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Views and News
MM-0008
By
Chris Newman
Press-release
From:
Federation of British Herpetologists
In response: RSPCA
campaign - Far From Home
Date:
13/03/2002
By:
Chris Newman
chris-newman@cviewmedia.com
FAR FROM HOME, OR FAR FROM THE TRUTH?
Responsible reptile keepers throughout the UK are
increasingly alarmed about recent inaccurate and irresponsible
press releases from the RSPCA. The most recent of these reports
"Far From Home" chooses to highlight a few case studies
of reptiles supposedly suffering from poor husbandry. What the
RSPCA do not reveal is that during the same period there were
thousands of cases of poor husbandry relating to domestic
animals, principally cats and dogs, and that a great many animals
are annually killed by the RSPCA, over 90,000 in the year 2000
alone, either because they cannot not be re-homed or for
other reasons. The cases involving reptiles are, by comparison,
infinitesimal.
In fact, with the equipment and knowledge currently
available keeping reptiles in the home is now a much more
sensible option for many households than keeping a dog or cat.
Indeed, a recent (February 2002) Draft Report by the CAWC Working
Group on non-domesticated animals noted that "…..it may
be simpler to keep, to high welfare standards, some
non-domesticated species than some that are domesticated. For
example, it may be easier to meet all the requirements (space,
dietary, social etc) of some species of reptile than to meet all
the requirements of some breeds of dog". The keeping of any
animal in captivity involves both a sense of responsibility and
the knowledge of the particular needs of the animal. Any
potential keeper of any animal should, therefore, research the
needs of that creature, whether it be reptile,
dog, cat, etc. before acquisition.
The same report previously quoted acknowledges that
"It is widely accepted that
companion animals can contribute to the quality of human
life". The RSPCA wish to stop thousands of people deriving a
great deal of pleasure from keeping
reptiles as companion animals, falsely suggesting that the needs
of these animals cannot be met in captivity. This is utterly
without foundation. Reptiles can now be effectively maintained in
their own micro-environment and the vast majority of species
should be expected to thrive, and actually outlast the life
expectancy of their wild counterparts. If
one lives in a flat, or goes out to work all day, a dog or cat
could be expected to undergo a great deal of stress and
suffering, cooped up all day with no food and no exercise. Does
this mean that anyone in this situation should be deprived of the
chance to experience the life-enhancing pleasure derived from
keeping an animal? Surely the logical answer would be to
discourage keeping unsuitable large mammals in such situations
but to promote more suitable pets, such as reptiles.
Keeping reptiles in captivity, far from endangering
the species involved, can actually have a sound foundation in the
long-term conservation of these much-maligned animals, in fact
over 70% of reptiles and amphibians sold in the UK are captive
bred. Ignorance remains a very real threat to reptiles around the
world and millions of animals are needlessly slaughtered simply
because they are regarded as dangerous or as pest species. By
keeping reptiles, particularly snakes, in captivity our knowledge
increases and the myths and exaggerated claims which surround
them can slowly be addressed. Scare-mongering press releases are
currently a major problem, as the RSPCA are
aware, and have a severely detrimental effect on public education
and awareness programmes which have, thus far, been remarkably
successful in giving reptiles a better
image. It is, therefore, considered incredibly irresponsible to
continue to promote the out-dated and inaccurate image of
reptiles as slimy, dangerous, nasty creatures which are
impossible to interact with.
The conservation of reptiles is further served by the
vast increase in the number of animals bred in captivity every
year. It is only by keeping so-called exotic animals in captivity
that we find out more about them and we can then use this
knowledge to improve their situation, both in captivity and in
the wild. The fact that reptiles do breed so readily in captivity
is surely not consistent with the RSPCA's claims that they do not
make suitable pets.
The RSPCA actually commissioned a 252-page study by
two independent researchers entitled The UK Trade in Live
Reptiles and Amphibians. The results, however, were not what the
RSPCA wanted to hear and the report has, therefore, effectively
been buried since its publication in 1993. Much of the data
subsequently released to the press by the RSPCA is actually
refuted by their own report.
The RSPCA quoted case studies sound appalling but are
taken totally out of context. It is most unfortunate that a young
girl's chameleon died but if a dog had
died would the RSPCA conclude that "Even in caring hands
dogs are difficult to keep and do not make suitable pets"?
If this is the conclusion at the untimely death of a lizard, it
is only fair to apply the same criteria for all animals, but that
would be ridiculous wouldn't it?
The case of the abandoned iguanas is much in the same
vein. How many dogs are abandoned every year? How many feral cats
roam our streets and countryside, decimating local wildlife
populations? Perhaps the RSPCA should address the real issues,
not invent problems where none exist.
The final case study involved a teenage girl
hospitalised after a bite from a pet lizard. Any bite from any
animal, including humans, can lead to infection, as can any small
would or cut resulting from everyday domestic accidents. Bites
from reptiles are no more likely to lead to infection than any of
the other sources mentioned. The 23rd annual report of the Home
Accident Surveillance System (HASS), which analyses A&E
admissions, shows that in 1999 there were 70,581 accidents
involving dogs and 16,022 involving cats. In the same period only
310 accidents were attributed to pet reptiles. None of the
reptile-related accidents was serious and most were actually
trivial or non-existent. None required further treatment.
The RSPCA is willing to spend vast fortunes on almost
anything other than helping educate people. Recently the
society spend 16 million pounds on new headquarters and
over 90 thousand pounds trying to discover which of its ruling
council members spoke to the press without permission. It
does not, however, appear prepared to
spend money on education initiatives. A complaint was recently
lodged about a girl whose sick tortoise the RSPCA refused to even
look at, on the grounds that the organisation does not approve of
the importation of tortoises as pets.
The RSPCA seem determined to severely restrict the
animals we keep to those species which meet with their own
approval and are not prepared to listen to any argument, even
matters raised by their own research, which is at odds
with their current stance against so-called exotic
species. Responsible reptile keepers, breeders and
conservationists throughout the UK call for the RSPCA to adopt a
more responsible, and more rational, approach to a group of
animals which already suffer enough from persecution and
misconception.
Chris Newman
Editor Reptilian magazine
Chairman Federation of British Herpetologists
Tel:
023 8044 0999
Fax:
023 8044 0666
E-mail:
chris-newman@cviewmedia.com
Responding to the
following article in The Guardian
The organization is calling on the EU to ban the
import of many species which need specialist care and are very
unlikely to survive in Britain or elsewhere in Europe.
Just another UK one sided anti exotic pet/trade
article...sigh...
So they prefer that UK only imports deterious exotic
species that can survive when released or escaped???
ZB :)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,666231,00.html
Exotic pets suffer lingering deaths
Paul Brown, environment correspondent
Wednesday March 13, 2002
The Guardian
Thousands of snakes, lizards, crocodiles and other
reptiles imported into Britain for the booming exotic pet
business die lingering deaths because their new owners cannot
care for them properly, according to a new report by the
RSPCA. The organisation is calling on the EU to ban the
import of many species which need specialist care and are very
unlikely to survive in Britain or elsewhere in Europe.
Nearly a quarter of the intended pets are dead on
arrival at importers, and the rest face an uncertain future at
the hands of well-meaning but untrained and ill-equipped new
owners. Many reptiles can live for many years in the wild and can
grow to alarming sizes. One popular crocodilian, the spectacled
caiman, can grow to nine feet and live 100 years. Monitor lizards
can grow to more than six feet and eat large prey, like the
family dog or cat.
If either species survive long enough to grow to
unmanageable sizes they are frequently dumped. But most die
within a few years. In the meantime, the RSPCA says, many pet
reptiles suffer from rickets, rotting of mouths and limbs, and
burns from lamps intended to keep pets warm.
The UK is one of the largest markets in Europe for
exotic reptile pets. EU countries import large quantities under
licence - 28,000 live crocodiles, 80,000 monitor lizards, and
176,000 chameleons in the last 10 years.
Holidaymakers also smuggle pets into Britain. A spiny
tailed lizard bought in a north African market and smuggled into
Britain in a woman's bra was later dumped on the RSPCA.
Two of the most serious problems are diet and space.
Some vegetarian lizards are fed on cat and dog meat, according to
pet shop advice to owners. A survey of reptile enclosures found
that 71.8 % of tortoises, terrapins and other turtles, 40% of
lizards and 56% of snakes were kept in tanks or other homes that
were too small.
Some pets are venomous, and others' bites are
infectious. An 18-inch savannah monitor lizard put its teenage
owner in hospital after biting her on the arm, which later
swelled alarmingly. The child and her mother poured neat vinegar
down the lizard's throat to make it let go.
The RSCPA, who were called in by the family, found
the lizard which can grow to six feet, was being kept in a
four-foot container.
Reptile trade