Exotic Animal Sale...

Anyone ever been to one of these?

We actually went to one last weekend-it's my 3rd one. I know some on here are into exotics so I thought I'd post about it. They run a TON of llamas and alpacas through first, then bison-which are usually pretty irritated to be there. This year there were also a couple of camels-a bottle fed yearling and a HUGE male that die not want to leave after being sold. It took 6 guys to get him out. There were some young emus and rheas that came through that I had to practically sit on my hands to avoid bidding on. They then went on to the warm room animals--everything from foxes to birds to chinchillas. I was rather annoyed to see 16 week old timber wolf/malamute pups though-not only due to the breeding, but they were past their major socialization period by then, which certainly isn't doing them any favors. I did end up picking up a 4 month old "purebred American" guinea pig for a teacher friend for her for classroom for $5. Then they had some ZONKEYS for sale--they went for $1000 a piece. I tried to convince Nate that everyone needs a zonkey, but he wasn't buying it. They ended it with a bunch of fallow deer, and donkeys and mini horses.

I am honestly torn about these sales. On the one hand, I do enjoy them. I got Yoda from one that was in October and he has been an absolute delight, I don't regret getting him for a second. On the other hand, I really have to wonder how prepared people are.for some of the critters they are buying there. The rodents, birds, chinchillas, and hedgehogs are one thing-they are at least common enough pets that there is a lot of info out there about them. But there are also lemurs, armadillos, fox, kudamundi, alligators, and sloths that are sold there. I suppose some of them goes to private zoos, I have had people around me in the bleachers buy some of those things that appear to be just average pet owners.

I did see the guy who bought the lemurs after the sale and asked him what one does with a breeding pair of lemurs (I was friendly about it-I was really curious). He said that he wasn't really sure, but he already has two monkeys that are thriving so he would figure it out.

The guinea pig, BTW, is doing fine in her new home. Her name is now Josie and she is a red/chestnut color.

No I've heard of them but we don't have them around here, I would like to see one! I don't mind people buying livestock types because to be happy most of them need water, grass and good fences, so that's pretty basic. I've heard Zorses and Zonkeys are quite easily stressed, but I would like me a couple of Bactrian camels

Most species of lemur are threatened in some way (Vulnerable-->Critically Endangered) so I guess if zoos have had their fill of them, it's best that private hobbyists propagate them as well. But I agree it is worrying and I sure hope they get adequate space and care.

From what I know armadillos and koatamundi aren't too hard to care for so long as they aren't expected to be housepets.

Dunno about sloths.

Alligators? That seems like a pretty bad idea. Can you keep them outside in your area? Because here you could not and how many people can afford a heated pond big enough for a 10 ft reptile. Rescues don't need anymore, they'll die and or wreak havoc in the environment, so what do you do with it when it gets big, turn it into a purse?

ETA re: the zonkeys and zorses I was actually looking at them earlier today, I love this guy:


it's funny you don't see donkeys with striping (or do you?), as the African Wild Ass is stripey:

Somali Wild Ass by Walter G. Arce, on Flickr

I love it...

What state/part of the country are you in? Exotic animal regulations are closing in, closing off this type of stuff...slowly but surely. At least as far as foxes and lemurs and stuff.

I don't really like auctions as a whole because there is no way you can control who your animal is going to. I think livestock is OK sometimes but you know..you get Joe Blow that wants to keep that emu in his garage or something...I just feel bad for the animal.

This terrible horse rescue I dealt with had a kinkajou in a big cage in their yard. I just don't see the point..they couldn't handle it, it didn't seem particularly impressed with being caged, they did care for it properly but it was a lawn ornament more or less. It would be better off left in the wild.

I would love to go to an exotic animal event that's just exotics. not really interested in going to any auctions though. for anything that's alive. I've been to horse and livestock auctions a lot, and it was always pitiful.

I don't feel it is my place to go around and ask everyone buying if they are educated and have the space and money, etc etc. But I do hope they are, and I'd probably strike up conversation with them and see what they said, just out of curiosity.

as much as I worry about uneducated owners ruining it for the rest of us, I could be jumping the gun just assuming they only know how to take care of a dog or cat.


I've seen a few alligator owners with older gators in large enclosures. they looked like the enclosures the Irwin zoo uses, actually. very nice. I don't know how many gator owners are that responsible, though.

I hate seeing vast bans just because people assume that people can't care for these animals, though. I never see anyone pushing education, and that is a big problem for me. just another band-aid solution. that's not to say I think tigers and lions and primates should be pets, either. but therein lies the problem with the word 'exotic' and the law, I guess.

Always been tempted to go to the mount hope one but I might come home with a bear like one of our neighbors did. Too tempted by zebra, can't control myself.

I agree, and will add that I find it strange when people do this. Same with tigers. What is the point in keeping a tiger in a smallish cage in your yard?

• The cages are invariably ugly
• They probably smell
• Interaction is limited
• Doesn't really work for observing natural behaviors
• Liability
• Hard to go on vacation
• Costly to keep

I know some people have a relationship with the animal and trust it enough to take it out on lead and such, so I get that.

I also get keeping an animal for the prestige of it. But to me if you want glamor you'd be better off with a koi pond or a magnificent statue than something like this:


Obviously that's not very nice for the animal, but I don't get what selfish reasons having a caged cat like that fulfill either. Ice breaker? I dunno.

If I were ridiculously rich I might have this kind of a thing going:


and a multi-acre enclosure with black wrought iron fencing, or a pit. I understand that.

But lots of the time when you see such things the cage is kind of an eyesore and "interaction" is limited to tossing food through the bars and watching the animal pace. I don't get it.

We live in Indiana, it is a state law her that alligators can be kept, but only until they reach 6 ft-then you need a special license. We have actually had some cases of people releasing them.

I think the ones in florida are horrid.

Then again, this is also the state where you can keep basically anything and lions/tigers go for like $600 a pop.
I just wish people were provided with care packets or some kind or warning/information about keeping the exotics they buy there. Even applications or SOMETHING! Have signs up or I dunno..

I went to one and they had a bunch of false information about keeping various animals. I only stayed in the small animal section and the information about sugar gliders was just WRONG (they don't smell. tiny cages. heating rock)

I'd bet Zonkeys would be hell on coyotes!

UT has had some exotic exhibits, without any sort of auction. Some of the exhibitors would sell, but all of the ones I talked to seemed serious about who they would and would not sell to.

I fell for the shaggy little Highland cattle.

Oooh you are right...would probably be badass livestock guardians!

They didn't have any sort of info available, unless the buyer wanted to provide it. There were some birds that there was not even any species listed for. There were some owners that did offer to educate buyers after their purchases though.

I miss my exotics. All fish. One day Ill get back into keeping aquarium monsters.

What did you have?

My tankbusters were a pair of Motoro stingrays and a trio of Lima Shovel Nose catfish. My Royal Pleco could also have been a tank buster.

I had some other semi rare exotic catfish, as well as some easily bred plecos, Snowflake pleco, breeding colony of Albino Bristle Nose plecs and Clown/Flash plecos.

This now has me thinking of scrubbing out one of my 50g tanks and starting small again.

That sounds awesome--it would be amazing to keep those species, especially the rays! If you get your tanks back up you must post pics!

THIS! ^^

We had an elderly neighbor who had an arowana. That thing was freaking HUGE. I mean, it could have swallowed a duck whole. I'm not even sure how many gallons the tank was, but it was huge too.

Most people I know/knew that had big exotics like big cats kept them in very large, lushly planted nice enclosures. With three (minimum) perimeter fences, as much to keep nosy trespassers out as to keep the cats in.

There used to be an exotics auction in Yakima, but I don't know if they do it any more. Sadly, a lot of the exotics auctioned off were auctioned by the larger zoos. Their giraffes/zebras/tigers/etc. would reproduce, be registered with the AZA studbook, and they'd only have space for the ones that were the most optimal breeding animals and then they'd liquidate the rest through auctions.

The only time I ever personally worried about an exotic animal at an auction was someone selling box turtles at the local poultry auction. I ended up buying them for way more than I should have, because I overheard the dude next to me promise his 10 year old son that he'd buy them and the kid could "fill up his fish tank with water and turn them loose in it". AUGH.

One was a gulf coast boxie and the other was an ornate. NOT WATER TURTLES. :wall: Sadly, this kind of stuff happens to reptiles all the time regardless of whether they come from an auction or pet store. People need to be educated.

There used to be someone in our area with a few zonkeys. I remember my horse vet saying they had one in the clinic for a while. If I recall correctly, he said that, while they were very well handled and cared for, they were still borderline wild. We'd been (jokingly) begging the owner of the barn I managed to get us one, and he made it very clear it was a bad idea! They are absurdly cute, though.

I don't know, I've never quite gotten the exotics thing. Beyond being a status symbol, I can't imagine what would make it seem like a good idea.

Except for a petite lap giraffe. If anyone sees one at an auction, pick it up for me I'll pay you back.
http://www.petitelapgiraffe.com/index.php

They actually had a gorgeous blue throated macaw there that had been born in a zoo, but the guy selling her seemed to have bought her from said zoo. I thought it was strange that an animal born in a zoo would be just sold like that, but you explanation makes sense. She was an awesome bird though! I'm not even looking for a macaw and I was severely tempted.

Well the guy I know with alligators in the mid-upper Midwest keeps them in big livestock watering troughs (the 300gal kind I think) in his heated garage.

Not saying that is a good idea, but I do think he acquired his from an exotics auction.

I have not heard a single good thing about Zonkeys and Zorses.