There are a number of reasons why you should not captive breed wild animals.

The first reason is simple. They are wild animals and deserve to live free.

Aside from this point there are many more.

Wild animals, despite how much you may love them, will always be wild animals. Many people go through a great deal of trouble and expense to buy a wild animal when it is small thinking that they can raise it and it will be a pet. As the animal grows older and the wild nature starts to become more prevalent, the owner becomes afraid or their neighbors do and the animal becomes a problem.

The problem has several options for resolution, none of which are the best for the animal. One is to find a rescue that will take it. The second is to take it to a remote area and release it. This basically is a death sentence. A wild animal raised in captivity has depended on humans for food. They have no idea how to hunt and survive on their own, aside from the fact that most wild animals do not hunt alone. Some people think these animals will be readily accepted into groups like themselves, but there are no groups like themselves. The captive-bred wild animal does not have the survival instincts and skills, nor the social interaction required to be accepted by their own kind.

The last, and equally undesirable option is to take the animal and have it put to sleep. None are the ideal solution for an animal which should be allowed to live with dignity.

And then there are those who cross wild animals with domestic animals for fun and profit... usually not educating those who are buying the animal of the special needs and problems that can and will arise from hybrid breeding. I have often heard people say they did this to "help" the animals. I am still trying to figure out how hybrid-breeding animals can help wild animals.

There is an acceptable answer, one with greatly desired effects: Help to develop ideas and ways to protect our public lands so that we will always have habitat for these wild creatures that we all love and need so much to remain part of our ecosystem.

Support front line activism and become personally involved.

Currently, almost every rescue in the world is full to capacity. How long before funds dry up and then those who can not find homes all have to be put to death?

Become educated in the issues and take an active part in finding viable solutions for those problems.

You can be a positive force in the protection of wildlife without having them in your house where they do not belong. As long as people try to make pets out of wild animals someone will always have to try to keep them from being killed.

If you find an injured wild animal, please do not take it home and try to make it better. First step, immediately seek and find a real rehabilitator. One who has the experience to rehab the animal and make sure that it can be returned to the wild.

In rehabbing wild animals it is important that they not become imprinted any more than is necessary. Otherwise they will no longer be able to survive in the wild either.

If you want to get involved to a greater degree, then do volunteer work for the rehab center and make a real difference.

There are many way that you can help and do good. Just remember there are just as many ways that you can do harm.

Do what is right for the wildlife, not what makes you feel special. Having a wild animal for a pet does not make you "kool": It makes you selfish. It makes you appear not to care about the wellbeing of the animal.

Would you want someone to cage you? Or would you rather live free and happy?

Remember... as long as people captive breed animals, then someone will have to rescue these animals. This will always require funds which could better be spent on habitat preservation and ecosystem protection, which would really be helping these beautiful wild animals which so deserve our assistance and protection.

~Jim Windwalker, Director: Defend The Wolves

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