Photo by Brandon Sullivan

Mountain Lions & Macaws

Snakes and reptiles aren’t the only illegal animals that end up in Arizona. The Southwest Wildlife Rehabilitation and Educational Foundation, a 10-acre desert sanctuary, has rehabilitated thousands of sick, injured and malnourished animals – everything from bobcats and mountain lions to African servals, skunks, coyotes and raccoons – since opening in 1994. The facility treats as many as 350 animals at a time, says executive director Linda Searles. Many of these animals are former exotic pets.

Last year, the center received a mountain lion that a misguided owner purchased over the Internet. The owner kept the animal in her house with other exotic pets – and two small children. The owner even took her mountain lion for walks, Searles says.

That actually ended up being the owner’s undoing. A neighbor turned her in to the Arizona Game and Fish Department after witnessing one of those strolls.

The mountain lion is doing well now at the sanctuary, where it will stay for the remainder of its life (it would surely die if it ever left because its former owner had it de-clawed).

“Even after we rehabilitate them, we can’t release anything that’s been someone’s pet. They haven’t been raised in the wild,” Searles says. “I think this is a problem that’s only going to get worse. People want something different. They want to be the one in the neighborhood with the biggest snake, with the alligator or the tiger. That’s something that’s never going to change.”

What particularly frustrates people like Johnson and Searles is that there are plenty of options for Phoenix residents to purchase legal exotic animals and to educate themselves about their care.

They can go to the Phoenix pet shop owned by Dale and Steve Madonick, for example. The couple owns The Flight of Phoenix, a pet store that specializes in selling exotic birds.

The Madonicks are also experienced exotics owners. They own Louie, a cuddly white parrot sporting a blazingly bright yellow crest. Such birds can grow as large as 20 inches from beak to tail. The couple also owns Bobo, a hyacinth macaw, the largest parrot species in the world. These birds can grow to a length of 40 inches. They also have powerful beaks, able to apply 2,800 pounds of pressure per square inch when they really clamp down.

The birds aren’t for everyone, a point the Madonicks stress when first-time parrot buyers come to their shop. The couple loves their birds but admit they possess certain traits that can make them challenging pets. There is nothing a powerful hyacinth can’t destroy, Dale says, while few pets are as affectionate or need as much attention from their owners as Sulphur-crested cockatoos do. These are facts the couple quickly shares with would-be owners.

“Those cockatoos will cuddle with you like they’re a pussycat,” Dale says. “But if you don’t give them the amount of attention they need, the decibels of their screams will drive you crazy. And if you yell back at them, that just adds to the fun. Parrots yell at you for a living.”

The birds aren’t shy, either. They complain when things aren’t right. They squawk and caw when they need a bath, better food or more attention. It’s enough to drive them out of the homes of owners who weren’t quite sure what they were getting into.

The birds also live for a long time, sometimes for more than 60 years. This means they may outlive their owners, so it’s an enormous commitment.

“We often take the incredible step as a pet store owner of talking people out of buying exotic birds,” Dale says. “The following reason, and only the following reason, is why you should buy an exotic parrot: You want a lifetime companion that is so intelligent and beautiful that they can bond with you just the way a child can, and you are willing to learn how to take care of them from people who know how.”

Would-Be Owners, Beware

Fellow exotic pet owner Mistie Robbins knows all of this. She cares for two red-tail boas. The snakes can grow up to 8 feet and can live in captivity for as many as 30 years.

Robbins, though, didn’t purchase her snakes blindly. She studied up on the different breeds of exotic reptiles. She continues her education today by running S&M Exotic Predators & Prey, a pet shop in Phoenix that specializes in exotic animals.

Robbins takes care to match her shop’s animals with the right owners. She won’t sell a snake that’s aggressive to a first-time owner. She won’t sell her lizards or large arachnids to owners who don’t understand the special care and attention that these creatures demand.

Whether its because of its exotic inventory or suggestive name, Robbins’ store attracts what she calls “some extreme people.” Her customers often sport sprawling tattoos and glittering body piercings. These people want something unusual, a tarantula bigger than their fist, perhaps, or an albino snake.

“Each snake has its own personality,” says Robbins, who grew up on a farm. “You can’t have a farm in Phoenix in this day and age,” she adds. “This is a good way for me to learn more about different types of critters. I’m always learning.”

Robbins doesn’t serve every would-be customer who comes into her shop. She points to one potential customer who asked her for a live rabbit to feed to his snake. Robbins, who only sells pre-killed not living rabbits, refused to serve this customer anything.

Why? A live rabbit would have injured his snake – a snake that, because it was living in captivity, would have no experience hunting its own prey. The rabbit would probably end up dead, but it would likely inflict serious damage to the snake’s jaws with its leg power first. The memory of this customer still makes Robbins angry.

“When you are endangering an animal just to get your kicks, to bring your buddies over to watch it eat, that’s just not right,” she says. “You’re supposed to make your pets happy, not endanger them."