JEDDAH, 19 March 2006 — It’s becoming a trend among the elite in the Kingdom to raise wild animals as pets.
The same class of society that wishes to “bling bling” by obtaining one-of-a-kind custom-built cars, personalized license plates, designer jewelry and clothes is buying unconventional pets to accessorize their lifestyles.
Forget the cat or goldfish; some people are seeking to stand out in the crowd with wild animals, such as alligators and tigers.
“Tigers, hyenas, wolves, cheetahs, apes, bears — you name it, we’ve seen it,” said Deborah Zahid, managing director of the Tahliah International Veterinary Clinic in Jeddah, adding that people with wild animals approach the clinic regularly asking for their help in treating these exotic pets.
Arab News spoke to a few of those who have crossed over to owning wild animals as pets. Upon their request, the paper will not print their names due to their high-profile status in the Kingdom.
A son of a prominent Saudi businessman who is in his late 20’s said that he loved alligators so much he decided to have a few as pets. “It didn’t cost me a lot,” he said, “and they were easy to get.”
The problem with alligator pets is that they grow up. And they get big. He spoke of a past incident in which an alligator was found in Al-Arbaeen Lagoon in downtown Jeddah a few years back.
“I was the one who placed it there. I didn’t think it would live or adapt to salt water,” he said. The alligator in the lake scared people and was a hot topic for months.
The man said that he was young at the time and did not really think of it as cruel to abandon his pets once they got too big to handle. “And beside, there are a lot of designer bags and shoes which are made out of alligator skin,” he said jokingly.
Another man in Jeddah is the owner of a three-and-a-half-month-old cheetah. “I purchased it for SR65,000,” he said. “I take very good care of it. I get it checked by a vet regularly.”
Its not only men who are attracted to wild animals as pets. One woman said she is the proud owner of a five-month-old cheetah and a six-month-old tiger.
She said the animals were purchased from outside the Kingdom and that she provides them with best care.
People need to have knowledge before they take the step and purchase the animal, said veterinarian Zahid. The problem with exotic pets is that as the animals grow older, their cute and cuddly side is replaced with their inherent aggressive nature. When this happens, the animals become neglected.
Zahid says that many owners of exotic pets lose interest and either give up the animals to any organization willing to adopt them, or worse, take the creatures out in the desert for target practice.
For people to legally obtain an exotic animal, they must abide by regulations adopted by the Kingdom at the urging of the World Wildlife Fund, which signed an agreement with the local National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development, Zahid said. These rules are meant to ensure the safety and good health of the creatures.
“But most of the owners who obtain them as house pets don’t have those documents,” said Zahid.
Zahid warns that before anyone purchases any kind of animal they need to be aware of the responsibilities of animal ownership. “We will provide anyone who is interested in raising any kind of animal with all the knowledge free of charge before taking that first step.”
