The rise of "exotic pet wind"? People's Daily: Not all animals can be pets

"exotic pet style"?

Not all animals can be used as pets

With the economic development of pets , the pet market is no longer just the world of dogs and cats. Snakes, lizards and geckos are the main reptile pets that have won the favor of many people, alpaca , parrots, rutin chicken and other animals have gradually entered the sight of private breeders. On social platforms, there are many bloggers who post content related to " strange pet ". However, the "strange fish" crocodile gar that has appeared in many places recently has aroused the public's attention and attention to the hidden risks behind raising exotic pets.

Alligator gar Tuyuan Network

There are many kinds of exotic pets, and the reasons for raising exotic pets also show the characteristics of diversity, and personalization. Some people think that crawling pets are more quiet and worry-free than cats and dogs. Some people like the visual satisfaction and psychological comfort brought by chinchilla and honey bag glider to breeders. There are also people who raise the short-lived beetle , observe and record the life cycle process of larvae, pupation , emergence, dormancy, etc., and enjoy it. However, there are also some people who keep exotic pets out of curiosity and follow the trend. According to a report by World Animal Protection Association , nearly half of the first-time exotic pet buyers spend almost no time researching the animals they buy, neither the origins of their pets nor the environment they need. Such an attitude is likely to cause pets to be abandoned once they fail to meet the psychological expectations of the breeders, such as "unloved", "tasteful", and "difficult to keep", which will lead to a series of secondary risks.

Exotic pet category Photo source Guangdong Palm 12348

Obviously, not all animals can be used as pets. On the one hand, some exotic pets have not been domesticated by humans for a long time, and some are still aggressive, posing a potential threat to human life; health risks. It should also be noted that many sellers do not have relevant qualifications and illegally sell wild animals under the guise of selling exotic pets. If consumers buy precious and endangered wild animals, even if they are kept as pets, it will constitute the crime of harming precious and endangered wild animals. Because of this, consumers should be more cautious and keep their eyes open for some so-called "exotic pets" whose origins are unknown.

Raising exotic pets is not only about personal preference, but also about ecological safety. According to the communiqué issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment, more than 660 invasive alien species have been discovered in my country, posing a serious threat to agricultural and forestry production safety, food security, biosecurity and ecological security. In particular, some exotic pet lovers who illegally purchase new exotic pets from abroad that are not naturally distributed in China may not only carry epidemics of animal and plant diseases, but also because there is no natural enemy to suppress, once they escape or are abandoned, they are very likely to damage the ecosystem. Taking the alligator gar as an example, after entering the outdoor water body, it will prey on a large number of native aquatic organisms, which can directly lead to the sharp decline or even extinction of the population of native fish and other aquatic animals, and endanger the biodiversity and ecosystem stability of the plant. It can be seen that the potential risk of alien species invasion in the exotic pet industry should not be underestimated, and the prevention work should not be careless.

Photo Source Guangdong Handheld 12348

regulates the exotic pet market, and supervision cannot be absent. At present, the purchase channel of exotic pets is mainly online. E-commerce platforms need to be responsible and follow up and improve the review process and violation punishment mechanism for merchants engaged in related transactions in a targeted manner. Relevant departments should increase the crackdown on illegal hunting and smuggling, strengthen the supervision of the online trading platform and social platforms, and clean up, filter and delete information related to illegal wildlife transactions; strengthen the supervision of the logistics industry to prevent the lack of quarantine certificates and illegal transportation. Only by strengthening source management, consolidating multi-party efforts, and establishing and improving an all-round defense system against invasive species can we effectively respond to new challenges to biosecurity.

There is no illegal trafficking without demand, and more importantly, don't let love hurt. Consumers must not blindly follow the trend, buy at will, and abandon them willfully. Before deciding to adopt an exotic pet, ask yourself a few questions: Do you know enough about the habits of wanting to adopt an exotic pet? Does the seller have complete and reliable qualifications? Where can pets be treated when they are sick? Do you have the time and energy to accompany you for a long time? Fully understanding and rational decision is the attitude of being responsible for life.

legal to buy and keep exotic pets?

1. Involving endangered and protected species

The trade in "exotic pets" has become one of the greatest threats to wildlife. Thousands of wild animals are traded in the global "exotic pet" trade chain every day. At present, more than 500 species of reptiles and 500 species of birds are traded as "exotic pets" in the world, involving a large number of endangered and protected species.

" Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China " Article 341, paragraph 1, stipulates that illegal hunting or killing of rare and endangered wild animals under special state protection, or illegal acquisition, transportation, or sale of precious or endangered wild animals under special state protection. Endangered wild animals and their products shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention, and a fine; if the circumstances are serious, they shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than 10 years, and a fine; if the circumstances are especially serious, they shall be sentenced to not less than 10 years. fixed-term imprisonment and a fine or confiscation of property. Among them, the "precious and endangered wild animals under national key protection" mainly include: (1) wild animals listed in the " National Key Protection Wildlife List "; (2) approved by the State Council's wildlife protection department in accordance with national key Conservation of wildlife management of wildlife.

"Acquisition" includes purchases for profit, self-use, etc.; "Transportation" includes transportation by carrying, mailing, using others, and using vehicles; Purposeful processing and utilization.

2. Illegal introduction of "exotic pets" in violation of import and export regulations can also easily lead to the invasion of alien species. At present, my country has become one of the countries most seriously affected by invasive alien species in the world. The abandonment, release or escape of "exotic pets" has greatly affected China's native biodiversity. The common Brazilian red-eared turtle is listed as one of the 100 most dangerous invasive species in the world by the IUCN. .

Article 344-1 of the "Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China" stipulates that, in violation of state regulations, illegally introducing, releasing or discarding invasive alien species, if the circumstances are serious, shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years or criminal detention, and concurrently or solely punished gold.

Article 81 of the "Biosafety Law of the People's Republic of China " clearly states that, in violation of the provisions of this law, if an alien species is introduced without approval, the relevant departments of the people's government at or above the county level shall confiscate the introduced alien species according to the division of responsibilities. , and impose a fine of not less than 50,000 yuan but not more than 250,000 yuan.

If, in violation of the provisions of this law, alien species are released or discarded without approval, the relevant departments of the people's government at or above the county level shall, according to the division of responsibilities, order them to capture or retrieve the released or discarded alien species within a time limit, and impose a fine of not less than 10,000 yuan on the alien species. A fine of less than 10,000 yuan.

Some domestic enthusiasts and operators purchase and deliver live animals and plants from abroad through postal channels. These "exotic pets" are of unknown origin and have not been quarantined by relevant departments of the exporting country or region, and are very likely to carry pathogenic microorganisms and harmful organisms.

" Law of the People's Republic of China on Entry and Exit Animal and Plant Quarantine " and its implementing regulations stipulate that those who import, carry, or post animals and plants, animal and plant products and other quarantine objects into the country shall be subject to quarantine by the port animal and plant quarantine office and shall be handled in accordance with the law. Quarantine approval procedures. Those who have not been quarantined will not be allowed to enter the country.

" The Wildlife Protection Law of the People's Republic of China " Article 27, paragraph 4 stipulates that those who sell or use wild animals that are not under special state protection shall provide proof of legal sources such as hunting, import and export. Paragraph 2 of Article 35 stipulates that import and export of wild animals or their products listed in the list (the list of wild animals or their products whose trade is prohibited or restricted by international conventions concluded or acceded to by the People's Republic of China), shall be Approved by the wildlife protection department of the State Council or the State Council, and obtained the import and export permit certificate issued by the State Administration for Import and Export of Endangered Species. The customs implements entry and exit quarantine in accordance with the law, and goes through customs clearance procedures in accordance with regulations with the import and export permit certificate and quarantine certificate.

" Regulations of the People's Republic of China on the Administration of the Import and Export of Endangered Wild Animals and Plants" stipulates that the import or export of endangered wild animals and plants and their products shall be submitted to theCustoms inspection, and accept inspection and quarantine. The

article comes from the comments of the People's Daily, author Zhang Jinshan

's original title: "The Rise of "Exotic Pets"? Not all animals can be used as pets”

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