Quote Originally Posted by pythonminion View Post
Chimps are not big cats. That same kind of generalization is done by animal rights groups and the ignorant public who will also throw your snakes into that category. As for Zanesville, that kind of situation was propaganda bait for animal rights groups as well. There are plenty of big cats among other things kept in captivity where they are not released and there are no incidents. While I'm of the position that animals such as large cats should definitely require a permit and qualifications to own, caring for them in captivity is not impossible or unobtainable and the option should still remain for the devoted individual as many have existed for years without a problem. The same goes for other lesser primates. Capuchin monkeys and lemurs are not chimpanzees and while they are no dogs or cat either, they are not as dangerous, complex or difficult to own in captivity as a great ape and many people do own and breed these unrelated primates without any sort of issue. Being as sophisticated as great apes and lesser apes are, they are definitely only for the appropriate institutions.
Otherwise, I'm somewhat surprised I'd be hearing such comments on an exotic pet forum.
So you think it's okay for anyone to be able to buy a chimp or big cat just because they want one? I never said to ban the ownership of all of these animals. I just don't think any wack job should be able to own a big cat or a chimp because hey I have the money to buy one so why not. There are more tigers in captivity than there are in the wild so yes professional experienced people or facilities can safely keep tigers/big cats or chimps safely. But I do agree that people should own permits and should be screened to see if they are even capable of caring for such a wild animal. They need to know if they have the KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE to actually be able to handle such a strong wild animal. They also need the money, and space to be able to feed and house them since it's not cheap! People just don't have the skills to care for animals like this so they should NOT be able to own them. And it's not like were talking about banning everything or anything for that matter. I personally think that reptiles and big cats/chimps are two totally different worlds. Since one group the big cats/chimps can actually be a threat if put in the wrong hands. A snake on the loose is not a life threatening situation even though media makes it seem that way, but everyone knows that tigers can kill you, and especially after what happened with the whole chimp situation people are aware of the strength a chimp has. That's why I think they are two different worlds. One is harmless but made out to seem dangerous the other is actually dangerous.


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