CHINA
6 | Thursday, August 22, 2019 CHINA DAILYLEISUREExotic species get claws into pet market
Higher wages and better living standards mean many Chinese are no longer satisfied with cats and
dogs, so they are embracing lizards, snakes, crocodiles and even rare ants. Yang Wanli reports.
P
et ownership is not a new
phenomenon in China. For
example, for thousands of
years, rural dwellers kept
dogs to guard their homes while
they were busy in the fields.
The relationship between pets
and their owners was a working
partnership until 30 years ago,
when standards of living started to
rise as a result of the reform and
opening-up policy, and people
began owning animals for compan-
ionship and pleasure.
A distinct change has been
noticed in recent years, with a sharp
rise in the ownership of exotic pets,
especially among members of the
younger generation, who are no
longer satisfied with traditional ani-
mals such as dogs and cats.
As a result, the country is seeing a
rapid rise in the number of nontra-
ditional pets, such as birds of prey,
rare frogs, snakes, pygmy sharks, li-
zards, insects of all sizes and colors,
and even crocodiles.
According to the annual report on
China’s pet market published by
Goumin, the country’s largest pet
website, the market value rose from
14 billion yuan in 2010 to 170 billion
yuan ($24 billion) last year.
Although the report didn’t provide
specific statistics about the exotic pet
market, it showed that 36 percent of
China’s 73 million pet owners keep
reptiles and rodents.
In 2000, only about 20 shops on
Taobao, China’s largest online shop-
ping platform, sold exotic pets. Now,
a search using the keywords “exotic
pets” brings up details of more than
1,000 retailers.
Also, the number of registered
members of pxtx, one of China’s big-
gest online forums for lovers of tur-
tles, lizards and snakes, has risen
from nearly 1,000 in 2002 to more
than 400,000.
This year, about 30 pet exhibitions
will be held in China, 26 of which will
feature lizards and rare birds, accord-
ing to World Animal Protection, a
global nonprofit group.
A report released by the group
shows that the global trade in exotic
pets has “flourished”, with more than
500 bird species and 500 reptile spe-
cies traded worldwide, and the Chi-
nese market has seen rapid growth in
recent years.Booming market
Having bred rare tortoises for 30
years, 45-year-old Luo Peng, from the
southwestern province of Sichuan, is
a loyal exotic pet fan. The balcony of
his apartment in downtown Cheng-
du, the provincial capital, is home to
more than 100 tortoises.
As an enthusiast, Luo has collected
nearly every subspecies of box turtle
— a rare tortoise with a domed shell
that is hinged at the bottom, which
enables it to be closed to keep preda-
tors at bay. A baby box turtle is priced
at 60,000 to 80,000 yuan.
“China’s exotic pets market has
boomed in the past five to 10 years.
For example, in the 1990s there was
no domestically made food for tor-
toises — imported brands didn’t
appear until 2000,” he said.
From 2009, some fans sold home-
made tortoise food, based on their
own experience, according to Luo.
“Now, at least seven domestic compa-
nies are making tortoise food, provid-
ing more than 20 kinds for different
species and ages. Compared with
imported foods, domestic brands are
far more diverse,” he said.
Data from the National Bureau of
Statistics show that annual per capita
disposable income soared from 18,
yuan in 2013 to 28,228 yuan last year,
and Luo believes the rise in living
standards has been a major driver of
the booming pet market.
“People can easily satisfy their basic
needs, and that gives them more free-
dom to develop hobbies and spend
their extra cash on pets,” he said.Millennial identities
Many Chinese fans of exotic pets
are ages 20 to 35, the so-called millen-
nial generation, who are passionate
about exploring new things and seek-
ing a unique identity.
“Young people are our major cus-
tomers. Instead of raising a tradition-
al pet, they want something special to
show off to their friends, especially
via social media. Also, many enjoy the
experience of learning and knowingmore about a certain wild animal by
raising it as a pet,” said Liu Yiyan, who
owns a store that sells lizards, snakes,
African hedgehogs, marmots and fly-
ing squirrels.
Liu, 25, loves exotic pets. At age 21,
he started raising a central bearded
dragon, a lizard native to the wood-
land and deserts of central Australia.
“It was cool to have a lizard as a pet
when most of my friends had cats and
dogs. Nowadays, young people want
to be different, and having an exotic
pet is a good way to stand out,” he
said. “When I discovered that many
people had a strong interest in exotic
pets, it gave me the confidence to
start my business.”
Together with his 29-year-old sis-
ter, Liu runs his store at the Laiguang-
ying Pet Market near Beijing’s North
Fifth Ring Road. In the two years
since it opened, the 35-square-meter
store has seen a steady rise in custom-
er numbers, earning the siblings a
combined monthly income of about
25,000 yuan.
Prices range from 300 to 5,
yuan for each animal, but those that
exhibit rare colors, have great affinity
for human contact or are happy tointeract with their owners cost more.
“Snakes are easiest for beginners, but
women prefer flying squirrels
because of their cute appearance,” Liu
said.
He said many purchasers are novi-
ces in the exotic pets market and have
barely heard of the animals. “Most
brick-and-mortar stores like mine
prefer to sell exotic pets that have
been popular for several years. That
makes it much easier for novices,” he
said.Internet interest
By contrast, the internet is the
major trading platform for people
looking for the most unusual pets.
For example, a popular retailer called
Ant Farm, which opened in 2010, sells
the insects on Taobao.
The store, which receives about
2,500 orders a month and has
30,000 registered fans, sells more
than 200 kinds of ants. They range
from honeypot ants — a queen costs
nearly 3,000 yuan — to Messor ceph-
alotes, where a group consisting of a
queen and three to five worker ants
costs 2,000 yuan.
“Owning ants is still a new thing inthe exotic pets market. I was among
the first group of ant lovers that
emerged about 10 years ago. Back
then, the group only had a few hun-
dred members, but now, the number
is estimated to be 100,000,” said Yang
Yu, 35, Ant Farm’s owner.
A colony of ants usually costs about
10,000 yuan, much less than a single
rare tortoise, according to Yang.
Some ordinary species, such as bullet
ants or the Bornean queenless ant,
cost just a few hundred yuan for a
small group, meaning they are popu-
lar with younger collectors.
Yang said raising ants is a good
option for quiet people. He said own-
ers have a lot of fun observing the
highly organized insects working col-
laboratively, and it is considered a tre-
mendous achievement if the group
produces the next generation in cap-
tivity.
He has established two online ant
chat groups, each of which has nearly
2,000 members. Many are high
school students, who are still begin-
ners in the field, while others are sen-
ior players, though still age 40 or
younger.
“They share common ground — aExotic pets at a store in Beijing, clockwise from top: a snake; sugar gliders; a marmot; an African hedge-
hog; a lizard.PHOTOS BY WANG JING / CHINA DAILYNew trend
prompts
tougher
regulation
By YANG WANLIExotic pets include animals
taken from the wild or bred in
captivity, ranging from amphibi-
ans and reptiles to birds and fish,
according to Guo Jinghui, cam-
paign manager at World Animal
Protection, an international
nonprofit organization.
According to a recent report
released by the organization, the
international trade in wildlife is
worth as much as $42 billion a
year, with illegal trading practic-
es estimated to generate $20 bil-
lion of the total.
“The problem with exotic pets
is that they account for approxi-
mately half the trade. Endan-
gered and protected animals
traded as exotic pets make up a
substantial segment of the
industry,” Guo said.
The report showed that at
least one-third of traded wildlife
species die every year while
being transported, as a result of
being packed into confined spa-
ces and harsh environments.
Meanwhile, at least 74 percent
of traded snakes, lizards, tor-
toises and turtles die within a
year because of inadequate feed-
ing regimes and food, and being
kept in inappropriate conditions.
According to research con-
ducted by World Animal Protec-
tion on China’s exotic pet
market, only 52 percent of own-
ers knew that their pets had
been taken from the wild or that
many had been transported ille-
gally from overseas.
Moreover, 47 percent of own-
ers raising an exotic pet for the
first time had not researched
their living habits, diet or natu-
ral habitat, which is another
major cause of death among
wild animals held in captivity.
“For example, the cute image
of a flying squirrel catches many
people’s eyes. But they seldom
know that this pretty, furry thing
is a nocturnal animal that is
active at night. Some flying
squirrels have been abandoned
by their owners because they
were noisy late in the evening,
especially during the mating sea-
son,” Guo said.
She added that many people
who buy young green iguanas
don’t realize that the adult lizard
can grow to 2 meters in length
and weigh more than 10 kilo-
grams. Moreover, abandoned
iguanas and other exotic pets are
likely to be invasive species.
She said green iguanas have
been very popular pets in Tai-
wan since their introduction a
decade ago. However, so many
have been abandoned that they
have become a wild species on
the island. Moreover, the popula-
tion has rocketed as a result of
the lack of a natural enemy, pos-
ing a major threat to the envi-
ronment and native animals.
According to international
law, certain critically endan-
gered species caught in the wild
can only be exported from their
home countries for noncommer-
cial purposes, such as scientific
research.
“Airlines and internet plat-
forms play an extremely impor-
tant role in the trade in exotic
pets. E-commerce platforms
have also placed greater require-
ments on regulating and enforc-
ing the wildlife trade,” said Steve
McIvor, CEO of World Animal
Protection.
In May, 12 express logistics
companies in China signed an
industry convention pledging
joint efforts to refuse services for
the illegal trade.
The convention requires com-
panies to strictly observe the
laws and regulations on the
trade in wildlife and related
products. It also encourages
companies to provide regular
anti-trafficking training for
employees.
The companies that signed
the convention share about 90
percent of China’s express logis-
tics market, and as such they are
expected to play a major role in
the crackdown on the online ille-
gal trade in wildlife and related
products.strong interest in ants and great curi-
osity about the small underground
kingdom. Most of them are their fam-
ily’s only child and they want a pet for
companionship,” he said.
“Thanks to increasing social toler-
ance, you will not be seen as a geek for
raising an exotic pet. On the contrary,
it has become a cool thing that has
attracted more people.”Background research
Given the rising popularity of
exotic pets, experts are urging own-
ers to conduct research on animals
before buying them. Many have
warned that some exotic pets may
pose health risks because they can
carry bacteria and parasites linked
to infectious diseases. For example,
some reptiles can transmit salmon-
ellosis, whose symptoms include
diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps
and vomiting.
“The old, young and people with
weakened immune systems are more
likely to develop severe illnesses. In
some serious cases, people can die
from the infection,” said Zou Qiang-
jun from the Beijing Aquatic Wild
Animals Rescue and Care Center.
He said that in recent years, the
center has received reports of pets,
including snapping turtles and giant
salamanders, being bred in captivity
and then abandoned.
In 2012 and 2015, the center res-
cued two 1-meter-long Siamese croc-
odiles that had been abandoned in a
river and on a golf course. When
experts examined the crocodiles, they
discovered that the reptiles had been
bred in captivity.
According to a report by World
Animal Protection, nearly 50 percent
of first-time buyers “hardly take any
time” to learn about their animals.
“They lack enough knowledge and
preparation to raise wild species at
home. Some young wildlife might be
cute and suitable for keeping at
home, but things may go beyond peo-
ple’s expectations,” Zou said.
“Wild animals belong in the wild.
The best thing we can do for them is
to respect their original conditions
and leave them in the wild.”Contact the writer at
[email protected]A customer watches a marmot at a pet store in the Laiguangying Pet Market in Beijing this month.WANG JING / CHINA DAILYYoung people are our
major customers.
Instead of raising a
traditional pet, they
want something
special to show off to
their friends,
especially via social
media.”Liu Yiyan, owner of a pet store
in Beijing