Exotic, Wild, Feral & Domestic

The nature of our work as a state licensed wildlife rehabilitation center, dictates that we can care for ill, injured or orphaned wild birds and mammals native to California. We have, over the years, concluded that many people are confused as to what the term "native wildlife" really means.

To help clarify the term "native wildlife" and assist you in your observations of the fauna in our area, we will attempt to categorize several common species of birds and mammals. Keep in mind that within the strict categorization of these animals, there are many gray areas into which some animals fall, and many animals are in more than one category.

Domestic animals are our pet dogs and cats, many of our farm animals including horses,cattle, sheep, goats and pigs. There are certainly others, but these are the ones with which we're most familiar. These animals have been cared for and "owned" by humans for hundreds of years. Thousands of generations of domestic animals have known the companionship of humans.

Feral animals include abandoned dogs and cats, unspayed, unneutered, and discarded by their owners. Those that manage to survive produce litters of wild born babies that are as difficult to deal with as any bobcat or coyote. While feral cats have a better survival rate than feral dogs, the dogs that do survive often form packs that are far more dangerous to livestock and people than any coyote pack could ever be. Although feral, these dogs have no fear of humans as do coyotes. Feral animals also include cattle who stray from their herds in vast rangeland areas, burros in the Grand Canyon and Death Valley areas who are descendents of the burros used as pack animals during the California Gold Rush. Feral goats on our Channel Islands are the offspring of domesticated goats brought to these islands by Spanish explorers hundreds of years ago.

Exotic animals are those that we often have as pets, but that are often found wild in other countries. Examples of these include our parrots, macaws and iguanas. Before purchasing any exotic pet, keep in mind that many animals native to other countries have become endangered- and some extinct in the wild- due to the market for them as "pets". Make sure that your "exotic" is not a wild caught animal, but one raised by responsible breeders of such animals. Also, check with your state and federal wildlife officials as to the proper permits required for keeping exotic pets.

Native wildlife are those animals indigenous to any given area. In our area, native wildlife are our birds of prey, songbirds, skunks, raccoons, weasels, badgers, fox, squirrels, coyotes, bobcats and mountain lions- just to name a few. We are blessed with thousands of native species in our "neck of the woods". State law prohibits the keeping of any of our native wildlife as pets. Persons from other states who possess any of our indigenous wild species must have proper permits before the animal can enter California. Several states allow native wildlife to be kept as pets, California does not. Should you decide to acquire a pet that isn't your run of the mill domestic animal, make sure you can legally possess the animal and make sure you can properly house and care for it. Many times, exotic pets either escape from their owners or are discarded by irresponsible people. Most exotics will not survive if they are not in their proper habitat, especially if they have spent most, if not all, of their lives in a captive situation. The exotic animals that do manage to survive are of no benefit to our environment as they serve to displace the native populations by consuming the available food source and occupying native territory. The same applies to discarded dogs and cats. Most die painful deaths, but those that do survive become feral and wreak havoc on our native species.

Know your pets, whether exotic or domestic and know their origin if exotic. Be a responsible pet owner by knowing and abiding by the appropriate state and federal laws regarding your pet, whether exotic or domestic.

— Cindy Traisi