Seriously, where can you get an elephant?

[OulOat]

linky with pics

I can understand getting a wolf or puma, since you can find those in the US. But an elephant? Also, found these number pretty surprising:

"Indeed while the WWF estimate there are only around 3,200 tigers left in the wild, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums estimates that up to 12,000 tigers are being kept as private pets in the USA"

 

[destrekor]

linky with pics

I can understand getting a wolf or puma, since you can find those in the US. But an elephant? Also, found these number pretty surprising:

"Indeed while the WWF estimate there are only around 3,200 tigers left in the wild, The Association of Zoos and Aquariums estimates that up to 12,000 tigers are being kept as private pets in the USA"

How many states is it legal to keep a pet tiger?

I know there are states where you aren't even legally able to have a pet wolf. My aunt and uncle had to put their 90% wolf down prior to moving to Wisconsin due to that fact. That, and that thing was a prick too.

And I never knew one could keep an elephant as a pet... anywhere in the US. But I guess if it's not directly stated in a law that one may not own a pet elephant, well... someone will do it.

Oh, and Texas... yeah makes sense. I was confused when my sister drove past a ranch that had zebras. I was speechless.

 

[KeithTalent]

Didn't some guy just get approval to have a Wildcat in his house, then got mauled by it a few weeks later? :awe: Dumbasses.

KT

 

[SunnyD]

Worked out well for Sigfried and Roy, didn't it?

 

[spidey07]

I can totally see that elephant chucking one of those kids a few hundred yards.

 

[KeithTalent]

Stampy, noooo!

KT

 

[Anubis]

Seriously, where can you get an elephant?

http://www.imdb.com/video/hulu/vi1614544921/

 

[OulOat]

I was going to post a before and after picture of Charla Nash in response to this woman, but that would have been a low blow.

Say what you want, but those kids would be pimps on Bring Your Pets day.

 

[Gooberlx2]

LOL, I can't quite tell, but I think there may be wolves and moons.

Goddamn...must be some rich mofos. The quantity of food most of those animals require is nothing to scoff at. The serval is the wild parent of the F1 savannah cat.

 

[Newbian]

I am sorry but wwf will always stand for world wrestling federation for me.

 

[DrPizza]

LOL, I can't quite tell, but I think there may be wolves and moons.

Goddamn...must be some rich mofos. The quantity of food most of those animals require is nothing to scoff at. The serval is the wild parent of the F1 savannah cat.

You'd be surprised at how inexpensive food can be, although it varies quite widely from pet to pet. Dogs & cats - their food is relatively expensive per pound. Now, feeding an elephant (I'm not really sure exactly what their diet consists of) - but things like corn are incredibly cheap, especially if you have the land to grow that food yourself. Corn runs around $10 per 100 pounds. So, if the elephant was eating 500 pounds of food a day (I know that's not what their diet is), you're talking $50 a day for feed. There are a lot of people who spend that kind of money feeding themselves each day.

Actually, after googling, it looks like it costs less than half of that per day to feed an elephant. Routine vet care is pretty cheap, if you're knowledgeable. (you should be able to do all their routine vaccinations, provided each is legal for you to administer in your state. In NY, for example, I cannot purchase rabies vaccine, nor will the state recognize vaccinations done by me. But, I could drive over to PA & pick up the vaccine, if I wanted to.) If you're not, you shouldn't have the animal in the first place.

Wild cats - just how many pounds of meat do they eat a day? 20 pounds? They may actually be more expensive to own than an elephant, unless you do something like raise your own chickens to feed them.

 

[M0oG0oGaiPan]

i bet that thing shits like a champ

 

[Electric Amish]

Siberian Lynx!

 

[Newbian]

No wonder the lion hasn't killed it's owner yet..it must think she is already dead.

 

[zinfamous]

I am sorry but wwf will always stand for world wrestling federation for me.

maybe not around as long...but i do agree with you.

 

[lxskllr]

For odd animals, I'd like to have a camel. That would rock riding it around town :^D

 

[Jeff7]

Some of those pictures of the large cats with people made me think of a Far Side cartoon I saw recently:

Two crocodiles are lounging by a chewed up kayak and a shredded shirt, and one comments on it, "That was incredible. No fur, claws, horns, antlers or nothin'...Just soft and pink."

 

[Jeff7]

I can totally see that elephant chucking one of those kids a few hundred yards.

"So tell me, how did you ever come up with the name 'Trebuphant'? Is that a foreign name, or something from his native country?"

 

[qazwsxokmijn]

Man what is it with you Americans and the want to keep wild animals as pets?

On a serious note, I think it's wrong and rather inhumane to keep wild animals as pets. They are wild after all, needing the things a human world cannot provide. Sure, their lives in the wild may be hard and all, but it is theirs by right.

Those who keep wild animals as pets need to read George and Joy Adamson's books.

 

[SirStev0]

Stampy, noooo!

KT

my thoughts as well.

 

[PJABBER]

If you really want to buy an elephant, check with the smaller circuses that travel around with animal acts. The animal acts are independent businesses and one of them might be ready to retire or move on.

Having an elephant act and not just a pet is not a bad gig if you have a background as a trucker and want to get off the grind. You still drive around during the season but it is better in that you can stay in one place for a few days at a time. Probably best as a mom and pop business where two people can trade off the animal care - someone ALWAYS has to stay around Jumbo.

Also, be ready to deal with the animal rights kooks as you can expect to be harassed regularly.

 

[destrekor]

Man what is it with you Americans and the want to keep wild animals as pets?

On a serious note, I think it's wrong and rather inhumane to keep wild animals as pets. They are wild after all, needing the things a human world cannot provide. Sure, their lives in the wild may be hard and all, but it is theirs by right.

Those who keep wild animals as pets need to read George and Joy Adamson's books.

How do you feel about domestic pets?
Dogs and cats specifically.
But you've got all sorts of reptiles, fish, etc that are quite wild as well.

 

[AreaCode707]

My parents had a real estate agent friend in Arkansas who was selling a piece of property to a guy who ran a "tiger sanctuary". He showed up to view the property with three tigers in tow, to "see if they liked it".

Yeah, while they were walking around the property the guy found out you can't easily control three tigers in a wooded, unfenced area! No shit! All three tigers got loose and basically faded way into the Arkansas backwoods. They'd kill someone's housepet every once in a while and I think that eventually they were killed/caught. I'm a bit hazy on the ending details of the story.

Lesson is: some people are dumbasses.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Why would it be so strange that somebody might have an elephant? I'm pretty sure that in Thailand, they still do a lot of manual labor type jobs... and are considered pretty much part of the family .... (Or should I not believe everything I see in a Tony Jaa movie? lol)

 

[lxskllr]

Why would it be so strange that somebody might have an elephant? I'm pretty sure that in Thailand, they still do a lot of manual labor type jobs... and are considered pretty much part of the family .... (Or should I not believe everything I see in a Tony Jaa movie? lol)

If it's well cared for, they're pretty safe, but sometimes they go nuts, and a rampaging elephant's no fun. It's probably no worse than having a machine capable of destruction, but people are sensitive to shooting elephants.