Exotic pets are wild animals such as lizards, birds, small mammals, and ornamental fish, as opposed to common domesticated pets such as dogs and cats.

Millions of wild animals are being captured from their habitats or born into captivity, to be sold. Whether traded legally or illegally, keeping wild animals as pets is cruel. Global research conducted by World Animal Protection into the exotic pet trade reveals that nearly one third of all wild animals die during transportation.

With New Zealand household pet ownership among the highest in the world, the most common exotic pets were found to be freshwater fish, birds (such as parrots, canary, finch or partridge), and small mammals (such as possums or mice).

However, polling commissioned by World Animal Protection reveals more than half of New Zealand exotic pet owners didn’t realise their pet is exotic.

Simone Clarke, Executive Director ANZ for World Animal Protection said:

"Animals suffer at every step of the journey destined to people’s homes: from capture to handling, transport, holding, breeding, sale and the lifetime of captivity in the home."