In most of our educational encounters, programs, and talks, the subject of responsible pet ownership is addressed.
Lion Country Safari encourages potential pet owners to do research before acquiring any pet (What kind of enclosure does it need? What food does it eat? How big does it get? How long will it live? What are some drawbacks to owning a pet such as this?) and to realize that a pet owner takes on a number of responsibilities, such as committing to keeping the pet for its entire life (some parrots can live for 80 or more years, for example), providing veterinary care and licensing, food and water, and proper shelter. Many of the invasive birds and reptiles in South Florida began as someone’s pet, and the pet was either released into the wild or else escaped into the wild. Invasive species such as the Burmese python are having devastating effects on our native species.
For more information, please go here: https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/responsible-pet-ownership.aspx
