In "The Strange and Dangerous World of America's Big Cat People," Rachel Nuwer takes the reader deeper into some of the issues behind the popular Netflix series Tiger King. Please read this long-form essay, offer your thoughts in 150 to 200 words about a specific aspect of the trade in exotic animals mentioned in the article, and reply with a 25 to 50-word comment on at least two classmate's comments. Please compose, edit, and proofread your responses on your own copy of this Google Doc which you will share with Mr. Shaw by the 15th of August.
85 Comments
Anna DeYoung
6/10/2020 02:15:52 pm
The aspect of trade that caught my attention most was Carole Baskin’s role of taking in and housing the unwanted adult cats. It is said that families would return the kittens that they once bought from her after they grew up. It wasn’t just one or two, it was a hundred, and she couldn’t accept all of them because there wasn’t enough space. She changed her sanctuary and made it a rescue for big cats. She accepted the unwanted adult cats and immediately spayed and neutered them. Carole Baskin also made the previous owners sign a contract that no longer let the family own a big cat. She wanted to prohibit all big cat ownership. This stood out to me because she was making multiple steps towards her goal and, in my opinion, was giving the lives of big cats more value. I do not completely agree with her idea of getting rid of large domestic cats, because in some situations, it is the best option for the animal to be in captivity. That is rarely the case though, and these cats should not be used and discarded once they grow up. For the most part, she's doing the right thing for the animals.
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Aerin Baker
6/10/2020 02:46:14 pm
I like how, in this, you highlighted how Carole Baskin took in the cats and her overall goal in creating Big Cat Rescue: the prohibit all big cat ownership. I also appreciate how you mentioned both sides of the argument.
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Will Ayers
6/11/2020 05:23:57 pm
I totally agree with what you are saying in this, about how she is making progress towards helping big cats. By taking them in and also making sure the pervious owners don't get any more big cats.
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Lily Howitt
6/13/2020 06:58:46 pm
I like how you wrote this. I totally agree with the statements you've made. What Carole Baskin is doing is a true example of "walking the walk" and I also agree that sometimes large cats may need to be in captivity.
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Caeleb
6/23/2020 03:14:55 pm
I agree that adult big cats should not be discarded since they are no longer able to make the same money they did as kittens...; however, I
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Helena Gombas
8/17/2020 11:50:06 am
I agree with Anna’s point, on how Carole Baskin was taking steps toward her goal and making the lives of the big cats more important. With the show ‘Tiger King’ and all the controversy about Carole Baskin murdering her last husband, it’s easy to look over everything she’s actually done for the animals.
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Will Ayers
6/10/2020 02:32:41 pm
In the essay a specific aspect of trade in exotic animals that caught my eye is how badly they were treated, once they were no longer cubs. As mentioned in the essay, most of the people who owned the ‘big cats’ only wanted them when they were cubs; to either have as pets or use to make money, but after they grow up, and become fully grown, people no longer want them, and try to get rid of them. But because not a lot of people want fully grown ‘big cats’ how they are treated worsens. Many of the big cats are either locked up in small cages for the rest of their life, or sometimes even killed. This stood out to me because they are treated as if they are objects, people use them to make money then get rid of them when they are no longer of use to them. I believe that the way these exotic animals are treated is horrible, and that there should be more regulations to protect these animals from being killed and getting locked up in these small cages, with not the right amount of food, and water.
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Aerin Baker
6/10/2020 02:44:19 pm
I agree that how these animals are treated is horrible. I like how you mentioned the reasons that many owners get rid of the cats once they grow beyond their cub stage and why they get rid of them.
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Lily Howitt
6/13/2020 07:01:02 pm
I totally agree! There should definitely be more protective regulations put into actions keeping faulty animal owners from mistreating exotic animals such as big cats. I feel as though there are more entertaining things in this world that don't require disgusting acts against nature.
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Eleanor Mason
6/15/2020 09:20:04 am
I noticed something similar. The treatment of the cats after they had stopped being “cute” was horrendous, and regulations are certainly needed to prevent such mistreatment, in both cubs and adults.
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Paris LeClaire
6/15/2020 10:36:20 am
Yes, this is interesting. Maybe it has something to do with throwaway culture. Oftentimes, when we see something that has no more use to us, we become totally blind to its future.
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Anna DeYoung
6/15/2020 07:04:28 pm
I agree that the animals are being used as objects. Use them while they're cute and get rid of them when they grow up and become too much to handle. The cycle is disgusting.
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Eleni Persinger
6/18/2020 01:32:21 pm
The description of the treatment of the animals was so sad! I can't believe that many are killed after they are no longer cubs just because they were no longer as valuable to the owners making money from cub-petting event. It's ridiculous and upsetting. :'(
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Cat Pond
8/7/2020 08:29:03 pm
I agree with your statement very much. It is disgusting that some people could treat another living thing so badly, and it's even worse that the laws regarding proper care of these animals is barely enforced.
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Alexis Warren
8/19/2020 01:37:37 pm
I completely agree with the fact that these 'big cats' are not being treated right, especially once they are fully grown and no longer cubs. I like how you made the comparison that they are being treated as objects because, in my opinion, you're spot on! As you said, people use them to make money when they're cute and little, and then get rid of them once they're grown up.
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Ava Fink
8/22/2020 02:31:17 pm
I completely agree with you. Especially because all or most of the mistreatment of these beautiful, fierce animals could have been prevented by strong regulations. -Ava F
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John Hartgerink
8/22/2020 08:25:19 pm
I totally agree with you. I like how you talked about how after these animals grow up they are treated horribly. I also agree that there should be more regulations around them.
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Nicholas Pettinga
9/7/2020 01:27:03 pm
I agree with you on how messed up it is that the ´big cats’ are completely disregarded when they become fully grown cats. These cats are needed when they are cubs but become obsolete when they grow up.
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Aerin Baker
6/10/2020 02:35:17 pm
This long-form essay takes the reader into an informative work on the trade of exotic animals, focusing on the trade of big cats. One of the most prominent reasons for the trade of big cats comes from the large profits that zoos and exotic animal parks derive from cub petting. Cub petting is when people pay money to have an allotted amount of time to spend with a cub and use them as a prop for photos. This preys on people's ego and the fact that they can say that they spent time with a tiger, lion or other big cat. Cub petting is detrimental to the cub, one reason being that, once they grow out of the “cute stage”, they are no longer bringing in profit and are either killed or sold on the black market into more dangerous situations for the cat. The effects of cub petting are stated in the article: “They realized they could make a killing holding their own cub petting events at malls, fairs, and roadside zoos, which compounded an already vicious breeding pattern. ’I call it the breed and dump cycle,’ said Nasser, the Michigan State law professor. That cycle is largely responsible for the proliferation of tigers throughout the U.S....”
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Will Ayers
6/11/2020 05:16:27 pm
I like how, you mention that the owners of the 'big cats/ cubs,' use peoples ego, to get them to pay to pet the cubs, and spend time with them. I also appreciate how you talked about what happens to the exotic animal cubs once they grow up, and how they are either killed, or put into very bad situations.
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Nicholas Pettinga
9/7/2020 01:30:11 pm
I agree with you that the ¨breed and dump cycle” is detrimental to the cubs because after they are not needed anymore they are sold or even worse can be killed.
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Lily Howitt
6/11/2020 08:18:16 pm
Personally, I struggle even beginning to grasp the concept of celebrity ownership of exotic animals. The entire action is simply just a ploy to parade their wealth and flaunt their social status. What Justin Bieber said about owning his two Savannah cats just shows how normalized and “trendy” it is to take animals out of their natural environments for the “right price”. Justin Bieber told PETA to “suck it” and “worry about real problems” and no one batted an eye. Not only has exotic animal trading and trafficking gone unnoticed in the zoo industry itself, but it seems as though the public shows no different reaction regarding celebrities. Looking back, I have seen many celebrities owning some pets that you wouldn’t find in an average neighborhood. I feel as though there should definitely be more laws regarding abuse and/or trafficking of all animals, not just exotic. There are plenty of different ways to indirectly let people know you are rich. You don’t need to rip an animal away from its natural habitat to do so.
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Eleanor Mason
6/15/2020 09:17:14 am
I agree with you. The article talks about how the public has become desensitized to the removal and mistreatment of these animals, and I certainly think that the ownership of the animals by these celebrities is not helping.
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Paris LeClaire
6/15/2020 10:33:36 am
I definitely agree. People should think more about how their relatively insignificant popularity will affect others, including the exotic animals they adopt. It’s strange that killer animals can be a sign of social class.
Anna DeYoung
6/15/2020 07:02:28 pm
I agree 100%. Owning exotic animals is being used as a "money flex" for social media and most likely not taken care of properly. It's almost as if the million dollar houses and luxury cars isn't enough. Leave animals out of it.
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Liv Holmes
6/28/2020 06:31:40 pm
I definitely agree with your stance. The fact that celebrities have exotic animals as pets is very disturbing, and the fact that it is considered a flex due to the price of these animals is even more disturbing. I also find it unsettling that people use exotic animals in concerts as some sort of background amusement when a singer is performing.
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Soriah Haider
7/29/2020 11:12:48 am
I completely agree. Influencers have an enormous amount of impact on everyday people and Bieber's flaunt of money on wild animals was unnecessary to say the least. As the article said, the "switch," creating a desire for exotic animal ownership partly came from social media.
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Eleanor Mason
6/15/2020 09:10:15 am
The part that most caught my attention was the aspect of the treatment of the big cats after they had stopped being cubs. I was reminded of a similar issue, being the ownership of teacup pigs. Oftentimes, driven by a desire to sell the small, cute piglets, the dealers of the pigs will show the parents of the "teacup piglets" to show how small the pigs will be in adulthood. However, these parents are often not "teacup pigs" but potbelly pig piglets, as potbellies can reproduce at a very young age. This leads the buyer to believe that the pigs will not grow to be very large, and, once they do, they are woefully unprepared for the large animal that now lives in their house, and the pig must be released, donated, discarded, or sold. This is very like the case of the buyers of tiger and other big cat cubs. They do not think ahead, and remain ignorant of the fact that the cub will eventually become a very large, and still very much wild animal. This leads to them having to get rid of the cub, and perpetuates the illegal and immoral trade of these big cats.
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Amira Haider
6/19/2020 03:27:49 am
I like how you related the issue with cubs being sold off once they get too old, to that of teacup pigs. I agree with you that it is wrong and immoral for the animals to be treated so badly, and to be tossed aside because they aren’t profitable.
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Liv Holmes
6/28/2020 06:26:16 pm
I also thought that the treatment of big cats when they go from cubs to adolescents is unsettling. I had never thought about the teacup pig situation relating to this article. People only seem to want an animal like that when they are small, cute, and easy to contain. I feel as if the trading of these animals is a sad reality that will be around until the government will do something more to stop this.
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Hannah Smit
8/21/2020 10:30:39 pm
I appreciate the relation to pigs, and I agree completely with what you’re saying. Many owners only think of the fun aspects of buying exotic animals before they actually do, and they end up not being able to handle the situation. It isn’t good for the owner or the animal.
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Paris LeClaire
6/15/2020 10:29:26 am
I’ve been thinking a lot about the cultural angle of the big cat trade, especially as it pertains to the United States. It seems strange to me that some people would spend, haggle, and oftentimes evade the law to get their hands on a tiger when any common house cat would do. There must be a certain status that is reached when you own an exotic cat. Maybe people value the idea of this status more than the cats they own. The fact that four states don’t have any laws regarding the trade of big cats astounds me and goes to prove the materialistic and somewhat frivolous aspects of American culture. I understand why big cats would be in demand. Tigers, lions, bobcats, and tiligers are mysterious and even cute, as well as dangerous. However, the fact that they can be dealt and trafficked with little to no regulation in this country tells that clearly, there is an appeal to big cats that goes beyond their companionship.
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Eleni Persinger
6/18/2020 01:52:53 pm
I agree that the lengths people take to own an exotic cat don't seem to be worth it for the end product. I think big cat ownership is a reflection of materialism within society, due to the resources required. I think the idea of rarity/exclusivity is appealing to some.
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Helena Gombas
8/17/2020 11:49:35 am
When I saw the word cultural, I immediately thought about where tigers and big cats were originally from, which is not the United States. However, I agree with Paris, there’s no reason for celebrities to own or show off big cats for status, especially with all the work it takes to obtain one.
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Mr. Shaw
6/17/2020 11:30:54 am
These comments look good. Try to also relate them back to a specific section of the article as well.
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Eleni Persinger
6/18/2020 01:26:17 pm
This essay opened my eyes to the world of exotic animals. I am disappointed by the consequences arising from the exotic animal . I never realized that the lack of regulation and knowledge by officials and owners of exotic animals has led to public safety concerns and animal cruelty. In addition, the findings of the study by Duke University were unexpected but understandable: seeing animals in a human setting leads people to want those animals as pets. The popularity of exotic animal cub-petting events perpetuates this desire by some to own an exotic pet.
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Amira Haider
6/19/2020 03:26:37 am
I completely agree with your opinion over the Baskin and Exotic debacle. It’s scary to know that it took a plan to murder for people to notice the issues regarding big cat ownership in the United States.
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Kurtis B
7/27/2020 01:36:12 pm
I also was disappointed by the consequences surrounding the exotic animal trade/ownership. I also noticed the lack of regulation and it really surprised me because of how serious this issue is, and how long it's been an issue.
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Carter D Dvorak
8/1/2020 02:06:53 pm
I also found the Duke University study to be fascinating yet unsurprising. I feel it is incredibly important to draw the line between seeing an animal on television and thinking it seems intriguing and even sometimes adorable and actually making the choice to purchase an exotic pet.
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Amira Haider
6/19/2020 03:25:51 am
This article opened my eyes to the grim reality of the lives of big cats, and how they are treated. The essay mentioned that there are more tigers being kept as pets in America than there are left in the wild. This fact was incredibly shocking to me because it revealed the unfortunate situation of the tigers. I personally find people wanting to have animals that are meant to be kept in the wild wrong, and it's hard to understand why they would even want to subject a wild animal to such terrible conditions. What I could conclude from the article, however, is that people desire big cats as a symbol of status and a way to show off. Another part of the article that sparked my interest was when it mentioned how cubs, once reaching a certain age, would be sold off. The cubs are only wanted because it is easier to make money off of them in the dangerous process of cub petting. Cub petting can result in a cub being sold off or even killed after becoming too big for people to take pictures with and play with for their own enjoyment.
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Haven Boyers
6/20/2020 11:19:30 am
Amira I completely agree with you. These points also really drew my attention especially about the fact that there are more exotic animals in captivity than in the wild. I also think it is wrong for celebrities to own these animals just for fame without thinking about the consequences.
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Maci Judge
6/29/2020 08:45:41 am
I agree with your statement. The amount of tigers being kept as “pets” compared to those in the wild is devastating, and the fact that people are only buying them for status and to make more money off them is terrible.
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Ava Fink
8/22/2020 02:32:00 pm
I agree with you immensely. It is horrendous that many people buy these gorgeous creators to show off their status in the economic world. It is even more terrifying when people use these animals to make money as an exotic exhibit because often the cats are mistreated or killed. -Ava F
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Maci Judge
6/20/2020 11:10:29 am
After reading this article, the one aspect of exotic animal trading that sticks out to me is the feasibility of trading and gaining ownership of a big cat. As the article said, there are 10 states that only require people to pay $30 for a license, and 4 states that have no laws about ownership at all. As it's mentioned multiple times in the article, it is easier to buy a lion or tiger than it is to get a bulldog. With the amount of big cats becoming endangered, it should be harder to gain ownership. There are also auctions to sell big cats happening left and right that were sometimes attended by people who were expected to help big cats, like veteran wildlife keepers, and these should be better regulated. When I was reading the beginning portion of the article, I was asking myself why there wasn’t more law and regulations, but towards the end of the article, I appreciated how there are more laws being developed in states to help big cats. I also appreciate how Carole Baskin began the Big Cat Public Safety Act to help the big cats, that is really important.
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Haven Boyers
6/20/2020 11:15:10 am
Maci, I really agree with your comment. This was very shocking to me also, the fact that there aren't a lot of restrictions or laws against this happening. I also think it should definitely be harder to gain ownership of these exotic animals. I also agree with the you comment about Carole and her involvement.
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Haven Boyers
6/20/2020 11:11:17 am
This article really drew my attention to the issue of the big cat ownership. I was very shocked and surprised at the aspects of the lives of these big cats. This is something that I never realized was such a big issue. One aspect that fully drew my attention was Carole Baskin and her involvement with the trade. I think that the fact that she brings in these animals and tries to help to save them. It shows in the article that at the beginning Baskin’s involvement was not the best, she was breeding these animals and taking in way too many. It then shows how she changed and started to bring them in to save them. She began the Big Cat Public Safety Act which is really helpful in order to save these cats in danger. The ways that she got involved and wanted to help them. What also really caught my attention was that when people would drop off the cats she would make them sign a contract so that they could never own exotic animals again. I think this was really smart and very effective to stop the spread of the ownership. Overall I think that Carole and her involvement stood out most to me.
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Maci Judge
6/29/2020 08:37:40 am
I agree. It was nice to know that someone is trying to help the big cats instead of breeding them for their own advantage. Carole Baskin’s involvement is significant because she makes sure the big cats get the right treatment and that the people who originally had them can’t have an exotic animal again.
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Elliot Klott
7/8/2020 12:35:33 pm
I also thought it was interesting how the article shows how Joe Exotic turned against conservation in an opposite way. He had started out as a conversationalist, but then money brought him into the breeding and selling business.
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Liv Holmes
6/28/2020 06:20:11 pm
One part of this long-form article that I find especially disturbing is the fact that once the tiger cubs in captivity become adolescents, they will be sold to people who will taxidermy them. The big cat trade that is continuing in America needs to be stopped. The fact that people think that they can keep these wild animals as pets is alarming. The reality of how these poor animals have to live devastates me, as they are living in cages too small for them, which can cause many different problems. I do not understand as to why the federal government has not responded to prohibit this barbaric practice, as it has been going on for decades. Before reading this article, I had never known that the world of keeping exotic pets was so large. No animal deserves to be treated badly. The fact that there are more tigers kept in captivity in the United States than in the wild is a deeply upsetting reality that we all must face. I also had never realized that there were so many ways to get around the laws about owning exotic pets, such as considering an animal a donation of some sort. I truly hope that there will be an end to this practice in the near future.
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Elliot Klott
7/8/2020 12:33:11 pm
I also agree that it is horrifying to see the effects of the big cat trade on these animals, and also know that there isn't much that the government is doing to prevent it. I thought it was interesting how the article notes that many animals are kept in homes, and even apartments, where no animal should have to live. Their condition is truly sad.
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Max
7/16/2020 05:10:39 pm
I likewise find the trade horrific and question why the United States government is yet to intervene. It is sad to see an endangered species being treated so poorly in a system that is supposed to help them.
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Soriah Haider
7/29/2020 11:18:19 am
I find it interesting that you mentioned being disturbed by the taxidermy of grown cubs, because that is exactly what pushed Carol Baskin to begin her journey to prevent big cat ownership. I agree 100% with you on trying to stop the big cat trade.
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John Hartgerink
8/22/2020 08:26:09 pm
I also don’t know why the federal government hasn’t tried to fix this issue yet. I also didn’t know how many animals were actually in these horrible situations until I read this article.
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Elliot Klott
7/8/2020 12:25:33 pm
This essay made me think deeper into the life and laws surrounding the big cat trade, and the publicity of the show Tiger King. I never knew that buying a tiger would be easier than buying a dog in some states. I thought that it was interesting that the author brought zoos into the story. They mentioned that zoo’s will use their baby tigers as a way to draw tourists in, and attract them to the zoo. By the time the tigers had grown into adults, they would be sold off to private buyers. Before reading this, I thought that the zoos would have more moral sense than to do this. I believe that people who buy big cats often buy them for money, or as a status symbol, and this essay completely confirmed that. The essay brought both Baskin’s and Exotic’s opinions into account, which makes the arguments more rounded. However, I believe that Baskin is making more of an effort towards stopping the abuse in the big cat market, while Exotic had made statements voicing his regrets at the mistreatment of his cats.
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Max
7/16/2020 05:08:09 pm
I agree with your takeaway and also found it surprising that zoos had even begun to partake in this cruel practice. It is shocking that some individuals will purchase exotic animals to boost their social standing.
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Carter D Dvorak
8/1/2020 02:00:16 pm
I very much agree with your statements concerning zoos. I remember hearing about all the news regarding Sea World that the article mentioned when it first broke. I really changed my perspective on the zoo industry as a whole and the treatment of animals meant for tourism and shows.
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Cat Pond
8/7/2020 08:26:42 pm
I agree with your statement 100%. It is shocking to find out that something we used to respect and find so interesting, such as zoos, could do something so terrible solely for the purpose of bringing in more people and money.
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Max
7/16/2020 05:02:43 pm
One particular aspect regarding the big cat trade in the United States that especially stood out to me was how severe the issue had to get until it began to receive widespread attention from the American public. As explained in the article, the hobby of purchasing exotic cats began as early as the 1970s and has rapidly strayed from its roots since. For example, the famous big cat owner, “Joe Exotic”, who is directly associated with numerous scandals, coverups, and even a murder-for-hire cover up is much more drastic than a simple cat trade business that was seen in the 70s. Thus, it can be observed that little action had been taken for nearly 40 years by the United States government. After all this time, the only real call for help has been kickstarted by individuals such as Carol Baskin and organizations like PETA. Based upon the fact that it took a hit Netflix show to uncover a horrific trade that has been unfolding for decades, an overlying reality has been exposed about the culture of the American public/media and what it takes to receive adequate attention.
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Kurtis B
7/27/2020 01:38:37 pm
I also noticed the severe lack of action by the US government, and also the amount of time it has been going on for with no action. It seems like the government would have intervened and taken care of the issue in the roughly 40 years it has been going on.
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Keiran
8/5/2020 08:21:58 am
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Sid
9/7/2020 07:49:15 pm
I totally agree with what you are saying here. Using the severity and intensity of the story of Joe Exotic goes along perfectly with the idea that very little has been done to stop the exotic animal trade, despite how truly crazy it seems to have become.
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Kurtis B
7/27/2020 01:23:35 pm
One of the most surprising aspects of the big cat problem in the US to me is that there is an absence of laws in many states prohibiting private ownership of these exotic animals. Why should anyone be allowed to own a big cat? They shouldn’t. Why would anyone need to own a big cat? They don’t. Then what advantage does allowing people to own big cats have? None. It’s so surprising to me that more regulation around these big cats hasn’t been more strictly enacted/enforced already. It also surprises me how little the American public knew about this issue until very recently. It was the same thing for me. Until I watched the Tiger King docu-series on Netflix, and then saw the surrounding news coverage, I had no clue that this whole thing was such a large issue. I think it is very good that the public is becoming more informed about these issues so with the help of organizations that fight for the fair treatment of animals, we can begin to eradicate the mistreatment of these animals.
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Sid
9/7/2020 07:52:24 pm
Agreed. Like a lot of other comments are pointing out as well, it is insane how big the issue has developed without the general public knowing. Not only does it show something about today's culture, it also arises the question of what other major issues the public doesn't how about because there isn't a hit tv show about it.
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Soriah Haider
7/29/2020 11:04:13 am
The big standout in this article has to be the influence that the public and media has on the big cat issue. As mentioned multiple times in the article, without zoo pettings, tiger shows, and tv coverage in the 1990’s, the “switch,” creating desire for owning big cats would never have been flipped on. I personally find it wrong for people to own big cats and the lack of media coverage discouraging the type of behavior displayed by people such as Joe exotic is shocking. I think Carole Baskin’s positive influence as a conservationist is a very interesting topic in the essay. Originally she even wanted to keep tigers as pets just like Joe, but realized the moral issue with this and worked to educate on her miskate, something commendable in my opinion. I was pleased to read about Carole’s change of heart, as well as the shocking ending to the essay where Joe claims he wants to treat tigers better and allow them to roam free.
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Keiran
8/5/2020 08:19:34 am
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Carter Dvorak
8/1/2020 01:53:52 pm
One aspect of the exotic animal trade that I found specifically interesting was the link between venues offering photos or interactions with tiger cubs and how that relates to the overall issue surrounding exotic animal trade. The article mentioned that locations that offer interactions with tiger cubs are one of the largest contributors to trading exotic animals. In their eyes, a baby tiger can only be cute, safe enough to interact with, and profitable for so long. Once a tiger cub is no longer lucrative, it is likely sold at a private auction. What interests me now is, how is the world of big cat trade functioning in this pandemic? Given that most places offering photos with baby tigers have had to temporarily close, has the overall sale of tigers and other exotic animals decreased? This correlation greatly intrigued me due to the fact that the article heavily emphasized that if using tiger cubs for tourism is eliminated, the overall sale of tigers and exotic animals would decrease. Has this actually occurred during this pandemic? Would that mean, in a strange way, that COVID-19 has helped bring an end to, or at least harmed the United States exotic animal industry?
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Natalie Tighe
8/10/2020 05:16:10 pm
I think to add to that, another way the pandemic could help stop big cat trade is because the tiger king was such a success mostly because so many Americans were stuck at home when it released. This brought about public awareness and increased pressure on lawmakers
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Keiran B.
8/5/2020 08:21:28 am
Rachel Nuwer’s "The Strange and Dangerous World of America's Big Cat People” takes a deep dive into information regarding big cat ownership and trade within the United States, and all around the world. Piggybacking off the popular Netflix SeriesTiger King, much is revealed about the logistics of big cat trading and the monetary incentive behind it - all of which I found interesting. With my limited knowledge after reading only this short passage, the root problem all seems to be led back to the lack of widespread federal oversight on trade and private ownership. Even with this lack of information, it was astonishing to learn that there are more pet tigers in American than there are left in the wild. Carole Baskin’s Big Cat Rescue was heavily focused on in a positive spotlife as a non-profit bettering the lives of the animals; however, according to research by a scientist at Duke University, this practice of showing animals in an unnatural human setting actually causes more people to consider purchase of a big cat, rather than donating to the cause. All of the circles back to my personal belief that a widespread, federally sponsored program (that tracks who and where these populations of tigers are) is the most efficient way to get the inhumane treatment of tigers and other big cats under control.
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Cat Pond
8/7/2020 08:21:40 pm
The section of the essay that caught my attention the most was the aspect of the growing cat ownership because of media and commercializing. It's hard for me to even imagine anyone thinking that the ownership of these wild animals is okay, but now that I think about it, commercializing and parading these animas around really does seem to trick the public eye. Everyday while scrolling on Instagram or Snapchat you will see a picture or video of a wild animal, like a chimp or squirrel doing something cute like petting another animal, or walking around in human clothes, and it leaves you admiring how cute the video was and it totally distracts you from the inhumane aspect of it. The same thing goes for those big cats being commercialized as cute little cats that you can pet and take your picture with, instead of dangerous creatures that are not supposed to be domesticated. The idea of making that industry seem humane is so disgusting, but has been proven to work simply because we can trick the public eye into thinking whatever we want because we have the power to determine what anyone sees.
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Natalie Tighe
8/10/2020 05:12:54 pm
I think partially that some 'wild' animal ownership can be condoned, like seeing those videos of rehabilitated baby squirrels and raccoons, who return to humans as they please. One of my old bosses has a couple squirrels that she said returned annually. I think the big difference here is that those animals are free
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Alexis Warren
8/19/2020 01:50:39 pm
This was very eye opening, and I agree that the media can completely blind the public eye from the evil that's actually going on in the background, just by making something look cute. I've even caught myself laughing or smiling at those funny, or cute, animal videos on Youtube and Tiktok. Although, until now, I never really thought about how making some of those videos is actually affecting the animals in a bad way, and how there are many animals, such as the tigers in the tiger trade, that are suffering day after day in confinement due to the demand of cubs and needing tigers to breed.
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Hannah Smit
8/21/2020 10:25:16 pm
I completely agree with what you had to say here. Sometimes it can be difficult to look behind those cute videos to see the negative effects it could be having on the animal. You never know what can be going on behind the scenes and what situation the animal is being put through. Although sometimes it’s all fun and games, it all comes down to the inhumane aspect of it.
Natalie Tighe
8/10/2020 05:08:33 pm
Back when the Tiger King was released, I watched the first few episodes, only because my mom forced me to. I didn't find it very interesting, if only because I was being literally yelled at for not wanting to watch the television. However I think the most interesting part of this article was at the very end, when it talked about the tiger bone wine, and earlier, when Nuwer was told he had eaten tiger bone cake. I don't know about you guys, but um, that was the craziest part for me. I knew that people owned tigers as pets, and that was dangerous, but I didn't know that people were out here in the world literally like, eating tiger bones. It really kind of shook me to my core, to imagine someone killing a tiger, removing its bones and eating them. I would also be interested in knowing if Nuwer enjoyed the tiger bone cake, and would appreciate analyzing that because does he really have the right to be saying all this when he payed for and ate tiger bones?
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Nicholas Pettinga
8/11/2020 10:11:08 am
This article is about the big cat industry and how the cats are mistreated. Big cats even in america are abused and mistreated just to make a quick buck. Even people who say that they are helping these cats have a good comfortable life still are taking advantage of these cats to make money. In this article it talks about how the most popular time for a big cat is when it is a cub. This is because they are less violent and people find them adorable. When these cats reach adolescence, the zoo has a surplus of cats. Due to the fact that they bought hundreds of cubs. Many zoos only own a couple adult tigers even when they buy 50-100 cubs. What do they do with these cats? They sell them at auctions to private buyers such as breeders and veteran wildlife keepers. Those are the people who often mistreat the animals worse than the zoos would.
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Helena Gombas
8/17/2020 11:49:01 am
The long-form essay on the big cat trade really showcases the abuse and neglect the animals are subjected to. One main point of the article was the lack of interest in the animals when they were no longer cubs, or ‘zoo babies’. When the animal is considered too old for ‘petting sessions’ they’re instantly sold or traded off. I was reminded of adoption centers and humans in this scenario. It’s proven that older kids have a harder time with being adopted and people often turn away from them because of ‘behavioral issues’. People want young, cute babies, no matter if they’re human or animals. People also want profit, and they exploit these cubs for money, because they’re cute, and not yet able to do damage to people. It’s harder to control a natural predator when they’re full grown. Also, when the animal is grown, they’re neglected and abused to ‘keep them in line’ and make it easier to control them. People don’t care about big cats when they’re actually full grown big cats. The fact there’s no regulation on this business either is insane, as these are real animals and not some accessory for the rich.
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Alexis Warren
8/19/2020 01:55:45 pm
“The Strange and Dangerous World of America’s Big Cat People”, written by Rachel Nuwer, gives us an inside look of the tiger trade and what’s really going on that many people don’t know about. From the article, the aspect of the tiger trade that most caught my attention was the horrible living conditions of the tigers themselves. In the article, Rachel Nuwer stated that the tigers were forced to live in cramped cages, along with being “speed-bred,” which means they are bred multiple times to keep producing tiger cubs towards the trade. The tiger trade should stop all together, and all states should pass laws to make the ownership of these ‘big cats’ illegal. The way the tigers are caged up and bred multiple times in confinement is very cruel, and can be very trying on their bodies due to the speed-breeding, which could cause death to many of these animals. All of this could eventually lead to endangerment of the tiger species. In addition, even if the tiger trade should continue, there should be more rules in place about the cages for the tigers, such as creating more open space for them and making the cages mirror more what their natural habitats look like. As well as, creating rules about the amount of times, and how often, the tigers are allowed to be bred.
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Sid Greenwood
8/21/2020 08:57:43 am
After reading the article, the part that caught my eye the most was the availability of these animals to anyone, even those who are unstable. With multiple states only having a fee to acquire a license, and some having no prerequisites whatsoever, there is a large availability of these exotic animals. This large availability then only gets worse as this availability means that unstable people are then open to the exotic animal trade. Joe Exotic's whole story proves that point. Besides the article, the series on Netflix reveals even more about the psychopathic tendencies of some of these exotic animal owners. There were multiple times where Joe would speak murder, or get mad and blow something up, or threaten someone, and that was just Joe. Even all-loving Carol Baskins feels off at times. There was also the polygamist from the other exotic animal sanctuary who practiced some very weird ideals and had accusations of putting tigers down against him just as Joe did. As Rachel pointed out, the series has opened up the country, and even world to this problem, and lawmakers are working hard to cause change, but there are still a lot of steps to be taken to ensure that if ownership is still allowed, that these animals fall into the right hands.
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Leo Hoskins
8/21/2020 03:26:13 pm
The most significant thing that stood out to me while reading the essay was how casual and nonchalant the sale of exotic animals is, let alone the lax laws on exotic pets. In one section, the author remarks about how most people purchase and locate exotic animals off social media or forums. Then, they informally message the owner and chat back and forth. The idea that these large and dangerous animals are moved from person to person so casually and without government or organizational oversight baffles me.
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Hannah Smit
8/21/2020 10:17:03 pm
The main aspect of this article that stood out to me would be how the ownership of big cats has increased due to media coverage. Many people are tricked into believing that it’s just normal for some to own big cats and other wild animals as pets, though really the entire aspect of it is pretty inhumane. It shouldn’t be normal to steal animals away from their natural habitats just to look trendy and rich. And there are so many ways to be deceived on the internet. Public media just in general has had a large influence on the big cat industry. If it weren’t for the commercializing of these animals, people wouldn’t be as interested in them. I personally think that we should just stick to cats and dogs. Other wild animals aren’t meant to be domesticated in human homes, they are meant to stay in the wild where they belong.
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Dakota Lankheet-Rathbun
8/22/2020 04:26:28 pm
I think it's pretty schocking what people do for attention. While we all love the internet, it has created a pretty bad culture surrounding influencers and celebrities. I could never, ever imagine myself buying a tiger just because I wanted to flex.
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Dakota Lankheet-Rathbun
8/22/2020 08:41:49 am
Previous to reading this article, I didn’t know much about caring for exotic animals, but the basics seemed like common sense. I was surprised to find out how ignorant exotic animal owners are. Many owners don’t understand what they are doing to the animals, or how exploitative the exotic animal trade is. Some believe they are rescuing these animals and helping the species survive. Others do not know how expensive these cats are, along with how to provide them with good living conditions. In all interviews with ex-owners, they stated how little they knew about what they were doing. There are few documented cases of this kind of animal abuse, with Joe Exotic’s being the most well-known, but is widespread among owners. This can be credited to the ignorance in the exotic animal trade. The majority of exotic animal owners pet animals at exotic zoos, then decide to get their own, which is easy and inexpensive. Most states have little regulations, many of which are vague, and easy to work around. I understand the want to help out these animals, and how easy misinformation can spread, but it isn't hard to find out why the exotic animal trade is exploitative and harmful.
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Knole Ihle
8/22/2020 01:09:40 pm
This article tells a full rundown on the big cat industry, and the deficits to it that still exist today. The most surprising one to me was how there was very little government regulation. In 4 states there are no laws on cat ownership at all. Many states do have laws, but have a small fee to purchase a license requiring little to none. There is also little to no federal oversight on the sale of big cats, still making big and endangered cats easier for sale. Moreover, after a cat is purchased, it is only enjoyed for a couple of years until it begins to grow and mature. As a fully grown tiger, one approximately costs $5,000 a year at the veterinary and $2,500 to feed. As a result, these animals are constantly neglected and abused. This clearly an issue that needs to be addressed and reinforced in many states, with the repercussions resulting in more deaths and injures from big cats struggling to adapt to an environment that they do not understand.
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Ava Fink
8/22/2020 02:30:37 pm
While I was reading the long-form essay “The Strange and Dangerous World of America’s Big Cat People” I was shocked and dismayed by the lack of big cat laws in the United States. As stated in the article, “Roughly two-thirds of states have some sort of regulations prohibiting private big cat ownership as pets”. Most of those regulations are weak and easily bypassed. Most people bypass these weak laws by finding a loophole in the regulation. It is shocking to think that North Carolina, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Nevada have no regulations or laws at all concerning keeping big cats as pets. In 10 states, all you need to own a big cat is pay a small fee of $30 for a license. These big cats were never created to be a cute, cuddly pet. Without laws and regulations on big cat ownership, many people could become severely injured. It is reckless of our states and country to not have clear and defined big cat ownership laws. -Ava F.
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Dakota Lankheet-Rathbun
8/22/2020 04:32:56 pm
First off, you did a great job citing your sources and using logos in your evaluation. Second, I think the lack of regulations in the exotic animal market is astounding. Finally, I think states only have partial responsibility for the trade, but misinformation surrounding exotic animals is a big contributing factor.
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John Hartgerink
8/22/2020 08:22:21 pm
One specific event in this article that caught my attention is how easily you can buy these exotic animals. In about one third of the states you can easily buy these exotic animals with little regulation. Before reading this article I thought that this process was very difficult and time consuming. You would think that people need permits and a bunch of other regulations to buy these tigers but that is not the case. Customers nowadays only need to text or message someone selling these animals. After agreeing on a price and place people can pick up these wild animals. After picking up your animal you probably will just bring it home if you live in a state that requires only a thirty dollar license. A few states don’t have any regulations on buying these animals. There is very little regulation over these animals once they are bought so you can do whatever you want to them. Which usually leads to these animals being treated horribly over the course of their lives.
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