Exotische dieren in de dierenhandel en houderij [the trade in exotic animals]: gevolgen voor welzijn en gezondheid

Abstract

The market for animal species is very diverse. Regularly, it is unknown with what the animals are confronted during catching, transport and storage at animal dealers. The health and welfare situation of animals during trade is investigated in 1997, whereby animal transports are controlled and some animal dealers and pet owners are visited. A lot of health problems of animals in trade are induced by an accumulation of different kinds of stressors during the process of trade. Health- and welfare problems during trade are for instance caused by physical harm, overcrowding, insufficient food- and water supply and extreme long transports. Moreover, the emotional stress due to transportation may have impact itself apart from the physical stress. Health problems caused by stress, eventually resulting into early mortality, will often appear when the animals are already sold to a pet owner. Keywords: welfare-exotic animals-pets-animal trade-transport