The past three years, the number of abandoned and rescued exotic animals has increased by more than 80%. These animals range from reptiles such as Savannah monitor, Black kingsnake, Striped California kingsnake, and red-eared slider, to mammals and birds such as raccoons, hamsters, meerkats, peacocks, and golden pheasants. The main reason these diverse animals are abandoned is ‘human curiosity’ and ‘interest’. Many are privately imported due to their cuteness or curiosity, but when it becomes difficult to care for them, people discard them. The problem is exacerbated by the closure of wild and exotic animal cafes where animals were kept commercially.
The number of rescued exotic wild animals has surged, from 72 in 2020 to 79 in 2021, and then dramatically to 93 in 2022 and 132 in 2023. By September 2024, 91 exotic wild animals had already been abandoned and rescued. However, considering these numbers only account for cases reported by the public or wildlife protection centers, the total number of abandoned exotic animals is likely much higher.
The most commonly rescued exotic species over the past five years has been the red-eared slider, with 119 individuals abandoned. In addition, around 20 species of exotic wild animals are abandoned each year. The abandonment of exotic animals not only threatens the animals’ right to life but also poses a serious risk to the domestic ecosystem. Many exotic animals struggle to survive in the local environment and often die, but if left in the wild, they can spread diseases or disrupt the ecosystem by preying on native species.
One way to address this issue is to expand agreements with wildlife rescue centers. In February 2022, the Ministry of environment signed a MOU with the wildlife rescue management center to establish a temporary wildlife protection system. However, the term of the MOU expired in February this year, and no further action has been taken since then. It is necessary to renew the MOU so that abandoned animals can be safely transferred to the center. Furthermore, by expanding the number of animals covered by the temporary protection agreement , the protection system that is able to manage more animals can be completed. In addition, the implanted chip registration program will help solve the problem. The chip is a good tool to identify exotic animals and punish abandonment, so it is expected to have a great effect when it is activated.
In addition to these solutions, we need to think about the direction to protect both exotic animals and domestic ecosystems through various projects and concerns.
Choi Ye-jin (ST Cub-Reporter)
cloe04@soongsil.ac.kr
