In most places owning a dog or cat is second nature, but what about a tiger, a bear or maybe a python? Exotic animal ownership is far from having a right or wrong answer, but it does require a ban for both the protection of the animal and its owner. For exotic pet owners, owning a wild beast ensures a feeling of power and uniqueness. It is also their way of contributing to the conservation of a species by having a “backup population” once human population growth and habitat destruction has led to extinction (Slater 113). But in reality, owning wild animals as pets only contributes to damage to already fragile ecosystems, both the one they came from and the new one in which they find themselves. Captivity deprives an animal of a natural life in the wild, free from confinement and inappropriate care. Finally, the risks for humans are very significant; Injuries inflicted by exotic animals are dangerous and even fatal. Bans vary from state to state, ranging from no ban to partial or complete ban, but even in states with total bans, exotic pet ownership still exists. Private ownership of an exotic animal as a pet should be prohibited in the United States, due to the disruption of ecosystems, the dangers that wild animals are also exposed to, and the risks faced by the owners of these animals. When animals are allowed into the country voluntarily or involuntarily, In the wild, many native species can be threatened by animals that in the foreign ecosystem have no natural predators. The ecosystem from which an animal comes can be damaged by the serious decline of that species. Today, there are more tigers in captivity than in the wild in Asia (Slater 106). Exotic animals can also feast on species to extinction if there are no natural predators to keep the exotic wild...... middle of paper ...... exotic species, inadequate confinements and risks of animals being exposed to dangerous risks to humans. Millions of animals are smuggled into the United States each year; this has serious consequences, leading to the possible destruction of fragile ecosystems. Equally important is the suffering animals suffer when they are purchased impulsively, only to be discarded when they become too heavy a burden. Finally, when exotic animals are kept in private residences, human safety and health are at risk. There's no denying the magnificence of a wild animal, but what would happen if it was taken from the wild and made into a pet in a cage? Does he still have the same beauty? The answer is simple, no. Nature can never be seen in an animal peeking out from behind bars, because as soon as it is placed in a cage, our connection to the natural world is lost..