I am probably lining myself up here to be blasted into oblivion from all angles but it is a serious subject that I feel strongly about. It is also likely that this has been discused at length and decided upon before I came on the scene and I'm just dragging it up again - then again maybe it's one of those touchy subjects no-one likes to talk about.
Anyway, take a deep breath and here goes...... I'm a keen conservationist and support programs that attempt to breed & rear endangered species in the safety of a secure environment and then reintroduce them back into protected reserves in the wild - the Aspinal Foundation does this successfuly with Gorillas and Rhinos whose destruction of wild populations & natural habitat are well documented. I am also deeply concerned with the breeding of animals for profit and regarding them purely as merchandise rather than live creatures. It is obvious from viewing hobby bulletin boards and attending the show last Sunday that a great deal of captive breeding and trading in Tarantulas in done and is on the increase. My concern is twofold:-
1. Is any concerted attempt made to reintroduce some of these species back into the wild where endemic populations are dwindling? I have read about the wonderful proposed Poecilotheria Sanctuary. Could other sites be found where successful captive breeding could help restore wild populations in protected areas? What about the decimation of the Brachypelmas in the Americas?
2. Successfuly hatched eggsacs can produce several hundred young which if looked after properly can expect to survive to adulthood. Even conceding that males have greatly reduced lifespans compared to females, with this many individuals available on the market it would seem that supply must outweigh demand. What happens to all the spiders that don't get sold or nobody wants? Is a spider for life or just for Christmas? Is there a dirty underbelly where they are just quietly 'disposed' of? Not everyone who sells Tarantulas for profit (and there is most certainly profit being made) is as concerned for their welfare as the people that frequent this forum are.
These are living creatures after all, not stamps or trading cards that if unsold and deemed worthless or more disturbingly- out of fashion- are just cast aside. Are we breeding too many of them and losing sight of what is morally justifiable in the search for the 'perfect' collection?
Anyway, take a deep breath and here goes...... I'm a keen conservationist and support programs that attempt to breed & rear endangered species in the safety of a secure environment and then reintroduce them back into protected reserves in the wild - the Aspinal Foundation does this successfuly with Gorillas and Rhinos whose destruction of wild populations & natural habitat are well documented. I am also deeply concerned with the breeding of animals for profit and regarding them purely as merchandise rather than live creatures. It is obvious from viewing hobby bulletin boards and attending the show last Sunday that a great deal of captive breeding and trading in Tarantulas in done and is on the increase. My concern is twofold:-
1. Is any concerted attempt made to reintroduce some of these species back into the wild where endemic populations are dwindling? I have read about the wonderful proposed Poecilotheria Sanctuary. Could other sites be found where successful captive breeding could help restore wild populations in protected areas? What about the decimation of the Brachypelmas in the Americas?
2. Successfuly hatched eggsacs can produce several hundred young which if looked after properly can expect to survive to adulthood. Even conceding that males have greatly reduced lifespans compared to females, with this many individuals available on the market it would seem that supply must outweigh demand. What happens to all the spiders that don't get sold or nobody wants? Is a spider for life or just for Christmas? Is there a dirty underbelly where they are just quietly 'disposed' of? Not everyone who sells Tarantulas for profit (and there is most certainly profit being made) is as concerned for their welfare as the people that frequent this forum are.
These are living creatures after all, not stamps or trading cards that if unsold and deemed worthless or more disturbingly- out of fashion- are just cast aside. Are we breeding too many of them and losing sight of what is morally justifiable in the search for the 'perfect' collection?
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