Tigers and gorillas for sale online

[bevan]

Thousands of endangered animals supposedly protected by law are being traded openly on the internet and sold as “exotic pets”, say wildlife crime investigators working with an international animal charity.

Do you think people should be allowed to keep exotic animals as pets?

[Dixie]

They are sold online? But that should be prohibited!

[Shazzam]

They are sold online? But that should be prohibited!

I recently got sent an e-mail from a friend from a web-site (something similar to ebay). This was an advertisement for a dolphin. It was in New Zealand; this guy was trying to sell a dolphin that he had captured and had in his backyard pool. The asking price was $10,000.00 NZ. I couldn't believe it. It is so cruel.

[bevan]

They are sold online? But that should be prohibited!

The investigators looked at nearly 100 websites based around the world and found a “shocking” selection of rare and endangered animals for sale. They included a Siberian tiger ($70,000), a young gorilla ($8,100) advertised as being in London, and other rare monkeys, birds, seahorses and whole turtle shells. The Guardian Weekly 17/8/2005, page 17