Wild animals are NOT pets! The program "Preposterous Pets" produced by the channel Animal Planet shows monkeys in diapers, lions resting in the living room, a polar bear eating human food, anteaters, alligators, lizards and snakes, among many other wild animals in the homes of ordinary people. By recklessly romanticizing the false message that animals are happy away from their natural environment and their peers, the series fuels people's selfish desire to "own" these animals, stimulating wildlife trafficking.
Wildlife trafficking is an international illicit market that involves various levels of corruption and marked social inequality and which only loses in monetary movement to arms and drugs trafficking. Trafficking takes many species to the brink of extinction along with the destruction of natural ecosystems and hunting. Species' population reduction or disappearance impose high environmental, social and economic costs, as they compromise the functioning of ecosystems and the services that they provide us free of charge.
In addition to the cruelty of being kidnapped from their habitats, animals are held prisoner under precarious conditions in restricted, overcrowded and unhealthy spaces. Many are drunk, blinded and maimed, among other mistreatments, to appear tame to consumers. This set of stressful conditions leads the vast majority to death before reaching the "new home." Those who arrive often do not meet the "needs" of buyers and are abandoned. When this happens far from their original area of occurrence, they become invasive species that can hamper the survival of native species.
Finally, the proximity between people and wild animals promotes the exchange of pathogenic microorganisms, which can compromise the health of both. This transfer of microorganisms can trigger pandemics similar to the current one of COVID-19 that plagues humanity.
We understand that the conservation and well-being of wild animals is much more important than our entertainment. And we hope that Animal Planet will be responsible and immediately stop producing and broadcasting the "Preposterous Pets" series in all its media.
