animals?" Tracy asked Colette.

Unless we find them a good quality zoo or park for them to go to," she said, "they remain here for the rest of their lives."

In 35 years, she has now cared for 76,000 rescued animals.

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by Georgiadeborah October 20, 2011 6:17 AM EDT: I believe it is a tragedy the animals had to be killed, but I believe it was the right thing to do for public safety. My only issue with this story is the pictures of the dead animals. It was totally unnecessary to exploit the animals further and I found it offensive and brutal. Why did CBS feel the need to sensationalize to this point?; Reply to this comment


by nadelio October 20, 2011 5:15 AM EDT: I don't think police is to blame. They had to act quick in an extreme situation, and they are not park rangers (and probbably do not have enough skills and intelligence to do otherwise). The law should not permit keeping the animals on the whim of some freaks. If it's easier to keep a wild animal than a dog, then it's just darn bad. Imagine all those lions and tigers as lost in the woods of NC mountains. Dreadful.; Reply to this comment


by barbaram99 October 19, 2011 9:38 PM EDT: This is just awful..What is done is done..What a pity for the ansimals that should not ever been allowed to live on that home land..Those animals were not pets or farm animals..They had no business living where they were.
They need to out law the ownership of such..For the animals sake and humans that think they are cute as babies but grow up..THEY ARE WILD ANIMALS..
We can own a set number of cat / dog and they have to be licenced and have their shots and tags up to date. Seattle it is 3 per home/apt. We have one small dog that is spayed and a senior dog. Tia sleeps in my room. We bought Tia things she needs and is street legal.
Sure we are sad over the fact they shot such pretty animals.They were wild. What kind of care did they get at their owner's place..Letting them run wild was not the right thing..Could he call a zoo or place that would have taken the animals before he killed himself. That would have been best for the animals.; Reply to this comment


by JumeliaTheElf October 19, 2011 8:37 PM EDT: I am seriously working on starting a zoo that will be set up as a nonprofit and focus on education and conservation and I find the situation in Zanesville to be horrifying in all respects. I am active in my reptile society-including serving on the Board of Directors and have had magazine articles on frogs published. It is horrendous that someone unstable had these animals on his property and then sentenced the animals to death by releasing them. There is not any justification for such actions. I wish that the animals had been humanely captured and sent to sanctuaries that know how to care for them. I am doing literally a mountain of background work before obtaining animals for my facility. I believe that responsible people should be allowed to own exotics but would be fine with a policy like Florida's where you have to demonstrate at least a year's experience before you are allowed to work with that species. I am not into becoming a roadside zoo type facility but one where the welfare and care for the animals comes first and will link my facility to conservation projects that benefit the animals in their habitat. Responsible ownership is something to work towards, irresponsible ownership should not be allowed. The animals did not deserve this fate.; Reply to this comment


by cosmicsun9 October 19, 2011 8:22 PM EDT: Where's PETA? They resorted to killing all these animals because the only thing they know how to do is pull the trigger. How sad.

I know where PETA is, trying to rub elbows with glamorous naked models. GOOOO PETA - way to help!; Reply to this comment


by jade84116 October 19, 2011 7:32 PM EDT: You don't say, CBS (sarcasm)!!!!!; Reply to this comment

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