Some Exotic Animal Lovers Oppose Possible Ban

One exotic animal keeper spoke out on Friday in light of recent debate on Ohio's exotic animal laws.

Pamela White said the October events in Zanesville hit close to home, after a man released over 50 exotic animals into the community, 10TV's AJ Smith reported.

"There were a lot of things going through my mind," said White. "I came out and sat with my animals."

White runs the American Primate Educational Sanctuary in eastern Franklin County. She takes care of two monkeys and 10 Gibbons that were bought as pets and then given up.

"They do grow up," said White. "They don't stay little and cute all the time."

If not for White, she said some of the primates would have been put down or given to breeders, Smith reported.

The work is not cheap, White said last year she spent $22,000 caring for her primates.

White said she worries about Ohioans who take in wild and exotic animals without proper training, education or regulation.

"We've got to do something," said White. "I'm not sure a ban is it but we definitely need to do something."

White said she supports requiring exotic animal owners to register with the state, but she feels she and other animal lovers are being vilified for one person's actions, Smith reported.

"You have a lot of owners out there with these wild animals that take very, very good care of them and they take a lot of precautions," said White. "We're getting a bad rap, some of these people, all we hear are bad things, there are a lot of good people out there."

White's sanctuary has a federal license and USDA inspectors visit her facility regularly.

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