I have signed the petition to ban sales of Sugar Gliders in US pet-shops.
However a few points should be made.
They are certainly native Australian mammals.
They are not native to New Zealand and I doubt if they have been
introduced there. I don't know about Fiji either. But they are also
certainly native to New Guinea, and the captive US population probably
came via Indonesia, where wildlife smuggling is rife.
They are popular pets in the US, or so I have been told. Being
nocturnal, they are up and about when office workers are at home, and
they can be tamed - though they can give you a very sharp nip. They seem
to enjoy rushing about in a room and climbing the curtains. And I have
been told that some vets specialize in them.
However pet-shop sales of any animal (including puppies and kittens, and
grown cats and dogs) should be discouraged. There is no way a pet-shop
can check the purchaser's commitment or facilities to care for living
animals.
While I'm on the subject, I have been told by visitors to Indonesia and
Southeast Asia how horrified they were to see 'our' Sulphur-Crested
Cockatoos in cages there. I believe that there are two species of SCC
and both are naturally distributed through Indonesia and New Guinea. I
also understand that feral birds have established themselves widely in
Asia. It's too hot to find Forshaw's 'Parrots of the World' to check
the details!
Anthea Fleming
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