Captive Bred vs Wild Caught.
Wild Caught vs Captive breeding.
I have been asked this question on many occasions, but most recently by a well-respected keeper and breeder of exotic animals. I like to take account peoples input and ideas. As I want this venture to grow, and be helpful to the experienced and beginners alike.
Jane’s comment;
“you may want to add something around the fact that there is not much need to bring in wild caught now, due to very successful captive breeding programmes in this country (that we have now grown to as herpers... success story)! The Only necessary wc are the less well known species, and those whose habitat is being destroyed, to try to ensure continuity of animal in captivity if not in wild??? “
I may get flamed for some of my accounts on this very tetchy subject, but please try to read on with an open mind.
I am a great believer of balance, Nature and every action taken, must have, or will find balance. So for every action, there is an equal, opposite reaction.
Now please bare this in mind, throughout this page, and I will attempt to explain.
Twenty plus years ago, the majority of exotic animals being brought in to the country were sourced straight from the wild. Due to lack of communication and education there was generally a high percentage of DOA (Dead on arrival) some were classed as DOA as they were in such poor health they were as good as dead. I witnessed this first hand from being there when some of the shipments came in. I used to help out sorting the good from the bad, I used to take on a lot of the sick animals (mainly snakes) and I used to try to bring them back to perfect health. I think I was quite lucky with my results as majority made a full recovery.
The Lack of communication and education was down to language barriers between the buyers and the trappers, but it wasn’t until the buyers started reducing the funds for the DOA that the trappers started to ask questions as to why they were not being paid what they were expecting. There were many issues that needed addressing form the way the animals were transported and the way in which they had been trapped/caught.
Now days the system in which the animals are trapped and transported are far more superior from a few years back, to the point, that there are near on nil DOA and all make full recovery. Also due to success in Captive breeding, only a very small percentage of animals being brought in, are Wild Caught.
Now due to the fact that there has been so much success over the last few years with captive breeding, there are only a handful of species that havn’t been bred in captivity, compared to ten or more years ago. Does this mean there is no need for wild caught species anymore?
Well in my opinion no, there is still need for wild caught species, and in actual fact our success in captive breeding could also lead to our own demise. I shale try to explain.
Remember I said I was a Great believer of Balance, and if you tip the scales too far one way, something must give, to balance it back.
What used to be said, and a great piece of Conjecture it was for the “Anti Pet Brigade” was, that exotic species were becoming endangered in the wild, due to the amount being taken from the wild, for the pet trade. This however has been proven not to be the case. A study was carried out on “Neon tetra” (Paracheirodon innesi ) the reason for the study was to see how the wild populations were affected, by being caught for the European pet trade.
It was found that not only did it not affect the wild populations, it actually indirectly saved tens of thousands of hectares of Rain Forrest from being felled for timber.
This was due to the fact that the indigenous people from this region who were catching these pretty little fish, was protecting the Forrest, actually fighting to the death with the Lumber companies, as trapping these fish was their main source of financial income.
It was also noted that “Neon Tetra” have hundreds of young each season, the reason for this, was that there was a high percentage that would fall to predation and natural climate changes.
So all that was being affected was these fish were being saved from predation.
How does Captive breeding affect this?
A Captive bred animal makes a better companion pet than a wild caught animal, due to the animal being born in captivity there is much less chance of it having internal parasites and hopefully external parasites. Through generations of breeding, they are generally more used to eating de-frosted prey or commercially produced feeds. Most Defensive species, have calmed down over the years, making them more suitable to be kept as companion pets. They are already used to being kept in captivity so stress levels for these animals is much lower than a wild caught animal.
So the Benefits of Captive breeding is very good for both the animals in captivity and the owners of these animals.
However, it can also have negative effects on the environment. This is where Balance is needed.
Due to our success in captive breeding there is less call for wild caught animals, there for less money is being spent on importing them. This reduction in money is having terrible knock on effects with the indigenous people who solely rely on this income.
Let’s go back to the “Neon Tetra”. A cleaver European realized he could make a fortune from breeding “Neon Tetra”. He could produce massive numbers of them in captivity, sell them cheaper than the wild caught fish, and supply all year round and at more regular intervals.
With these facts in hand nearly every Aquatic shop in Europe decided to buy from him, after all they could get the fish quicker, in better condition and cheaper. Surely this is very beneficial to every one?
Unfortunately this was not the case. Because the Indigenous people had no income, their family’s started suffering, forcing them to find employment, with the only other industry to hand, The Logging Companies. Now they are not protecting the Forrest’s where they were making their living from, instead they are cutting it down for Lumber.
Now that is a very sad Fact, I will try to find the evidence from these findings they was given to me at one of the FBH conferences.
So my conclusion on this Question is, We actually need a balance of wild caught animals, and Captive bred animals.
The Wild caught animals to be imported with Stricter control with even better standards as they are today, but only available to the Experienced Herpetologist, so a wider genetic diversity is available, and study’s to endangered species are continued.
With an equal balance of Captive bred stock, for healthy companion animals with stricter control on how many are being bred.
I have been asked this question on many occasions, but most recently by a well-respected keeper and breeder of exotic animals. I like to take account peoples input and ideas. As I want this venture to grow, and be helpful to the experienced and beginners alike.
Jane’s comment;
“you may want to add something around the fact that there is not much need to bring in wild caught now, due to very successful captive breeding programmes in this country (that we have now grown to as herpers... success story)! The Only necessary wc are the less well known species, and those whose habitat is being destroyed, to try to ensure continuity of animal in captivity if not in wild??? “
I may get flamed for some of my accounts on this very tetchy subject, but please try to read on with an open mind.
I am a great believer of balance, Nature and every action taken, must have, or will find balance. So for every action, there is an equal, opposite reaction.
Now please bare this in mind, throughout this page, and I will attempt to explain.
Twenty plus years ago, the majority of exotic animals being brought in to the country were sourced straight from the wild. Due to lack of communication and education there was generally a high percentage of DOA (Dead on arrival) some were classed as DOA as they were in such poor health they were as good as dead. I witnessed this first hand from being there when some of the shipments came in. I used to help out sorting the good from the bad, I used to take on a lot of the sick animals (mainly snakes) and I used to try to bring them back to perfect health. I think I was quite lucky with my results as majority made a full recovery.
The Lack of communication and education was down to language barriers between the buyers and the trappers, but it wasn’t until the buyers started reducing the funds for the DOA that the trappers started to ask questions as to why they were not being paid what they were expecting. There were many issues that needed addressing form the way the animals were transported and the way in which they had been trapped/caught.
Now days the system in which the animals are trapped and transported are far more superior from a few years back, to the point, that there are near on nil DOA and all make full recovery. Also due to success in Captive breeding, only a very small percentage of animals being brought in, are Wild Caught.
Now due to the fact that there has been so much success over the last few years with captive breeding, there are only a handful of species that havn’t been bred in captivity, compared to ten or more years ago. Does this mean there is no need for wild caught species anymore?
Well in my opinion no, there is still need for wild caught species, and in actual fact our success in captive breeding could also lead to our own demise. I shale try to explain.
Remember I said I was a Great believer of Balance, and if you tip the scales too far one way, something must give, to balance it back.
What used to be said, and a great piece of Conjecture it was for the “Anti Pet Brigade” was, that exotic species were becoming endangered in the wild, due to the amount being taken from the wild, for the pet trade. This however has been proven not to be the case. A study was carried out on “Neon tetra” (Paracheirodon innesi ) the reason for the study was to see how the wild populations were affected, by being caught for the European pet trade.
It was found that not only did it not affect the wild populations, it actually indirectly saved tens of thousands of hectares of Rain Forrest from being felled for timber.
This was due to the fact that the indigenous people from this region who were catching these pretty little fish, was protecting the Forrest, actually fighting to the death with the Lumber companies, as trapping these fish was their main source of financial income.
It was also noted that “Neon Tetra” have hundreds of young each season, the reason for this, was that there was a high percentage that would fall to predation and natural climate changes.
So all that was being affected was these fish were being saved from predation.
How does Captive breeding affect this?
A Captive bred animal makes a better companion pet than a wild caught animal, due to the animal being born in captivity there is much less chance of it having internal parasites and hopefully external parasites. Through generations of breeding, they are generally more used to eating de-frosted prey or commercially produced feeds. Most Defensive species, have calmed down over the years, making them more suitable to be kept as companion pets. They are already used to being kept in captivity so stress levels for these animals is much lower than a wild caught animal.
So the Benefits of Captive breeding is very good for both the animals in captivity and the owners of these animals.
However, it can also have negative effects on the environment. This is where Balance is needed.
Due to our success in captive breeding there is less call for wild caught animals, there for less money is being spent on importing them. This reduction in money is having terrible knock on effects with the indigenous people who solely rely on this income.
Let’s go back to the “Neon Tetra”. A cleaver European realized he could make a fortune from breeding “Neon Tetra”. He could produce massive numbers of them in captivity, sell them cheaper than the wild caught fish, and supply all year round and at more regular intervals.
With these facts in hand nearly every Aquatic shop in Europe decided to buy from him, after all they could get the fish quicker, in better condition and cheaper. Surely this is very beneficial to every one?
Unfortunately this was not the case. Because the Indigenous people had no income, their family’s started suffering, forcing them to find employment, with the only other industry to hand, The Logging Companies. Now they are not protecting the Forrest’s where they were making their living from, instead they are cutting it down for Lumber.
Now that is a very sad Fact, I will try to find the evidence from these findings they was given to me at one of the FBH conferences.
So my conclusion on this Question is, We actually need a balance of wild caught animals, and Captive bred animals.
The Wild caught animals to be imported with Stricter control with even better standards as they are today, but only available to the Experienced Herpetologist, so a wider genetic diversity is available, and study’s to endangered species are continued.
With an equal balance of Captive bred stock, for healthy companion animals with stricter control on how many are being bred.