“A wild beast can attack even if it smells blood”
Aziz Alekberov, a veterinarian, told socialbites.ca that we often see videos on social networks featuring wild animals “tamed” by humans. Looking at people with lions or bears hugging, or wild cats huddled in bed with humans, many get emotional and think it’s possible to tame a wild animal. But the reality is totally different from the picture shown, the animal expert is sure.
“When living with a wild animal, you need to be constantly on the alert. Many stories end, for example, when people holding some kind of boa beat their children from pets that try to swallow them, or completely lose their owners and family members who are suffocated by these snakes, from which spirits fly, ”says Alekberov .
And if a person decides to have a wild animal as a pet, and even more so a predator, there will always be risks to life, says Mikhail Shelyakov, doctor of the highest qualification category. According to him, even people with special professional skills find themselves in situations where they cannot cope with a predator, and this can never be avoided.
“The same circus, it seems, trained tigers attack trainers – this was the case with Artur Bagdasarov, who was attacked by a tiger during a performance and, fortunately, survived. And, unfortunately, it happened with Snezhana Dautova, who was bitten by her wards. Is it worth remembering the famous Berberov family in the USSR, who lived in his apartment a lion and a cougar?
Everything would be fine if Aslan hadn’t finally killed their 14-year-old son and, fortunately, did not raise them to death, mother, ”says Shelyakov.
So, even if, as the expert assures, the beast were completely tame and “nearly nipple-fed by its owner” and then did not let itself take a single step in its life, it could still be a tragedy.
This was confirmed by Dmitry Fedoseev, co-owner of the Aibolit Plus veterinary clinic. According to him, the passion for wild exotic animals does not disappear in people, but does not lead to anything good.
“Wild animals in the house are a real time bomb. We can raise a tiger cub or a lion cub from birth and this will result in the instincts still being damaged. If you harm an animal – even by accident – it starts to defend itself. Forget about feeding – get ready for the fact that you yourself can become food. An animal may simply appear to be in danger, and you are the source of the danger. And it attacks. And no one can blame him for that. Yes, lion cubs are very cool and cute, but from about 8 months old they are huge animals that threaten you, your loved ones and those around you, because no one knows what is in their heads, ”says Fedoseev.
This is why Fedoseev believes that wild animals should never be kept at home. In his opinion, it should be taken into account that the beast can pose a threat to other people.
Veterinarian Tatyana Golneva notes that keeping wild animals in a house or even in an apartment is very difficult for the animals themselves, both physically and psychologically. After all, they, unlike dogs and cats, perceive living in an apartment or house as an almost genetic bondage.
“From a moral point of view, it is very cruel to keep wild animals at home. Yes, you can have a large territory, a large aviary, excellent care and feeding, but this does not take away the fact that the animal is in captivity. He does not care, the more you want, the better in nature Well, let’s not forget the risks.
Even if the animal smells its owner’s blood, it can jump on it, following a hunter’s instinct. And he doesn’t care if you feed him from birth. They are not attached to people like cats or dogs, they will never be that loyal, ”says the veterinarian.
Conditions that cannot be created
By the way, doctor Shelyakov notes that people give birth to such animals to show their condition. For example, in the United Arab Emirates, sheiks walk the streets with tigers on a leash, and business stars show off unusual animals on social networks. Throughout all this, one motive can be traced: the desire to stand out, to show your uniqueness and fearlessness.
And if someone decides to stand out in this way, says the top veterinarian, they should take care of everything down to the smallest detail.
“The owner of a wild animal must comply with all zoohygienic standards, create all conditions. The only problem is that creating them is very difficult, if not impossible. Even at the vaccination stage, difficulties arise. Here the lion looks like a cat, but he is also susceptible to diseases and dogs. For this reason, both dog and cat vaccinations are given for their protection. But not all vets have even heard of it. Before buying such an animal, you need to study a huge layer of theory and evaluate your capabilities. Otherwise, there may be a tragedy due to improper conditions of detention – the animal will simply go crazy and in this case will definitely attack someone. Like with a monkey that recently attacked a girl in Mytishchi, ”says the doctor.
Tatyana Golneva adds that there may even be problems with nutrition. Newborn or slightly older animals need special mixtures, which are very difficult to obtain and import into Russia. Additional difficulties arise with drugs that are often impossible to obtain.
Also adds Fedoseev, co-owner of the veterinary clinic, wild animals have many health problems at home.
“Raccoons kept in homes get pancreatitis and die from obesity. Breeding meerkats for sale for home has resulted in total hip dysplasia – they have problems with the pelvis and legs. Also, meerkats need to constantly warm themselves and are afraid of large objects – they are constantly under stress in our homes.
What’s better than that? And what’s the use of bringing a crocodile to see a doctor, for example, by tying his mouth with tape, as happened in our clinic a few weeks ago? Wouldn’t it be better to set him free so that he wouldn’t inflict wounds on his owners’ home and need treatment?” the expert asks.
He also reports in the experience of his patients that the owners of wild animals – lions or tigers – usually only stay at home for up to 6-8 months, until they grow up. This is because owners stop coping and give their pets to zoos and circuses.
“My friends had a lion cub who was given a floor of a private house, but since he was 5 months old, even the owners were afraid to go up to this floor. As a result, they sent him to the circus. What was the purpose of the gathering? I don’t think it’s okay to keep an animal in captivity. And I don’t understand this wish. But if someone really wants it, realize the responsibility and answer yourself the question: Will I, my relatives, and my neighbors be safe? – concludes Fedoseev.
Veterinarian Alekberov also states that an apartment or even a house is not the conditions in which wild animals would like to live, no matter what conditions are created for the animal. And therefore it is always necessary to separate animals that want to live with a person from those that do not need him.
“Wild animals always seek the wilderness. If a domestic cat looks into the forest with some trepidation and always turns back, the wild animal wants to leave – because its home is there, ”the doctor is sure.
Wild animals and law at home
According to lawyer Maxim Kalinov, the issue of keeping wild animals in apartments and houses has long been discussed at various levels, and there are countless cases of wild pets attacking people.
“Thus, Government Decision No. 793 was issued in 2019, which determined which wild animals can be kept at home and which ones cannot. The owner can be held administratively liable for keeping an animal from the aforementioned list of prohibited animals, which includes lion cubs, cubs, cougars and many other animals. “As punishment, a maximum of five minimum wages can be charged from a violator and the animal will be confiscated.”
Kalinov, if the owner of the animal is not able to hold the animal, for example, on a walk and runs away and attacks a person, the owner will be liable for “causing death” in accordance with article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. neglect”.
“If an animal kills a person, the penalty is threatening up to two years in prison, which will most likely cost a suspended sentence if the animal owner does not have a criminal record. If an animal bites two people, then 3 to 4 years in prison under the same article, and again on conditional terms, ”the statement said.
Source: Gazeta
