marina haynes

Pets and Zoos

That might seem like a strange headline but this topic is a surprisingly big part of my job at the zoo. Multiple times a week, I receive calls from people asking me to take their pets, both exotic and domestic animals. Usually it is because they are no longer able to care for their pet and are hoping that we can take it and give it a home. Unfortunately, space and resources are always consideration so in the majority of cases, we are not be able to provide a home for your pet. At the end of this blog, there are some suggestions on how to find a home for your pet if you find yourself in this situation.

That’s why I wanted to share with everyone how important it is to do your research before deciding to add an animal friend to your family. By knowing what you are getting into in advance, you can make sure that you will be able to provide for your animal companion for its entire life. Domestic animals are usually the best suited as companions but exotic species can also make for good additions to the family if you know how to provide for their needs. Even with domestic animals, people are sometimes surprised by the level of commitment required to take good care of their pet and then feel bad if they cannot fulfill those requirements. The key is to be prepared before you even add the companion animal to your family. This way you do not end up trying to find a home for it if you realize that you cannot meet the needs of the animal.

Some important factors to consider:

How long is the animal expected to live?

If well taken care of, species like turtles and parrots can live for many decades, sometimes a long as 60 or 70 years! Your pet might outlive you so are you prepared to find another home if that happens? Do you want a pet that is a lifetime commitment?

What special foods will it need?

Many reptiles suffer from metabolic bone disease because they do not get adequately balanced diets. They require specific ratios of calcium and phosphorus and should be fed diets that are carefully balanced. Parrots should not be fed seed-based diets for a similar reason. Seed diets are not balanced nutritionally and allow the bird to pick its favorite seeds which is a little like letting a child pick out all their food. I want ice cream instead of my vegetables too, but I know that is not good for me! Specially formulated pellets for parrots get around that problem by providing balanced nutrition in every bite.

Species such as snakes will need whole mice or rats to eat. Are you comfortable handling dead mice to feed your pet?

Feeding predators live prey presents an ethical dilemma – what about the welfare of the mouse? Most snakes will readily feed on dead thawed mice, which is considered more humane than putting a live mouse in with a snake where it would have no opportunity to escape as it would in the wild.

Does it need special housing?

Many people purchase cute little baby turtles like red eared sliders without realizing the commitment needed for aquatic turtles. These turtles need a terrarium with water and land, and are very messy, so they require lots of cleaning to maintain. Adding to that, is that they can easily live for 30 years. Do you want to have a high maintenance pet for that long? Other species require special things like UV light and heat supplementation if they are housed indoors. Reptiles are the best example of this requirement but there is emerging evidence that other species like birds need to have UV exposure as well to maintain health and good feather condition.

How big will it get?

It is NOT true that fish or reptiles will only grow as large as the enclosure they are kept in. Both fish and reptiles continue to grow for their whole life, and if they are not growing, they are stunted because of improper care, not the size of the enclosure they are kept in. That tiny little iguana you might see will end up topping off at over 6 feet in length and will require a room sized enclosure. Be sure to plan for the full adult size of your pet, not what you have available now. If you don’t want to give a room of your house to an iguana, consider a species like a bearded dragon which will top off at 12-14” in size.

Ethical and conservation considerations

Some species are collected illegally from the wild. Be extra careful that you are not supporting the worldwide trade in animals. The sales of millions of animals every year is driven by the desire for exotic pets. Unfortunately, many of these animals are kept in horrendous conditions after they are captured, and a majority die before they even made it to sale. Much of this demand is for the desire for novelty as a pet. This is simply not worth the suffering to all of these animals and drives some species even closer to extinction. Many animals being sold online are marketed as captive-bred but this is not always accurate. The best way to make sure that you are getting a captive-bred animal is to contact hobbyists for breeder recommendations, and to research potential breeders to make sure they operate responsibly and humanely. One easy way to avoid this problem is to stick with domestic animals – dogs and cats are not endangered and so many are in need of good homes! Even exotic pets need to be adopted, though, so contact rescues or look on Petfinder.com rather than purchasing an animal that feeds the pet trade.

Avoid impulse purchases of a pet

The cute chick or baby rabbit you see around Easter is going to grow up quick and live a long time. A chicken can live 4-8 years and is a much different animal than that fuzzy little chick. A rabbit can live 8-12 years and requires exercise and attention to be happy and healthy. Similarly, do not participate in activities that give out animals as prizes. This continues to perpetuate the idea of animals as disposable pets. Social media also has a hand in driving the desire for exotic pets. Remember to keep in mind all of the important aspects of being a responsible pet owner, and do not let that adorable picture of a famous person cuddling override logic in deciding on a companion animal.

Species we most frequently get calls about re-homing:

Keep in mind that a lot of the knowledge on how to care for exotic animals is not easily available and that professional zoo staff spend their entire career continually learning and improving care for the species they work with. You will have to do a lot of research to make sure that you have the best, most accurate, and latest knowledge if you want to keep an exotic animal as a pet. It is not impossible but it is a commitment you accept when you decide you want an exotic animal as a pet.

What to do if you already have a pet you need to re-home?

If you find yourself in this situation, remember that most zoos are not likely to be able to take your pet. You can inquire, but do not be surprised if you do not get a response or receive a no as answer simply because of the volume of these requests. Responsible zoos follow what is called a collection plan where the research has been done to plan the spaces available in the zoo. This means that most of the spaces, even when temporarily empty, have plans for what will be filling them to meet guest experience, conservation and educational goals. Unless your pet fits into those plans, a zoo will not likely be interested in taking your pet.

A more fruitful approach would be to search for specific species rescues. There are a number of privately operated rescues that help with placement of unwanted pets. For example, there are bird and reptile rescues all over the country. These are often good places to start with requesting help in placing your pet. Internet searches with terms such as “rescue Pennsylvania” will give you lots of options to explore. Searching for clubs is another angle to explore. For example, there are bird clubs in Pennsylvania such as the Chester County Bird Club that have enthusiasts that could provide you with advice in finding a home for your bird.

Keep in mind that many rescues are labors of love and so people do this on a voluntary basis. They are sometimes not able to take animals directly but instead work with networks of others that help foster or provide homes for animals in need. Red eared sliders are among the hardest to place species at this time as they are easy to breed, cheap to buy and start off small so people do not realize what they are getting into. There is a glut of sliders that need homes already in rescue which makes placement of this species particularly challenging.

Another option would be to post your animal on a service like Petfinder. This will help get people in contact with you who might be looking for a pet. Remember to always verify any potential homes for your pet and make sure new owners understand the commitment they are taking on, otherwise we just continue to perpetuate the problem!

Written by: Former EPZ General Curator Marina Haynes

Diego’s big move

Diego the jaguar goes on a big move from Norristown to Memphis, Tennessee! 

Planning stages...

As the cubs got older, we as an animal care staff knew that it was only a matter of time before Inka would not tolerate their presence anymore. For humans, it might sound surprising not to want your kids around anymore, but for a solitary jaguar, it is a normal part of the maturation process. In the wild, parents will drive their offspring away once they are old enough to survive on their own. Inka was showing less and less patience with her cubs as they grew to be more than half her size, so we started practicing separation in order to get the cubs used to being alone for increasing lengths of time. 

While we were working on that, I contacted the Species Survival Plan (SSP) coordinator to let him know that we would soon need to find another zoo for Diego since Zean would not be tolerant of another adult male close by. Luna gets more leeway as a female cub! The coordinator worked on some population planning, and found that Memphis Zoo could take Diego and another young female, (Filomena) so we started working on plans for that move.

The first step was getting Diego used to the travel crate. Crates for big cat species are extremely durable as cats are very strong! We had to bring the crate up to Trail of the Jaguar and set it up in the night housing area. It is strapped to a special door that is used for crating and transfer. Once that was in place, keeper staff began training Diego to enter the crate voluntarily for treats. We even practiced opening and shutting the crate door with him inside, and making some banging noises on it so he would be used to those sounds. As expected, he picked up really quickly as he is very motivated to train, so before we knew it, we were making the final plans to move him to Memphis! We decided to transport him by vehicle rather than air shipment, so keeper Mel and I got ready for a road trip to Memphis!

On the day of the move...

Late in the afternoon, we made sure to keep everything normal on routine and asked Diego to crate. This time, we kept the door shut instead of opening it. It stayed shut,and a crew of staff picked up the crate and carried it out to our transport vehicle (one of our Zoo-on-Wheels vehicles). With a wave goodbye from staff, we hit the road for an overnight trip. Diego traveled better than we could have hoped for! He was calm and looking around, (even peeking out the back window of the van like a dog for portions of the trip) and even settled down for a nap a few times. He actually slept more than we did on that journey!

Once we arrived in Memphis the next morning, the keeper staff at Diego’s new home greeted us and we quickly got his travel crate mounted to the quarantine enclosure at Memphis and opened the door. When Filomena (his new female companion) arrived at Memphis, she took two hours to come out of her crate but I had a feeling that Diego would be bolder! He was… and came out of his crate after only a couple of minutes of peeking around, and then got busy smelling and exploring his new space. Since we needed to let Diego settle in, we spent some time walking around Memphis Zoo and snapped a picture of his new habitat at Memphis. Mel got to visit with some staff she used to work with since she used to be a keeper there in the cat exhibit, so she knew he would be going to good hands.

Of course, we will miss him but we are excited to have Diego get paired up with Filomena and hope to hear about his cubs in the not too distant future! 

Written by Former General Curator  Marina Haynes