It is
against the law to raise wildlife as pets. This
not only posses a danger to wildlife, but to the caretaker.
All mammals are capable of transmitting rabies, a fatal
viral disease, along with other infectious diseases.
Wildlife that has been raised by well-meaning
public frequently die or end up as nuisance animals.
Kept in inadequate caging with improper
diets, they develop metabolic bone disease resulting in stress
fractures of limbs and spine or may have seizures. They will
end up being too tame to release, having grown accustom to
being handled by people or exposed to family pets, but to
wild to keep. The novelty frequently wears off once the animal
reaches maturity and becomes frustrated by its containment.
Wildlife will bite, scratch and chew; people, furnishings,
walls and will sometimes begin to self mutilate out of frustration.
If released, they become a nuisance approaching humans and
domestic animals having lost their natural instincts to avoid
them. They will be injured, killed or starve.
|