Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets
Contents:
Open Preview See a Problem? Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Preview — Forbidden Creatures by Peter Laufer. Hardcover , pages. Published June 1st by Lyons Press first published To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. To ask other readers questions about Forbidden Creatures , please sign up. Lists with This Book. Jun 30, Lea rated it it was ok Shelves: In this book, author Peter Laufer investigates the breeding and keeping of exotic pets, the problems with doing so, and legislation to prevent people from owning these animals.
He focuses primarily on great apes chimpanzees and monkeys , big cats mostly lions and tigers, but also briefly discussing cheetahs and a few smaller cats , and what he terms "long snakes" focusing on pythons. There are a few mentions of birds such as parrots, and tarantulas, but these although featured on the cover In this book, author Peter Laufer investigates the breeding and keeping of exotic pets, the problems with doing so, and legislation to prevent people from owning these animals.
There are a few mentions of birds such as parrots, and tarantulas, but these although featured on the cover are barely mentioned.
Most of the book focuses on primates and pythons. The author returns again and again to the incidents involving Travis, the chimpanzee that attacked and disfigured Charla Nash before being shot and killed by the police called to help her, and the Florida python attack that left a two-year old girl dead after the family pet escaped its cage. While these are interesting cases, I didn't feel that Laufer used them effectively -- his judgemental tone was so off-putting as to negate the message. Of course, I have a natural affinity for the underdog -- the author's negativity pushes me to sympathise with these misguided people, as well as with the victims of their carelessness.
There are some very interesting statistics presented about injuries due to dog attacks an animal nearly everyone would consider a suitable pet vs. Just a note here: This is fertile ground for exploration, but there is really no substantial analysis of the conclusions one might draw from this. Likewise, a comparison is made by an interview subject, not by the author between feral cats and non-native pythons -- a case could be made that the difference is the "cute factor" for our view of one creature as something to be protected and the other as something to be exterminated.
Again, the author refuses to pursue this subject. Laufer has a lot to say about the keeping of exotic animals as pets. Unfortunately, most of it is presented in a disjointed, repetitive manner that makes it difficult to use the information in any type of constructive way. He also inserts himself repeatedly into the story, which I've seen done well many times Jon Ronson and Bill Bryson are both masters at this style of writing , but Laufer isn't on the list of people who are capable of pulling this off.
I think that the issue I have with Laufer's tone -- as compared to other writers I've mentioned -- is that, while they may comment on an interview subject or piece of information in personal terms even expressing skepticism , they do not mock their subjects. Laufer employs derision as his default manner, which I find distasteful. There is also a tendency for the author to elevate himself above the pet owners he interveiws: He's got a wild streak that I recognize; I've got one, too.
We can't be tamed. Neither of us would make good pets. This is a perfect example of what I disliked about this book -- Laufer enjoys pointing out the hypocrisy of people who own or work with exotic animals: A particularly irritating passage involved the president of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, commenting on a wild bird outside her office -- she has left it tortilla chips to eat, although she's quick to point out that the bird should really be eating natural food it would find in the wild.
The author spends the entire book questioning the nature of pet vs. Apparently his ownership of this cat seems valid to him, primarily because the cat is free to come and go as he pleases -- an attitude that many of the equally smug animal rights activists he interviews would disagree with. Now, here is where I can't help but insert my own beliefs and feelings into this review -- I consider myself far left leaning, but the author and many of those he interviews and seems to admire cross the line into a fantasy land where common sense is thrown out the window, and it's easy to see where right-wing folks get the notion we're all a bunch of moronic lunatics.
But "kill" better describes the scene [wildlife biologist Skip] Snow shows me: We talked about the killing the day before in the cool comfort of the Starbucks, and the biologist said he was seeking solace in folk traditions, hoping he could find some ancient prayer for the snakes that he could recite while doing his job, perhaps something from Australian aboriginal traditions. Perhaps he and his colleagues need to create their own modern postmortem ceremony. Okay, okay, I'm veering off into that territory I promised myself I wouldn't get into.
I find myself frustrated with Laufer's refusal to focus on either the science and statistics of the issue or his personal feelings on it. I'm very interested in science, and I'm also interested in memoirs -- done well, I am able to enjoy a book that combines both let's add Mary Roach to that list.
This just isn't done well. Seeing as a big focus of this book is on captive breeding of exotic animals, I have to comment on a problem I have with Laufer's argument -- he and others throughout the book persist in discussing the subject in terms of the lifestyle of wild animals. This is comparing apples to oranges. He seems unwilling to acknowledge the difference, which just seems obstinate to me. I would have preferred to have the distinction front and center in the discussion -- to me, this seems to be the central issue for BOTH sides of the argument, pro and con, with animal owners arguing that their pets do not require the space, etc, that wild animals need, and those against private ownership using the captive breeding to bolster their claims that the practice perpetuates the problems society faces when dealing with this issue.
This is not to say that the author doesn't discuss it at all -- the distiction just seemed peripheral to the discussion. I also have to comment on the physical book itself, which I can sum up in one word: Who in their right mind thought "neon yellow endpapers, yes!
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The dust jacket, designed by Georgiana Goodwin is unappealing and dull. Its only saving grace is an interesting metallic effect used to highlight the animals.
Buy Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets on bahana-line.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders. Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets is a book by Doctor of Philosophy Peter Laufer. It is the second book in his.
Okay, so here's my rating -- I really, I mean reeeeeeally didn't like this book, primarily due to the author's tone and the repetitive quality of the writing. However, I did actually like many of the people interviewed, and I enjoyed the science when it was discussed.
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One of the best parts in the book is an interview with philosopher Mark Rowlands, where the discussion includes the nature of what a "person" is. All in all this added up to two stars for me -- "just okay". I really wish I could have rated it higher, as I think the subject is interesting and important. The Startling Subculture of Criminals, Collectors, and Conservationists -- but I'm hesitant to read it now, simply due to the fact of how much I disliked this book.
May 30, Judy rated it really liked it Recommends it for: Recommended to Judy by: Do I have a sense of timing, or what? A few days after reading this book, Terry Thompson went out to his private menagerie of exotic animals, opened up the cages to release dozens of grizzly bears, wolves, tigers, lions, leopards, baboons and various other animals that are not native to Ohio. I'm sure someone has enlisted him to comment on the events in Zanesville. If not, they should. I was particularl Do I have a sense of timing, or what?
I was particularly interested in his interviews with tiger owners. One man in Idaho keeps a pound tiger in his feed shop, insisting she's gentle and wouldn't hurt anyone. I shared Laufer's reaction--how degrading for this majestic animal to be on display in a feed shop, next to the bags of oats for horses and a sign asking for donations for the tiger's upkeep.
Tigers eat a lot. There's also an interview with Tippi Hedron, famous for her role in "The Birds. A good many of them started off as pets. When they got to be unmanageable, their owners brought them to Shambala. Hedron has some interesting insights as to why people think they can "tame" these animals, and the shock they have when they find out exactly what it's like having a tiger in your backyard.
Laufer also writes about people who have snakes and chimpanzees, as well as the people who smuggle exotic animals into the country for sale. His negative attitude about owning exotic animals does come through, but I admit I share this attitude. It's insane for people to think they can control wild animals. For example, our 15 pound cat is mean.
He bites, he scratches, he kills squirrels and birds. The thought of having a cat 20 times his size is terrifying. And the thought of my neighbor having one is even worse. So sign those petitions. No one wants another Zanesville. Sep 08, Laura rated it liked it Shelves: I am extremely torn on this book. On the one hand, I have to give Laufer credit for interviewing many private exotic animal owners who are generally overlooked in the literature which focuses primarily on zoos and large operations.
He covers quite a range, from celebrity sanctuaries to private primate breeders to the Lolli Brothers exotic animal auction. He went so far as to arrange private interviews with Ingrid Newkirk and Peter Singer as well. However, Laufer has an agenda and all of his visit I am extremely torn on this book.
Inside The World Of Animal Smuggling And Exotic Pets
However, Laufer has an agenda and all of his visits and interviews are strongly colored by it. He presents the narrative as if he is investigating the reasons why people keep exotic pets, when he clearly has already decided that people do it primarily to demonstrate power and domination over nature.
All of his reported questions and responses are targeted towards this, there is no unbiased or open-ended questioning here. He consistently describes the animals in sad, desperate terms and often spins the owners as carelessly ignorant which is certainly true some of the time, but it is impossible to distinguish the educated from Laufer's reporting.
He regularly quotes zoo experts and animal activists denouncing statements by exotic owners. Again, many of these are indeed good sources, but he gives no context as to their quotes -- such as the bias accredited zoos have against private ownership as a whole, responsible or not.
Forbidden Creatures
Laufer also gets continuously sidetracked by the concept of "domestic" versus "wild" along with "tame", "feral", and "exotic". He argues that these are vague terms and that there really is no line between them. While in colloquial usage this may be true, these are actually well defined in technical usage. I am not entirely sure what he was trying to demonstrate by these philosophical meanderings.
The book itself reads more like a series of separate essays than a coherent whole. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. September Learn how and when to remove this template message. Retrieved 18 September Works of Peter Laufer. Retrieved from " https: Articles needing additional references from September All articles needing additional references Books with missing cover. Views Read Edit View history.
By visiting those who attempt to illegally import pets and those who run rescue operations, he observes each extreme of the ownership journey.
Forbidden Creatures: Inside the World of Animal Smuggling and Exotic Pets
Laufer spends time in South Florida, where people buy Burmese pythons, and the Everglades, where the devastating effects of nonnative species in the wild are the focus of a serious federal eradication effort. Laufer can't help but come to his own conclusions about right and wrong, and the serious problems this industry engenders are obvious. Thank you for using the catalog. Explores the economic and environmental impact of the exotic animal trade, from poachers and traders to breeders and pet owners.
From butterflies to big cats, great apes, and long snakes -- Unexpected mayhem: Travis attacks Charla Nash -- Monkey smuggler: Connecticut's animal control czar Susan Frechette tries to corral unwanted pets -- Stop cat sales: Tippi Hedren's second career -- Who belongs to whom?