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THE POLITICS OF EXOTIC OWNERSHIP

As an organization, Phoenix was invited to submit a paper to the ISZ (International Society of Zooculturists) at their 14th annual conference in Florida in October this year. The theme of the meeting was "Policies and Politics of Captive Animals".

Unfortunately, our representative was unable to attend and the prepared paper ended up being mailed to registered attendees by another of our attending members shortly following the meeting.

International Society of Zooculturists. is founded on the principal "To promote the exchange of knowledge, experience and
information between the private and public sectors, for the preservation and propagation of captive wildlife."
http://www.zooculturist.com/

Text of our submitted paper

The Phoenix Exotics Wildlife Association, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the legal and ethical ownership of exotic animals by private persons with an emphasis on education and safety. Phoenix provides a cost free electronic mail list as a public service to encourage and promote the sharing of information amongst the many different groups; organizations and individuals involved with or concerned about the private ownership of exotics. Phoenix also offers a full membership for those interested in being a part of the organization itself for a nominal fee.

All board members and officers currently own exotic animals privately and range from fully USDA licensed to legal *pet* owner.

We were invited to present this paper to the ISZ and wish to thank the organizers of this conference for including us. Our Vice President has prepared our paper for presentation, but is unable to attend.

The Politics of Exotic Ownership

By

Zuzana Kukol
VP of Phoenix Exotics
www.PhoenixExotics.org

Growing up as an animal lover in the former communist Czechoslovakia, I often dreamed about the day I would get free and live my live to the fullest with very little or no government intervention.

To realize my dreams I left my home, friends and family at the age of 20 and after spending 1 year in a refugee camp in Italy I came to the USA ready to turn my dream into a reality.

Speaking no English I used my dictionary to learn new words and phrases. This was in 1986.

A lot has changed since then, some words and terms no longer have the same meaning and some words and terms have became *politically incorrect*.

One of these politically incorrect terms is *exotic pet*.

Growing up in a heavily political climate of a communist Czechoslovakia, I saw becoming a US citizen and getting exotic pets as a way to escape the politics and just relax and live a peaceful life in a free country with my beloved pets.

Little did I know that having exotic pets would be one of the most political journeys of my life.

Pets are now supposed to be referred to as *companion animals* and simply being a private owner of exotics is being compared to a form of an animal abuse.

Media and animal rights groups throw emotionally charged and often one sided articles at the uneducated public, asking for more unnecessary regulations or bans, describing the exotic pet owner as a complete idiot unable to learn the basic husbandry and being a threat to our children. Nobody is asking for proof of these claims (or that these false statistics be verified).

Why? How did we get here? Where is the *innocent until proven guilty* approach?

As if this wasn’t enough, AZA, being blind to the threat they themselves face from the political AR machine, join on the bandwagon of
attacking private exotic *pet* owners and turning them into scapegoats.

The article in May 2001 Communiqué by Vicki L. Duckett, Program assistant of AZA titled “Call of the Wild” describes in its first paragraph mauling incidents by exotics in the private sector, and then goes directly to whining about how some Zoos are asked by irresponsible owners to place their unwanted animals.

The same claims can be made by the private sector against Zoos: people do get injured and killed in ZOO settings, and Zoos themselves produce *unwanted* animals, that they either euthanize or place in the so much hated private sector.

It is time AZA Zoos STOPPED this ‘us against them’ hypocritical mentality that is echoed in the statement made by San Antonio Zoo director Steve McCusker who says (as quoted from the Communiqué) that “he wouldn’t be in the business now if he didn’t own wild animals as a child. He notes it would be hypocritical of him to reprimand others for doing the same. “

We can never know which child or exotic pet owner will be our next conservationist, Zoo director or biologist.

Only thru close personal contact can we really understand and appreciate these wonderful creatures.

To say it in the words of Steve McCusker: “…his individual relationship with these animal are what motivated him to pursue a life-long career caring for and protecting both native and exotic wildlife”.

We need more people like Mr. McCusker who are not afraid to acknowledge their roots.

Many of us are finally joining forces, spreading information thru email lists. One of these is a Phoenix Exotics groups with its informative email list promoting legal and responsible ownership of exotic animals.

Our group is open to anyone with interest in exotics, be it a sanctuary, Zoo, breeder, pet owner or simply enthusiasts.

It is time we all ignored our differences and concentrated on what brings us together, love for wildlife and desire to protect it for the future generations.

Thank you for listening.
…
Zuzana Kukol lives with an assortment of exotic pets which includes large and small exotic cats, turtles, snakes, lizards and other desert dwellers.
She can be reached at the Phoenix main office or thru e-mail at:
general@phoenixexotics.org

Website : http://www.PhoenixExotics.org

Phoenix
PO Box 1132
Chehalis, Washington 98532