Exotic Pets Owned By Celebrities (PHOTOS/VIDEOS)

After the incident in Ohio this past week that left nearly 50 exotic animals dead, some have called into question the rules behind owning exotic pets.

According to the Associated Press, sanctuaries don't have the space or the money to take care of exotic pets that owners no long want. Kari Bagnall, founder of Jungle Friends Primate Sanctuary told the news organization, "The novelty wears off, and then they turn into what they are: wild animals."

For some, taking in an exotic pet is actually helping the animal, owners argue. One teenage girl who made news earlier this year for sharing her bed with a Bengal tiger cared for the animal because there are few places in the wild for the animal to live now. According to the IUCN Red List, the Bengal tiger population may be less than 2,500 due to habitat loss and poaching.

Other celebs have shown their interest in animals in a different way -- namely, by stripping off their clothes to support animal rights, as part of various campaigns by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). "Smallville" star Laura Vandervoort recently became the latest celebrity to appear in a PETA ad campaign to advocate for reptiles killed in the name of fashion.

Check out these celebrities who have owned exotic or unusual pets in recent years.

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Comments

[Grandma Koolfinger]

01:00 PM on 10/24/2011

I can tell you one thing, I'd like to pet Paris Hilton's kinkajou. I hear it's fine.

[DaniFoxy]

08:24 AM on 10/24/2011

Paris, you should be ashamed! That little boy probably has a family of his own!

[anugs]

07:58 AM on 10/24/2011

The kinkajou should have been the one to go to the hospital. Biting a Hilton can be hazardous to your health and could cause irreparable stupidness.

[hugatree]

04:55 PM on 10/23/2011

Guess this commentary is all in the past tense ("she HAD; he HAD") for a reason. Animals in this country are disposable.

[Riddley Walker]

02:56 PM on 10/23/2011

Actually, if you think about it, pets for people such as Hilton and the Kardashians such as lions, tigers, anacondas, sharks and so on; that's a really good idea.

[TheLibraryOfCodex]

01:12 PM on 10/23/2011

It might be more accurate to say these are animals who have exotic and unusual celebrities as their pets.

[poozybear]

11:20 AM on 10/23/2011

I don't quite get the fuss over Leonardo DiCaprio's tortoise. That's a very common pet. I've had a California Desert Tortoise living in my yard for 20 years. Native CA tortoises that are born in captivity have a zero survival rate in the wild and therefore must be adopted rather than released. They aren't dangerous, don't bite, don't carry diseases. My job as a licensed guardian is to provide proper diet and shelter, while he hangs out and lives his life. Different story with a Bengal tiger or wolf hybrid, both which are illegal in most states and CAN KILL YOU. A tortoise or turtle is no more exotic than keeping a marine aquarium.

[John Di Saia]

03:45 PM on 10/23/2011

It is just PR. They need to hype it. That is the game.

[StarGazr5992]

11:11 AM on 10/23/2011

OK these animals belong in the wild where they came from not some actors house just because they got the money and because they can, they are doing a disservice to these animal's

[gwinegarden]

10:05 AM on 10/23/2011

Wild animals belong in the wild.

[Jorgelzorro]

09:50 AM on 10/23/2011

We should safe their habitat and protect them for future generations.

[Eric Shin]

09:45 AM on 10/23/2011

Is this a repeat of a story from 2007? Paris Hilton was a celebrity back then but not anymore.

[Robert Brooks]

09:40 AM on 10/23/2011

Just goes to show, celebrities aren't the brightest bulbs in the room.

[ttmedusa]

09:25 AM on 10/23/2011

Owning a wild animal isn't a bad thing if it is owned by someone that has the means to take care of it properly and learns how to do it correctly. Problem occurs when you raise one in this manner and then turn it loose to fend for itself when it has no knowledge of how to do so. So If I want a tiger and can provide and care for it correctly then that is one less tiger out there that some one can kill and call it sportsmanship of hunting. Granted a tiger is a large animal and needs a certain habitat of it's own to romp and live in, not a cage. Gotta face facts here, some people don't need any animal just like some don't need children.

[hugatree]

05:02 PM on 10/23/2011

"Isn't a bad thing" if they can "Provide and care for it correctly???" Are you kidding me? To provide and care for a tiger CORRECTLY, you would need an enclosure of several square miles that replicates the animal's natural environment (jungle or taiga, depending on the tiger) and provide prey for it to hunt. Even if you have the "means" to reproduce an environment doesn't mean you have the right to do so. What happens if you die or lose your money and can no longer afford to manage the animal? Money should NOT be a factor. NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE outside of a licensed zoo needs to own an exotic pet whether they can afford it or not.

[ttmedusa]

09:27 AM on 10/25/2011

Ironic statement sort of since I have not visited a zoo that had the tigers in several square miles of enclosure that replicates thier natural habitat and that provides what would be thier natural prey for dinner. Guess it's better to just leave them in thier natural habitat and let the poachers kill them just to get thier hides.
Also thinking that in your opinion that anyone owning a cat should buy mice for them to catch and kill since that is thier natural behavior.

[wanagiakicita]

09:04 AM on 10/23/2011

The only REAL solution is to STOP DESTROYING their habitat and leave animals in the wild, stop allowing their purchase as "pets"! It's that simple and NO we don't have to have their land for the human species to survive. We've become our own "doomsday" machine with no care for the destruction we have caused and continue to cause.......in the name of greed.

[smelly katz]

08:56 AM on 10/23/2011

unless you are a wildlife sanctuary i dont think anyone should be allowed to own a non domesticated wild animal.

[ttmedusa]

09:30 AM on 10/23/2011

Agreed but even some sanctuaries are not equipped well enough to have some species. I find it all to be a win / lose situation. Even the largest and best zoos sometimes have animals get loose.