Octopaul As Pet?

When Netherlands and Spain were getting ready for the finals, the entire world was anxiously waiting for the final word from Paul the Octopus. After making accurate predictions during the FIFA World Cup, the eight-legged wonder has outlived the euphoria and continues to capture everybody’s imagination. No wonder, pet shops too are flooded with queries about octopus as a pet. This is the World Cup fever. "We are struggling to figure out where we can source octopuses from," said Shekhar Hake, who runs Pet Paradise in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. "They are very difficult to get. We have contacted exotic fish suppliers and breeders and are asking whoever we can." Ram Sarup, owner of Live Pets World in Connaught Place, has received over 10 phone calls in two days enquiring about octopuses. 

Source: Times of India, July 17, 2010

Look at where have we finally reached in 21^st century. We address an Octopus as an oracle and then few days down the line it becomes a fetish to own one, to be even slightly associated with what had once become an icon.

Keeping an exotic animal is illegal if the species is not Indian. In such a case, it would be covered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) or the import laws. If the animal is an Indian species, it would be covered by the Wildlife Protection Act. Many exotic animals have very distinct needs that can only be provided by their natural environment. The appropriate habitat, food, and social stimulus needed are not fully understood by humans. Hence, human contact and captivity can be hazardous to such animals.  

The octopus inhabits many diverse regions of the ocean, including coral reefs, pelagic waters, and the ocean floor. It is an extremely intelligent and sensitive creature. A minor change in the nitrate content of aquarium water would be enough to kill it. Keeping an octopus as pets is not a good idea as it grows out of size very fast and can also be dangerous.

The ethical issues of keeping an exotic pet are vast. We have to ask ourselves whether it is morally right to deprive the the octopus or, for that matter, other exotic creatures of their natural abode and ecosystem, just to serve a fleeting human fancy.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.