Survey of non‐native small mammals traded in South Africa
The sale of live non‐native animals has become a social norm and is of global concern. The pet trade industry has become one of the main pathways where non‐native small mammals are introduced worldwide. We conducted a questionnaire survey in South African pet shops from September 2018 to September 2...
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Published in: | African journal of ecology 2022-09, Vol.60 (3), p.456-466 |
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Main Authors: | , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | The sale of live non‐native animals has become a social norm and is of global concern. The pet trade industry has become one of the main pathways where non‐native small mammals are introduced worldwide. We conducted a questionnaire survey in South African pet shops from September 2018 to September 2019 to gain insights into non‐native small mammalian species trade in South Africa. We also investigated whether the pet shop owners were aware of the South African National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEM: BA; No. 10 of 2004), which regulates and provides management and conservation of the country's biodiversity. A total of 111 pet shop owners/managers responded to the survey, with 26.6% of the owners reporting the sale of birds, 25.1% of fish and 22.5% of mammals. A total of 16 non‐native small mammalian species were reported sold, with European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), Norwegian rats (Rattus norvegicus) and house mice (Mus musculus) being the most commonly sold pets. We found that breeders, animal rescues and pet shops were the major suppliers of small mammal pets, and in terms of the regulation, most respondents (67.8%) were aware of NEM: BA. However, despite the knowledge of the regulations, some of the traded species pose a serious invasion threat. As a result, we recommend increased regulation, monitoring and public awareness to prevent the potential negative impacts associated with non‐native mammal species in South Africa.
Résumé
La vente d'animaux vivants non indigènes est devenue une norme sociale et constitue une préoccupation mondiale. L'industrie du commerce des animaux de compagnie est devenue l'une des principales voies d'introduction de petits mammifères non indigènes dans le monde. Nous avons mené une enquête par questionnaire dans des animaleries sud‐africaines de septembre 2018 à septembre 2019 pour avoir un aperçu du commerce des espèces de petits mammifères non indigènes en Afrique du Sud. Nous avons également cherché à savoir si les propriétaires d'animaleries connaissaient la loi sud‐africaine sur la gestion environnementale nationale : Biodiversity Act (NEM : BA ; n° 10 de 2004), qui réglemente et assure la gestion et la conservation de la biodiversité du pays. Au total, 111 propriétaires/gestionnaires d'animaleries ont répondu à l'enquête. 26.6 % des propriétaires ont déclaré vendre des oiseaux, 25.1 % des poissons et 22.5 % des mammifères. Au total, 16 espèces de petits mammifères non indigènes ont été déclarées |
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ISSN: | 0141-6707 1365-2028 |
DOI: | 10.1111/aje.12999 |