Born Free USA announces its new report, Selling Suffering: Exploring Online Sales of Exotic Pets in the U.S., uncovering the shocking extent to which wild animals are traded online for profit. The majority of animals found for sale were babies – torn from their mothers at a young age to be sold into the pet trade, where they will suffer for their lifetimes in inadequate environments in people’s homes. Not only were many animals sold as babies, but various animals also appeared to be being sold in states where their possession was illegal. Very little concern was given to ensuring the animals went to an experienced home with some animals being advertised as “BOGO” (buy one, get one free) and another ad offering to trade animals for firearms.
The research, which examined 719 online ads over a three-month period, found:
- At least 1,424 individual wild animals were being offered via 719 individual ads.
- Ads were posted from 41 U.S. states and one unknown location. The states with the highest number of animals for sale were Florida, Ohio, and Illinois.
- There is a wide array of species for sale, including: 210 canine species, 205 primates, 50 wild cats (including big cat species*), and 12 marsupials, among others.
- Animals were sold very young, with 180 ads explicitly advertising “baby” or “babies” for sale. Sixty-two percent (62%) (n=446) of the ads were selling animals one year old or younger.
- The exotic pet trade is big business. The total cost of the animals being offered for sale during the three months under examination was $1,658,292.80.
- Safety warnings were virtually non-existent with only two of the 719 ads warning that the animal may bite.
- At least 23 animals were listed for sale in states where their private possession is illegal.
Wild animals are not adapted to live in private homes and, when they are forced to, they suffer immensely. They also pose a risk of injury or disease spread to their owners, and anyone else who may come into contact with them. While the idea of having an unusual or exciting animal in your home may be appealing, the impact the cruel trade in exotic pets is far reaching and extremely damaging to both individual animal welfare and species survival. There is no good reason to hold these animals captive in our homes and to deny them the lives – and freedom – they deserve. While the trade in wild animals continues, millions of animals will continue to suffer and die.
With the release of this report, Born Free USA seeks to raise awareness around the exotic pet trade, work with online marketplaces and social media sites to prohibit the sale of wild animals on their platforms, and to provide data to support legislative change to protect wild animals from harm.
Click here to read the full report.
*The research was carried out before the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act so the sale of big cats in this report does not necessarily suggest illegal activity.
