October 18, 2011, fifty-six exotic animals were released into Ohio by their private owner. Over the next few hours, according to American news reports, forty-nine beautiful exotic animals were slaughtered as they raced to terrorize surrounding neighborhoods, as they attacked nearby horses, as they charged at sheriffs on site, and as they raced across the highway to freedom. Among the animals killed in the Zanesville massacre were eighteen endangered Bengal tigers, seventeen lions, six black bears, two grizzlies, three mountain lions, two wolves, and one baboon. Another cat killed a monkey, while another monkey – carrying the Herpes B virus, fatal to humans – was never found (ABC News, 2011). All of this could have been avoided and, in some cases, still can be. Today I'm going to talk about the dangers of owning exotic animals – not just the dangers to people, but even more so, the dangers to animals, and hopefully convince you not to own exotic animals as pets and also support the movement to ensure that there are laws that also prevent such actions. I will describe the reasoning behind the dangers, the most sought after exotic animals, the dangers that come with them, and also the lack of laws that protect animals and the public. There has always been a fascination with exotic animals - beyond visiting the zoo. They are cute, cuddly, unbearably adorable: who wouldn't want to cuddle with a cute little bear? The fascination, the desire, the need to have the best, baddest, cutest, most exotic pet is understandable, but it should As stated by Dr. Julio Correa, "people do not seem to fully understand the health and safety risks safety associated with owning an exotic animal". Yes, of course... middle of the paper... they are not suitable as pets." (Correa, 2010). A life sentence states that "federal oversight of exotic animal ownership in the United States is minimal. In fact, there is no federal law that regulates or prohibits keeping exotic animals as pets." Furthermore, A Life Sentence reports that “laws differ from state to state regarding the type of regulation imposed” and that “there may be a ban, a licensing requirement, or no regulation at all” (A Life Sentence, 2009). Ultimately, it is up to us as people to decide not to turn exotic animals into pets. While cute, cuddly, and seemingly welcoming, these beautiful wild animals deserve to be just that: beautiful wild animals. They deserve this right – and with it the danger that comes from keeping them as pets is eliminated – not only for their owners, for our families, for our neighbors, but also for the animals..