For ages, humans have ridden on horses, hunted alongside dogs, and curled up with cats, big and small. Along the way, humans have also managed to make companions out of far more unusual animals — from hissing snakes to wily ferrets to even colorful, ornamental fish.
Nowadays, the exotic pet market and trade — both legal and illegal — have exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry. The U.S. alone is a major consumer, with over 11 billion animals imported into the country between the years 2000 and 2013. The drastic uptick in demand for unique animals is in part due to the proliferation of online markets, which streamline transaction processes.
But while anyone interested in owning these kinds of pets might have their own reasons, taking in any animal is no simple feat — much less an exotic pet.
