‘Unbelievable’: Animal experts weigh in on exotic pets after Alberta woman fined $15K for illegal wild cats

Exotic animal experts are calling for other provinces to beef up animal ownership legislation. Nav Sangha explains.

While an exotic pet may appeal to you, two local experts advise against going for anything fancier than ferret or bearded dragon.

The Edmonton Valley Zoo recently received two serval cats confiscated from an Okotoks woman who illegally imported them into the province to breed.

The African wild cats, as big as a medium-sized dog, were bought from B.C. and Quebec. While they are legal to own there, they aren’t in Alberta and the woman was fined $15,000.

Dale Gienow, director of the WildNorth animal rescue, spent several years rescuing and rehoming exotic wildlife in Ontario, where there is no provincial legislation on exotic animals.

He said, even when animals were legally kept, many were not kept well.

“I took alligators out of bathtubs, tigers out of basements,” Gienow said. “I took a full grown mountain lion out of a biker clubhouse, a 23-foot-long reticulated python that somebody was bathing in the bathtub with her three year old little girl,” he said.

“Just unbelievable, what people entertain keeping in their homes as pets.”

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Daren Mandrusiak, an Edmonton exotic animal and wildlife veterinarian, said bringing wild animals like servals to Alberta is not only illegal and unethical, but ill advised as well.

“(It) can have major implications on the environment, on biodiversity, on the populations of some of these animals in the wild,” Mandrusiak said. “And for the individual animal itself, it’s a huge animal welfare concern because they’re not well adapted … they tend to struggle quite a bit in captivity.”

Most species of wildlife are illegal to own in Alberta unless you’re a zoo, but there are some exceptions.

Those include two breeds of hybrid cat – savannah cats and bengal cats – as long as they are at least four generations removed from their wild ancestors.

Wolfdogs, a cross between a wolf and a domestic canine, are another exception.

Mandrusiak said those breeds may seem “cool” to some people, but they can have behavioral issues that make them hard to care for.

“A lot of those animals make really, really bad pets. Honestly, it’s somewhere similar to trying to keep a wolf in your house,” he said. “We end up seeing a higher percentage of relinquishment scenarios, euthanasia scenarios … ultimately it ends up being extremely difficult and kind of a bad idea.”

In veterinary medicine, an exotic animal is anything that isn’t a dog or a cat. Mandrusiak said the most common legal species include guinea pigs, budgies, leopard geckos and rabbits – all of which make “fantastic” pets.

“A lot of them are very social. They can be hypoallergenic, very fulfilling animals to share your life with as long as we make responsible choices on the species that we pick, and we make responsible choices on how we take care of them,” he added.

“I’ve worked with thousands of different species of animals,” Gienow said. “In my opinion, a dog makes the best pet on the planet.

“They’ve been domesticated for thousands of years. There’s a reason why they make good pets.”

If you are set on an exotic pet, Mandrusiak encourages you to buy animals bred in captivity locally by reputable breeders. And you should make sure to have the right gear and knowledge to care for it properly.

“If you’re unsure if your setup is appropriate, contact someone who knows,” he said. “Contact a veterinarian … many of us are willing to lend assistance, give information, help out with those kinds of questions beforehand, because we’d rather see them receive proper care and not end up needing medical care.”

A Fish and Wildlife officer can offer advice on the laws surrounding exotic pets. More information can be found on the Government of Alberta website.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Nav Sangha