Wild animals kept as “pets” pose safety and health risks to their possessors and any other person coming into contact with them. Across the country, privately-held exotic animals have escaped from their enclosures and freely roamed the community, and have attacked humans and other animals. Children and adults have been mauled by tigers, bitten by monkeys, and asphyxiated by snakes. Further, many exotic animals are carriers of zoonotic diseases such as herpes B, salmonellosis, and rabies, all of which are communicable to — and can be fatal to — humans.
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Born Free USA tracks incidents of attacks or escapes involving exotic animals kept as “pets”:
Here are additional incidents that demonstrate how wild and exotic animals pose public safety and health risks when kept in private hands: