Many wild creatures are kept as pets. Sometimes, the intentions of the owners of these pets are very noble; they may have rescued an injured, orphaned animal from the wild, or the animal lover may have bought the wild animal off a trader or hunter, because it was being kept under deplorable conditions and was perceived to be suffering.
However, even under these seemingly dire circumstances where the poor wild creature is ‘rescued’ from its immediate torture, the well-wishing Samaritan may be sentencing his new ‘pet’ to certain death.
The natural environment optimally provides all that the wild animal needs to live comfortably and without undue stress. Despite our good intentions, we lack sufficient knowledge in the nutrition and behaviour of these creatures to adequately cater for them in captivity. As a result, many wild pets suffer from injuries due to
