Today in the United States, a tiger or lion cub can be purchased for less than the cost of a purebred dog. The ease of obtaining these large, dangerous animals has resulted in a flooded marketplace and tens of thousands of big cats living outside the accredited zoo system. Few people who buy big cats as 'pets' realize what they're in for when the animals get a little older. Each year, many big cats are confiscated by the authorities, or their owners give them up, but there are very few reputable sanctuaries able to take them. Euthanasia is often the only option for these animals, who have usually spent the beginning of their lives enduring abysmal conditions with inadequate housing, nutrition, or veterinary care.

Tigers are by far the most common large cats in captivity, despite their dwindling number in the wild. A male Siberian tiger may exceed 700 pounds and require over 100 pounds of raw meat a week; the captive care of the average tiger runs close to $10,000 a year. Lions pose a similar problem to misguided animal owners. The mid-size cats, like leopards and mountain lions, cost less to feed, but are more difficult to house, due to their better ability to climb and leap great distances. Tigers, lions, leopards, and mountain lions are all confirmed predators of human beings in their native ranges, and they are all the more dangerous when they are caged. In addition to the wild 'pet' trade, cats are also raised for their fur and body parts; spotted pelts are especially valuable, and tiger and leopard bones and organs bring big money from traditional medicine practitioners.

Smaller cats like bobcats, ocelots, or servals might seem easier to deal with, and a good alternative to the large species, but those who would treat them like housecats had better think again -- they may be small, but these cats can destroy a house in no time, scratching furniture and drywall, and urinating on every three-dimensional feature in the home. They also do not hesitate to bite and scratch human beings, and they generally do not get along with domestic cats.

Most wild cat species are small, and several are smaller than the average housecat. Illegal owners of small, exotic cats can easily hide their activities by claiming the animals are housecats, and most people, even animal control agents, are unable to tell the difference. Perhaps the most popular of these is the Asian leopard cat, which is bred to housecats to produce the Bengal cat, a popular breed. Leopard cats are every bit as wild as their larger namesakes, but they can be more easily contained due to their size, and it is unknown how many thousands of them live in captivity in the US. The tiny sand cat of North Africa and the Middle East is also popular in the US wildlife trade since it was first imported here in large numbers in the 1960s.

Even highly endangered cats like snow leopards and cheetahs have found their way into the wildlife trade. The more rare the animal, the higher the demand, and wildlife dealers will go to great lengths to provide their customers with any animal they desire, legally or otherwise. The beautiful clouded leopard of Southeast Asia is somewhat distinct among cats in that it is difficult to breed in captivity; it's highly endangered status makes it hard for animal collectors to obtain, but it is still smuggled from its home range to western countries, where it commands an exceptionally high price. Expensive or not, the clouded leopard boasts the longest fangs in relation to its body size of any cat in the world, and it is not an animal to be taken lightly.

Lion

Leopard

Tiger

Mountain lion

Jaguar

Bobcat

Serval

Ocelot

Asian leopard cat

Sand cat

Cheetah

Snow leopard

Clouded leopard

Bears are both beloved and maligned throughout the world, so it is no surprise that they are popular both in the wildlife trade and as the targets of sport hunters. Their use in traditional medicines in Asia and South America has put the world's eight bear species in great danger, and their intelligence and ability to learn has led to their exploitation by animal trainers in Asia, Europe, and North America. It is truly not a good time to be a bear.

The most common bear in the North American wildlife trade is the black bear, the only species found solely in North America. In the United States, black bears are also raised for meat, trophies, and for their gall bladders, which are illegally sold to traditional eastern medicine practitioners at home and abroad. Cubs are cheap and easy to find, but a bear cub is hard to handle, even moreso than tiger or lion cubs, and their needs for diverse nutrition can be difficult to meet. Exceedingly few veterinarians understand the medical needs of captive bears, and as a result, they tend to either live for quite a long time, or to die fairly quickly. Black bears are powerful, agile, and exceptionally quick; anyone without a solid understanding of bear behavior will find him/herself in frequent, often bloody, exchanges. The result is usually a bear that spends its days in confinement, with little stimulation or attention to its needs. Captive bears frequently need placement in sanctuaries, but few are equipped to accept them. In addition to captive black bears, wild bears sometimes get into trouble with their human neighbors, and government wildlife agencies may attempt to place them into sanctuaries as a humane alternative to euthanasia. Black bears are not always black; cinnamon phase bears are common, and brown, blond, and rust colored bears are seen fairly often. Blue phase bears, or glacier bears, and white phase bears, also called Kermode or spirit bears, can be found in parts of the Pacific Northwest.

Brown bears are among the most widespread terrestrial mammals in the world, and were once found throughout North America, Northern Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Today they survive primarily in remote areas. Subspecies of the brown bear include the North American grizzly bear, the Alaskan Kodiak bear (pictured), and various Asian and European varieties. Brown bears might weigh up to 1,200 pounds, and their size and temperament makes them more popular with trophy hunters than with misguided pet owners, however, they are still present in the animal trade in North America. Brown bears are also the dancing bears of Eastern Europe and Asia Minor, where they are intentionally underfed in an effort to keep them smaller, and they spend most of their time on their hind feet, or undergoing brutal training sessions Their gall bladders are valuable in traditional medicine, but they are not as common in that market as the galls of other bear species.

Polar bears are found throughout the perimeter of the Arctic Ocean, in North America, Asia, and Europe. The bears rely in the formation of pack ice in the winter, allowing them to venture miles out to sea in search of their preferred food, seals. Pollution and global warming have severely impacted polar bear populations, and the discovery of a wild polar bear/grizzly bear hybrid in 2006 may be an ominous sign of things to come for the species. Prior to 1979, polar bears were common in zoos and private collections throughout the United States, but an amendment to the USDA Animal Welfare Act, calling for more expensive standards of care for polar bears as marine mammals, prompted many zoos and animal collectors to sell their animals or give them away to facilities abroad. As a result, captive polar bears are now quite common in Latin America and in Asian nations like Japan, where they receive horrific treatment and suffer in the hot weather. Few, if any, attempts have been made to compel the surrender of these animals to sanctuaries located in cooler climates, and as of 2007, no sanctuary in the United States is equipped for the long-term care of polar bears.

The Malayan sun bear is the smallest of the bears, about the size of a large dog. Its size has led many to believe that a sun bear would make a good pet, but the bears' long claws and moody disposition say otherwise. As with other captive bears, sun bears are sometimes de-clawed or even de-fanged in a futile effort to make them safer to handle. A truly tropical bear, sun bears need fresh fruit and prefer warmer temperatures, making them expensive to maintain. They are somewhat uncommon in the North American wildlife trade, but not unheard of, and they are quite common in the animal markets of Southeast Asia, where they are also killed for their gall bladders and their meat.

The Asiatic black bear is the most common bear in the bile trade; perhaps more than 10,000 bears are housed in compression cages in China, where their bile is extracted daily through plastic tubes permanently inserted into their gall bladders -- a surgery rarely performed by a qualified veterinarian or in sanitary conditions. Most of the bears die of infection within the first few years. This horrific practice goes on virtually unchecked, as animal welfare is generally not a priority in China. Wild populations of Asiatic black bears are also under tremendous strain from poaching and habitat loss. In some areas they are reputed as man-eaters, and are shot on sight. They are not common in captivity in the United States, but any animal that can be found in an American zoo can always be found in private hands; their captive numbers are sure to increase in the US.

The sloth bear is unique among bears in that its diet in the wild consists largely of insects. Sloth bears are frequently used as dancing bears in India, or sold as pets. As with most wild-caught animals, their mothers may be killed so that the cubs can be taken safely. Habitat loss and poaching have taken a toll on sloth bear numbers in the wild, and their populations continue to decline. Sloth bears are also victims of the bile trade, and they may be found for sale in North America, although not as often as other species. Little is known about the species' nutritional and veterinary requirements in captivity, making them a risky acquisition, even as bears go.

Spectacled bears are the only bear species found in South America; they live in the
Andes mountains of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and Argentina, in habitats ranging from cloud forest to grassland to desert. These small bears are vulnerable to habitat loss and to poachers, who may sell their body parts to traditional Asian medicine practitioners, or use them for local medicinal and religious rituals. The spectacled bear is uncommon in the wild animal trade in North America, but it can certainly be found in private collections. It is fairly common in captivity in its native range, where its legal export from one country to another can be difficult, making transporting them to bear sanctuaries a tricky undertaking.

The poster child of the conservation movement, the giant panda enjoys a great deal of protection only by virtue of how close it has come to extinction. Only 1,200-1,500 remain in the wild, and a few hundred are maintained in captive breeding programs. The Chinese government has strict regulations protecting pandas, and thus only about twenty live outside of China, most of them on loan to zoos like the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC and the San Diego Zoo in southern California. While it is not entirely impossible, it is highly unlikely that giant pandas are readily obtainable in the captive wildlife trade, even in China. Their diets consist almost entirely of bamboo, making them extremely expensive to feed, and unlike other bear species, they do not readily breed in captivity. Thanks in part to a successful breeding program in Wolong, China, the panda's wild population is gaining ground, proof that China can overcome its environmental and animal welfare challenges.

Black bear

Black bear; cinnamon phase

Black bear; blue phase or glacier bear

Black bear; white phase or Kermode bear

Brown bear

Polar bear

Malayan sun bear

Asiatic black bear or moon bear

Sloth bear

Spectacled bear

Giant panda

It seems that wolves, even moreso than bears, are either loved or hated; few people sit on the fence. Ranching and poaching threaten wild wolf populations, especially in the American Southwest, where efforts to re-establish the Mexican wolf are on shaky ground. Habitat loss has all but eliminated wolves in Western Europe, and increased contact with people and interbreeding with domestic dogs are gradually whittling down wolf populations in India and Southeast Asia.

It is estimated that as many as 100,000 wolves and wolf-dog hybrids are born into captivity in the United States each year. Multiply that by an average lifespan of around ten years, and that's a lot of wolves and wolf-dogs. In spite of the troubles they've faced in the southern parts of their range, wolves are anything but rare in captivity. Even though it was the ancestor of the domestic dog, the wolf is fundamentally unsuited to life in captivity, perhaps more than any other terrestrial mammal. Confinement and lack of exercise usually lead to severe aggression; lack of normal socialization can result in psychosis. Captive wolves often suffer from health problems resulting from inappropriate nutrition, and veterinary issues may go undetected when animals cannot be handled by their caretakers. Countless wolves are euthanized every year when sanctuaries are unable to care for more animals.

Wolf hybrids face perhaps a worse fate, as they are generally subject to the same legislation as pure wolves, but their mixed lineage makes them less desirable to collectors, and their greater numbers make for a thoroughly flooded market. Hundreds of sanctuaries are needed to care for them all, but it seems that every year, wolf sanctuaries are closing due to lack of funding, or as a result of fraudulent business practices and animal welfare violations.

Where wolves have seen a decline in their wild populations, coyotes have enjoyed success. It seems that no matter what efforts are made to eliminate them, they continue to thrive; the only successful means of reducing coyote numbers appears to be the reintroduction
of wolves, which kill coyotes as competitors for food. Coyotes have even moved into urban America, where they feed on garbage and domestic cats. The coyote is less common than the wolf in captivity, but not rare. Coyotes are also able to interbreed with dogs, resulting in a hybrid known as a coydog. Coydogs have become established in parts of the US, where their mixture of coyote cunning and dog boldness reputedly makes them a menace to ranchers.

The red fox is found throughout Europe, most of Asia and North America, and in parts of North Africa and the Middle East; it has also been introduced in Australia. Like coyotes, fox populations are fairly stable through most of their range. They are common in captivity thanks to the popularity of their pelts in the fur trade; like wolves, red foxes come in different color phases, with the silver phase animals commanding the highest price. Silver phase foxes are not to be confused with the grey fox, which is also unique in that it is one of the few dogs in the world with partially retractile claws, enabling it to climb trees. Because of their role in what some would call legitimate 'agriculture', the USDA classifies the red fox as a domestic species, despite the fact that there is no genetic, physical, or behavioral difference between captive foxes and wild ones. About 50,000 red foxes are killed on fur farms each year in the United States, in an industry that is largely unregulated, and tolerated by the many for the financial gain of the very, very few.

Many other wild dog species are found throughout the world, and most of them find their way into the exotic animal trade, either locally within their native ranges, or internationally, as is the case with the tiny fennec fox. These little foxes are growing in popularity in the US, where they are marketed as house pets. Their small size makes fennecs easy to hide from state and federal wildlife authorities, but it does not make them appropriate pets. Fennec foxes are best suited to life in the Sahara; there are many small dogs available for adoption at humane societies throughout the US, leaving no viable need for the trade in fennec foxes or any other wild dog species.

Grey wolf

Grey wolf; black phase

Arctic wolf

Wolf hybrid

Coyote

Red fox

Red fox; black phase

Red fox; silver phase

Grey fox

Fennec fox

The animals referred to here as small carnivores are the members of four to eight, somewhat similar families: Mustelidae, Mephitidae, Procyonidae, Ailuridae, Viverridae, Nandiniidae, Eupluridae, and Herpestidae. Scientists disagree on the classification of certain species, and some deny the need for families like Ailuridae and Nandiniidae, each of which only contains a single species. It should be noted that the term 'carnivore', sometimes used to denote any meat-eating animal, is more accurately used to describe any species of the order Carnivora, regardless of its actual diet. (Read more about scientific classification here.) Scientific disputes aside, these families are comprised of fairly small animals, most of them weighing well under fifty pounds. Most also possess some form of posterior scent gland capable of secreting strong smelling fluids, ranging from a foul-smelling, burning, projectile spray in some species to a pleasant musk in others.

The mustelids are the largest family in this group, consisting of weasels, otters, and badgers, with the badgers falling into three different subfamilies. A few species are extremely common in captivity due to the fur and exotic pet trades, and others are gaining popularity. The American mink, a type of weasel, is farmed for its fur throughout the United States, with the majority of farmed mink living in Wisconsin, the industry's stronghold. Millions of mink are killed every year for fur coats, before they reach their first birthdays. Wild mink are active hunters, spending a great deal of time in the water; they also climb trees quite adeptly. At fur farms, mink live their short lives in tiny cages, where they receive no enrichment, a toxic diet, and a certain death. Mink farmers claim that they raise "domestic mink," a distinct species from the wild mink found throughout North America, however there is no scientific evidence supporting this claim, and when pressed, proponents of fur farming have been forced to admit the truth. A second mink species does exist, the European mink, but it is used less in the fur trade due to its smaller size. Other mustelid species persecuted by the fur trade include the sable, ermine, pine marten, fisher, the river otter, and the European polecat. (Click here to read more about fur farming.)

Mustelid species that are not farmed for their fur are often trapped or hunted. The sea otter was wiped out across much of its range for its dense, soft fur; it is now legally protected throughout its range, but it remains under threat from poaching and oil spills. Unlike hunting, trapping is not species-specific, and claims the lives of more non-target animals, including endangered species and family pets, than it does those animals being deliberately sought. Larger mustelids, like the wolverine and the American badger, are known for raiding traps and eating the animals they contain; for this reason, they are villainized by fur trappers and frequently shot on sight. These animals occasionally find their way into the wildlife trade as well, but their mean reputations afford them a certain degree of protection from 'alternative pet' owners. The honey badger, found in Africa, the Middle East, and India, is considered by some to be the 'meanest' animal in the world, but like so many other species, if it can be found in a zoo, it's a safe bet that someone, somewhere in the US, is trying to make it into a pet.

The European polecat is the predecessor of the domestic ferret; pet trade proponents are quick to cite the differences between domestic ferrets and their wild descendants, stating that ferrets have smaller brains and more 'tame' behavior. Some authors go so far as to say that the domestic ferret is so distinct from its wild ancestors that it is in fact more 'domesticated' than domestic dogs and cats. Exotic pet breeders, dealers, and fur farmers continually try to establish the animals they exploit as domestic species in an attempt to disguise the true nature of their businesses. While it is true that the ferrets found in the pet trade exhibit certain morphological differences from the European polecat, the two animals readily interbreed, and so-called domestic ferrets are quite capable of naturalizing and forming feral populations. Unlike domestic dogs and cats, the ferret's path to domestication has not been linear; in various locations and at different points throughout human history, wild ferrets have been captured and propagated in captivity, usually for rodent control, and in most cases, those captive bloodlines were not perpetuated over the long term. Another distinction between ferrets and more traditional companion carnivores is that dogs and cats have voluntarily associated with human beings in a symbiotic relationship, whereas ferrets have not. The various color morphs seen in pet trade ferrets are merely another smokescreen; physical traits that would be liabilities to wild animals are often perpetuated in captivity for their aesthetics, but they are not evidence of a distinct, domestic species. Perhaps the greatest testament to the ferret's inherent wildness is the presence of scent glands, prompting many owners to opt for 'de-scenting' (the surgical removal of the glands), or to invest in numerous odor eliminating products.

While not as popular as ferrets, the number of striped skunks in captivity is growing. Like ferrets, captive skunks come in different color morphs, and like ferrets, skunks have scent glands, but the skunks' odor is for more offensive, so 'pet' skunks must always have their glands removed. Throughout the country, skunk owners show off their animals at skunk shows, where they parade them in front of judges and dress them in elaborate costumes. Between the surgeries and the dress-up, it is clear that pet skunk proponents are determined to make the animals something other than what they truly are. It comes as no surprise that, like mink farmers and ferret breeders, skunk owners are eager to call their animals 'domestic', clearly a false distinction. Other members of the family Mephitidae are sometimes found in captivity, but not with the frequency of the striped skunk.

The Procyonidae include the familiar raccoon, and a number of species less known to North Americans. Raccoons are common in both rural and urban areas, and many people make the mistake of trying to keep them as pets. Curious, strong-willed, intelligent, and armed with opposable thumbs, raccoons can create chaos in the home, stealing jewelry and silverware, ransacking kitchens, and biting people and pets. Raccoon bites left untreated can produce fatal infections, and despite their size, they have been known to sever human fingers. In some states, even the treatment of injured raccoons by licensed rehabilitators is illegal, as they are considered the harborers of rabies and other diseases. Fortunately, this is not the case in the state of Washington.

Similar to the raccoon, the coatimundi, or coati for short, exhibits behavior similar to that of many primates. Wild coatis are found from the southern United States through Central and South America, where they usually forage in family groups, and like monkeys, they engage in social grooming. They are popular in captivity, but captive coatis rarely receive the socialization they need for appropriate mental health, and their diverse nutritional needs frequently go unmet. Commercial pet foods are not sufficient for the dietary needs of coatis or other members of the raccoon family, but many exotic animal owners use such products as the staple of their animals' diets, resulting in poor health and a shortened lifespan.

The kinkajou has been made famous in recent history as the animal that bit wealthy heiress, professional snob, and poor role model, Paris Hilton. The bite from her pet kinkajou made news headlines and continues to spawn commentary on the internet. It seems that even the wealthy are not exempt from the laws of nature. Experienced animal caretakers know that being bitten on occasion is
part of the job, and is certainly not newsworthy, but this high profile incident is yet another demonstration of the unsuitability of wild animals as pets. Kinkajous are still fairly expensive in the exotic animal trade, but their prices are coming down as they become more commonly available. Similar procyonids, the olingos, are also captured in the wild for the animal trade, and find their way into the United States by both legal and illegal means.

The red panda is considered by some to be a member of Procyonidae, while others place it in its own family, Ailuridae. It was once thought to be a close relative of the giant panda, but this view has not persisted in most scientific circles. Red pandas are highly endangered, found in the Himalayan nations of Tibet, Nepal, and Bhutan, and in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan. Like giant pandas, their diet consists largely of bamboo, but red pandas also eat fruit, bird eggs, and small vertebrates. They are not commonly found in the wild pet trade, but they are increasingly common in zoos, perhaps a sign of things to come.

The civets, family Viverridae, are not as well-known in North America as they are in their native ranges across Asia and Africa. The largest member of the family, the binturong (sometimes called a bearcat), has become a somewhat common target of the wildlife trade; at least one website promotes this Southeast Asian animal as a pet, but encourages binturong owners to have their animals de-clawed. Like all civets, the binturong has scent glands that produce a distinct odor, in this case, one often compared to the smell of corn tortillas. Some owners like the smell, but others opt for surgical de-scenting.

The common palm civet is found throughout much of Southern Asia; it is frequently eaten in China, where it has been implicated in the spread of SARS. In Indonesia, coffee beans passed through the digestive tract of palm civets are used to make Kopi Luwak, the world's most expensive coffee. Several species of civets and linsangs are found throughout Asia, and many are threatened by hunting, habitat loss, and the exotic animal trade. The name 'civet cat' is a misnomer; these animals are not closely related to cats. The ringtail, a North American species, is also sometimes called a civet cat, however it is neither a civet nor a cat, but a member of Procyonidae.

Civets are also common through much of Africa; the African civet, a predominantly terrestrial species, is kept in captivity in Ethiopia and other African nations for its musk, which is used to make perfumes. Civets are housed in tiny cages to facilitate easy capture for musk extraction; the cages are kept in dark rooms, and the rooms are heated to high temperatures using fire, which fills the air with smoke. Civet farmers believe that the animals produce more musk when they are kept warm. Injuries to the animals and their keepers are common, as the musk is extracted by hand, by squeezing the civets' perineal glands. Because they do not breed readily in captivity, the animals used for musk production are typically wild caught; the practice requires a permit in Ethiopia, but the law is seldom enforced. Wildlife dealers can purchase civets in Ethiopia and export them through various means to the United States and other western nations.

The fossa is a member of the Eupluridae family, also called the Malagasy carnivores. In the wild, fossas hunt lemurs and other Madagascar species; they bear some resemblance to mountain lions, however they are smaller, and are more closely related to civets and mongooses. They are not common in captivity, but there is a great deal of interest in this species in zoos, as their wild numbers are low and captive breeding programs are under development.

Finally, the family Herpestidae is made up of the mongooses of Asia and Africa. The small Indian mongoose is well-known as the species introduced in Central and South America, and numerous islands in the Caribbean, the West Indies, the South Pacific, and the Mediterranean. Originally brought in by foolish European settlers to reduce rodent and snake populations, the mongooses now threaten hundreds of native species, thanks to their habit of eating any animal they can catch. The damage done by the small Indian mongoose shows another danger to the wildlife trade, as even small numbers of escaped animals can naturalize and throw the local ecosystem out of balance. In the case of the mongoose, where introduction was deliberate, the damage has been even more extensive.

Another member of the mongoose family, the meerkat, has gained tremendous popularity, thanks in part to its role in a few Disney animated films and cartoons. Recent nature documentaries about meerkats have added to their fame. Behaviorally, meerkats are similar to other grassland-dwelling mongooses, but their distinctive appearance has gained them a special place in the hearts of many animal lovers. Meerkat exhibits at western zoos have great appeal to the public; the animals are active and inquisitive by day, and offer zoo visitors a chance to observe their natural behaviors firsthand. Meerkats are available to exotic pet buyers, but they can be very destructive; their natural inclination to dig has led them to burrow through drywall and destroy gardens. They are also highly social animals, truly lost without their tightly knit family groups, making the keeping of any meerkat without others of its kind a truly cruel situation. As with all wild animals, meerkats are best left in their native habitat.

American mink

Ermine; winter coat

Pine marten

Domestic ferrets; various morphs

Domestic ferret (left); European polecat (right)

Wolverine

American badger

Honey badger

American river otter

Striped skunks; various morphs

Raccoon

Coatimundi

Kinkajou

Red panda

Binturong

Common palm civet

African civet

Fossa

Small Indian mongoose

Meerkat