SPCA New Zealand

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Animal Advocacy

Position Statements

Trade in Wild Animals

SPCA advocates for people to choose wildlife interactions that minimise the impact of human activity on the physical, health, and behavioural needs of wild animals.

SPCA opposes the import or export of wild animals for reasons such as for use in research, testing, and teaching, keeping in captive environments such as zoological facilities and aquaria or for private breeding where there is no conservation benefit, or as companion animals unless the facilities meet an animal’s physical, health, and behavioural needs.

The risk of introducing and transmitting diseases that are harmful to human beings and other animals is increased when wild animals are transported, and the removal of animals is likely to cause potentially damaging effects on the ecosystem from where they are taken.

SPCA opposes the trade in products derived from wild-caught animals which are sold as souvenirs, clothing, decorative objects, food, and for medicinal purposes.

The capture, handling, transportation, acclimatisation, and long-term confinement of wild animals causes negative impacts to their physical, health, and behavioural needs of animals taken from the wild. Additionally, the risk of introducing and transmitting diseases that are harmful to humans and other animals is increased when wild animals are translocated, and the removal of animals is likely to cause damaging effects on the ecosystem from where they are taken.

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