Raptors Being Sold as Pets

I'd like to address the current issue I found in the Birds for Sale/Wanted section of Fauna Classifieds. I'm seeing people sell non-native species of raptors, or birds of prey, seemingly as pets or to people who may or may not have any experience with these animals. I find this HIGHLY inappropriate, as even though this may be legal, it has JUST as much impact on the raptor community as selling a venomous reptile to a person without license or proof of experience could be to the reptile community.

As I do recognize it is reality that people sell these powerful and dangerous animals to people with little to no experience, I very much hope you will show your support to preventing such an event from happening by preventing this from happening in your forums. As I understand this is a very well-presented site that has many wonderful and honest members, I cannot condone any classifying of these animals for the public. Too many good animals wind up dead or abused this way, and I do not want this malpractice to negatively affect any parties on this site or off.

Please think about this issue and reply as you see fit, these are merely my personal views and what I feel would be the majority of the falconry community's views. These creatures are very high-priority animals with very special needs and should be treated as such.

I'm a member of the falconry community, and while I agree that these birds should only be possessed by those who are properly licensed and know how to care for them, this site isn't in the business of hand-holding. Any animal sold here is potentially a threat to someone. Well, maybe not the corn snakes, but you get my meaning.

Best we can do is educate. If there weren't a market (damn you Harry Potter ...), there wouldn't be people selling these animals.

It's not about them being a threat. It's about providing a home that knows how to handle these creatures. So far I'm not seeing any intervention in these trades, and sellers are openly saying they can be bought purely as pets. It is not hand-holding if a basic no-raptor rule is implemented. There's no need to have them on this forum, and I'm sure there is not a well established falconer/educational permitee market that comes here looking to buy them. If people selling these animals should so desire to sell them, let them do so on places where the educational or falconry birds is accepted.

No, we are not a daddy figure. If we start filtering and screening the classified ads concerning raptors, then where should we STOP? There are people out there who would like to shut down the commercial trade in ALL animals (both wildlife and domesticated), so why should their arguments be any less persuasive? I guess I would then have to change the name of this site to something like "PhotosOfFaunaClassifieds.com" since the only thing we will be able to buy will be photographs of fauna we USED to be able to have.

FYI, ed birds do find decent homes here with solid ed programs. I rehomed a black vulture I had a hand in rehabbing through this forum several years ago. He went to a very nice zoo, and least I heard is a happy guy and doing well.

It's between buyers and sellers to make their own decisions.

If anything, I'd be pleased purely with a notice to those selling predatory birds to not list the animals as pets, or infer that they can be pets. I know they are great animals and the odd falconer or educational trainer may stumble upon this, but when I see Barbary falcons and Eurasian Eagle Owls listed in threads specifically emphasizing that they do not require licenses to keep and are great pets, I can't believe people aren't contacting these people or posting on the thread about it.

In the words of a great man, "Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented."

In the words of who might have likely been a great man:

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

Which in this case means that all of the onerous and restrictive laws we now have on the books were most likely passed by the promotion of people with overtly good intentions as the selling point. Here, we prefer that people make their own decisions, for better or worse, without US trying to tell them what is best for THEM.

We aren't doing this for the sake of the buyer or seller. We're doing it for the sake of the animal at hand. There's a reason there are licenses required for native raptors, so they don't fall into the wrong hands. And by ignoring the people getting past this by buying exotic raptors, we're letting the people who don't know a thing about these animals bring them into their care and potentially harming themselves, others, or the animal. You have a thread for USARK, which helps promote the reptile trade industry, so why not help out the raptor trade industry a bit by promoting proper ethics concerning these animals?

It's all about making money. Why would they care about the animals and who buys them?

As long as the check clears..

Originally Posted by Kurohyo

We aren't doing this for the sake of the buyer or seller. We're doing it for the sake of the animal at hand. There's a reason there are licenses required for native raptors, so they don't fall into the wrong hands. And by ignoring the people getting past this by buying exotic raptors, we're letting the people who don't know a thing about these animals bring them into their care and potentially harming themselves, others, or the animal. You have a thread for USARK, which helps promote the reptile trade industry, so why not help out the raptor trade industry a bit by promoting proper ethics concerning these animals?

Because "ethics" is in the eye of the beholder. The reptile industry very recently had a few larger constrictors banned because of some "feel good" blather that went way beyond and serious issues concerning those animals. Where was the raptor trade industry then to lend a hand with the reptile folks?

By the way, I see that you have taken it upon yourself to post your opinion in this manner in someone's classified ad. Please note that disrupting the classifieds sections in such a manner will have consequences concerning your participation on this site. Sorry, but I cannot allow this. Just as I could not allow someone from PETA to come in here and post their opinions about the selling of any of the fauna being offered in and effort to try to disrupt those sales.