Habitats for Happiness
Habitats for Parrots?
Bob and Apache
Both "Bob" and "Apache" were purchased seperately from different breeders by unrelated owners to be raised as exotic house cats. Oh it was so much fun as the little ones scampered and played in their new homes! Tiny balls of fluff that froliced non stop to the delight of their owners. Their owners had all their friends over to watch their new aquistion take a bottle like a baby! These tiny cubs were delightful! Everyone was so happy.
As the cubs continued to grow and live indoors their owners noticed a change. What at one time had been cute had become dangerous as the hunt, chase and kill instinct kicked in. They didn't kill anyone but they surely scared them to death and "Bob" sent several to the ER.
Their owners realized what poor choices they made and both cats were relocated to Wolf Run where they are allowed to be exactly what they are-wild animals.
Neither cat can ever be released into the wild. Their owners had their front claws surgically removed and then had them neutered. Their chance at life in the wild was ruined by humans attempting to force wild animals into domestication.
Why are habitats so important?
What we are offering the residents of Wolf Run is a replacement for wild. An impossible feat but you persevere and continue to allow them more room, water features, climbing, digging and even hunting areas.
"Habitats for Happiness is exactly what the name implies. The goals are always lofty but needed. Fencing is expensive and labor even more. Toys, different substraits for walking, running, hills of dirt, trees-all aid in making these captive wild animals happier.
You can be a hero to these captive animals. Donate today to help them live life to it's fullest!
The birds are the unseen atrocities. Hidden in homes in cages and closed rooms they linger for years. Clipped wing feathers make it impossible for them to fly. Due to the noises they make most often they confined to a room with a closed door and then forgotten.
Parrots can be very loud, highly destructive and high maintanace both hygenically as well as mental stimulus.
As babies they are loving and affectionate but as time progresses so do their hormones, intelligence and capablilites. An eample is their bite-Some people have estimated that a large macaw has the bite strength of 500 to 700 pounds per square inch, which is close to that of a large dog bite. Just watching a large macaw or cockatoo crush a Brazil nut, rip a 2-by-4 into shreds or break a weld on metal cage bars convinces most observers that a bird’s beak is powerful and not to be messed with.
Ask yourself, if not for the bird perhaps for your own safety? If you are determined to be owned by a parrot please seek out responsible rescues who will both educate you and place you with the right bird.
In the mean time...what do we do with all those highly intelligent, long living,, beautiful parrots that once again have been forced into captivity?
Once again the importance of "Habitats for Happiness.
10 Fast Facts About Exotic Animals
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Millions of wild animals, including reptiles, large felines, nonhuman primates, and others, are kept in private possession in the U.S. The trade in exotic animals is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry.
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Exotic “pets” are wild animals that do not adjust well to a captive environment. They require special care, housing, diet, and maintenance that the average person cannot provide.
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It is estimated that between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers are kept as “pets” — more than exist in the wild. A tiger can be purchased for as little as $300, or less than the cost of a purebred dog.
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Animals enter the exotic “pet” trade from a variety of sources. Some are stolen from their native habitat; some are “surplus” from zoos or menageries; some are sold at auctions or in pet shops; while others come from backyard breeders. The Internet has dramatically increased the ease with which people can find and purchase wild animals for their private possession.
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Exotic “pets” purchased as infants are abandoned by their keepers as they age and become impossible to control. Sanctuaries cannot accommodate the large numbers of unwanted “pets.” As a result, the majority of these animals are euthanized, abandoned, or doomed to live in deplorable conditions.
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Across the country, privately-held exotic animals held have escaped from their enclosures and have attacked humans and other animals — with sometimes fatal results.
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Many exotic “pets” can transmit deadly diseases — including herpes B, monkeypox, and salmonellosis — to humans.
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An estimated 90 percent of all reptiles carry and shed salmonella in their feces. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 93,000 salmonella cases caused by exposure to reptiles are reported each year in the United States. As many as 90 percent of all macaque monkeys are infected with herpes B virus, which harmless to monkeys but often fatal in humans.
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The American Veterinary Medical Association, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the CDC have all expressed opposition to the possession of certain exotic animals by individuals.
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