WaterBear Unveils Original Series Not A Pet

WaterBear Network has launched Not A Pet, a new five-part original series that examines the illegal wildlife pet trade of cheetahs, tigers, birds, apes, reptiles and amphibians.

The series explores the role social media plays in the parading and trading of exotic animals online. Further, in partnership with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), WaterBear is asking its members to support new laws in the U.S., including the Big Cat Public Safety Act and the Primate Safety Act, that will help protect big cats and primates from the wildlife trade.

The laws would help to stop these wild animals from being treated as pets and prevent dangerous contact with the public. These restrictions are also expected to help prevent big cats and primates from being wiped out by the global wildlife trade, setting an example for other countries to follow.

Lisa Rose, head of impact at WaterBear, said: “The Netflix documentary series Tiger King drew the public’s attention to the brutality inherent in the U.S. exotic animal trade, but we still need a much greater level of awareness around the dangers of having wild animals as pets, for the sake of public safety but also to ensure these species can continue to survive in the wild. It is critical that we support new legislation that can help end the cruel trade in captive big cats and primates as well as making it socially unacceptable to keep wild animals as pets.”

Carson Barylak, campaigns manager at IFAW, said: “The trade in captive big cats across the U.S. threatens the safety of people and animals alike, and its reach is far greater than many people realize; in fact, more tigers are held in captivity in the U.S. than remain in the wild worldwide.”