In UAE Wild Animals Become Pets - Coursework Example

1. How common is this in the UAE? Keeping wild animals as pets in UAE is a very common phenomenon. In current years, there has been a firm increase in the buying and selling of exotic and endangered animals in UAE. The practice became known in late 2011 when residents in Abu Dhabi were shocked to find a cheetah wandering in the streets of the capital city (Tavanei, 2011). It was later discovered that that the animal was kept as a pet on the roof of a residential building. In May of the same year, a UAE national was captured in Thailand after his suitcase was found stuffed with baby leopards, monkey, and a bear. This shows that it is a thriving business in UAE. 2. Who does it and why is it popular? In the 999 English, an official magazine from the ministry of Interior, details of wild animal sightings in the UAE. It also covers details of how the animals are acquired, the threat to the public, legality concerns, and opinion of wildlife experts. According to the report, majority of the wild animals are kept as pets as a status symbol among the wealthy in UAE. Most of the owners, who are the wealthy individuals of UAE, declaw their pets, file their sharp teeth and feed them improperly. This problem is further aggravated by the fact that the UAE is yet to ban the sale of wild animals in its entirety, allowing illegal trade to flourish. According to International fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), nearly 800 animals were endangered and were being marketed for private sale on internet classifieds. The trade is further made popular by the favorable geographical location of UAE; that is a hub for international trade wildlife trade which is illegal. 3. Can you think of ecological reasons why this isn’t a good idea? Often, individuals who keep wild animals as pets claim it is easy to care for wild animals since they do not require much attention. However, most species are highly adapted for their own distinctive environment and inhabit a specialized place in the ecosystem, which their human owners cannot provide for all their animal needs. In many cases, many exotic animals are moved from home to home and never receive enough care or a stable environment. In contrast, these exotic animals spend their whole lives in the company of fellow animals or members of their species, something human owners cannot provide. Usually, the exotic animals are kept without the company of another of their species. The seizure of wild animals for sale to the bizarre pet trade leads to distressing implications. It leads to the destruction of their ecosystems resulting to their endangerment. This is usually used as a selling point by dealers in the illegal trade. 5. What is meant by “the tiger is the top of the food chain”? Food chain refers to the sequence of who devours whom in an ecosystem. There are four levels in a food chain; primary producers, primary consumer, secondary consumer, tertiary consumer and Quaternary consumer. The tiger is classified as a tertiary carnivore and considered as the top predator. As the top predator, the tiger consumes all the other animals in the food chain whereas the animals the other animals feed on each other. This means a Quertanary predator is not present in the food chain thus cannot be fed on. Upsetting the Ecological balance 7. What are some of the effects listed of removing tigers from the food chain? You should be able to find four effects As the top predator in the food chain, the Tiger maintains the ecological balance of the existing ecosystem. This means that it controls the population of the wild boar, deer and sambar who are below it in the food chain. In the event the tiger ceases to be present in the food chain; then the population of the wild boar and the rest would increase significantly leading to destruction of their food source i.e. vegetation. Consequently, the smaller animals would not survive in the ecosystem (forest) leading to their encroachment in other areas such as the farmland. Feeding on farm produce can result in competition for resources which can have dire consequences on the human population. If plants stop growing in the jungle, soils become infertile and eventually the entire jungle fades away. Other Consequences include 7. What do you think they mean by “ecological services?" Ecological services are the benefits that people derive from the ecosystem. They include provisions such as food and water, regulating services such flood and drought control, supporting services like nutrient cycling and cultural services such as recreational and cultural benefits. All these advantages assist in maintaining the settings of life on earth. 8. What do you think “ecotourism” means? Does it exist in the UAE? An ecosystem is a vibrant, multifaceted system of plant, animal, and microorganism populations, and the nonliving environment, interrelating as a functional component. Humans are a fundamental section of ecosystems. The UAE does have an existing ecosystem. It consists of deserts which supports varying amounts of sparse seasonal vegetation, a sea and cost(the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman), fresh water sources in the gorges of valleys in the mountains and artificial lakes, and lastly. Mountains (The Hajjar Mountains) 9. What is meant by “coextinction of other species”? Co extinction refers to the extinction of one species due to the extinction of another species. Many invertebrates, for example, interact with plants by directly providing food through plant parts, indirectly through animals that visit plants or through shelter. However, when the interactions become species-specific, it could lead extinction of invertebrates that rely on the plants hence co-extinction. 10. How could this impact on CO2 levels? Co-extinction can result in increased levels of Co2, especially in cases where plants are affected. For example, if a plant has only one pollinator which goes extinct then, the particular plant species is also at risk meaning fewer plants are available to absorb to utilize CO2 in the atmosphere. Keeping exotic animals as pets can only be described as cruel and selfish. Wild animals are entitled to live in their own natural habitats without the discomfort of living in confined spaces without companionship of their fellow members of the species. With the problem rife among the young and affluent in UAE, stricter regulations should be enforced to curb the problem once and for all. More awareness should be raised about the dangers of keeping wild animals as pets to prevent further illegal trades and protect these animals. References Almazroui, A (2013). Keeping a big cat at home isn’t cool, it’s just plain cruel. The National/Opinion. Retrieved 11 December, 2014 from http://www.thenational.ae/thenationalconversation/comment/keeping-a-big-cat-at-home-isnt-cool-its-just-plain-cruel Tavanei, G (2011). Concern Growing in UAE Over Zoo Animals ‘Kept as Pets’ The Epoch Times. Retrieved 11 December, 2014 from http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/concern-growing-in-uae-over-zoo-animals-kept-as-pets-155883.html Read More