The Solomon spider in Brazil, the savage harvest ant in Europe, the Scorpion in the Asian rainforest, the African phoning cockroach, the highly venomous Australian red-backed spider... These bugs, which many people have never heard of, are becoming Internet celebrities in the exotic world, and they can easily find purchase links on many online shopping platforms.
According to Xinhua News Agency, recently, a news that "Chengdu Customs seized 4 live 'Hercules beetles'" caused netizens to discuss. The reporter's investigation found that although the law explicitly prohibits the introduction, there are still a large number of trafficking and smuggling of exotic species on many online platforms, and netizens call on relevant departments to pay attention to the chaos of the "insect agent" trade.
Live beetles seized by Chengdu Customs Xinhua News Agency
01
The so-called exotic pets mostly refer to animal species that are uncommon in life or have strange appearances, and even do not exist in the mainland and are adopted as pets by some people. Some animals have entered the mainland through illegal channels such as smuggling, and some are indigenous niche and endangered animals.
Exotic pets are sought after, one is because the appearance, color, etc. of these animals are in line with some people's curiosity psychology; second, the current pet breeders also have the phenomenon of "inner volume", raising cats and dogs and other common pets is not enough as a symbol of their identity and taste, "not easy to get" has become a subtext for breeders to express a certain sense of superiority; in addition, some Internet celebrity anchors, opinion leaders "planting grass" triggers a follow-up effect, and some popular online games, anime with rare animals as the main image element, but also easy to trigger the impulse to raise a pet.
Recently, a data released by the General Administration of Customs also supports the phenomenon of heterogeneous pet fever. Disguised as a beetle toy, buried in bonsai soil, falsely claiming ceramic vases... Overseas animals are carried and sent into china in violation of fancy regulations. In the first quarter of 2022, the national customs intercepted a total of 173 species of quarantine pests, 13,900 times, and 23,300 unqualified animals were eliminated by overseas pre-inspection, with a 18.74% elimination rate.
Netizens' comments on the above news
02
I raise a snake and a scorpion, is it related to other people? This is a topic worth exploring.
We understand and respect the pet preferences and choices of different people, but it should be noted that whether it is raising exotic species or indigenous rare animals, it is not only a matter of personal preference, but also a matter of public interest and law.
From a public perspective, it is an indisputable fact that the invasion of alien species threatens the ecological balance of the locality, leads to genetic pollution of indigenous organisms, affects the safety of agricultural production, and brings public health hazards.
In addition, the problems of poor neighborhood relations caused by the raising of foreign pets, the peace and tranquility of others, as well as the bite of the owner and the infection of diseases cannot be ignored. In particular, after some exotic pets are abandoned, escaped or mistakenly released, there will be unpredictable risk factors. No one wants the "crawling into the house to climb into a snake" thing to happen at home, and some pets themselves also carry poisonous and pathogenic bacteria.
From a legal point of view, in accordance with the Mainland Biosecurity Law, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, together with the General Administration of Customs, has revised and improved the "List of Animals and Plants, Their Products and Other Quarantine Items Prohibited from Being Carried and Sent into China by the People's Republic of China", which clearly stipulates that live animals (except dogs and cats) are prohibited from being carried and sent into the country. When some scientific research institutions or professional departments need to introduce alien species for scientific research and other purposes, there is a strict declaration and approval process. Then, the animals currently sold on the market that claim to be imported are most likely to be illegally imported. According to reports, in reality, many people have been investigated by the public security organs for the crime of illegally purchasing rare and endangered wild animals for purchasing animals through illegal means.
Kunming Customs Intercepts Quarantine Pests China Customs Official Website Map
In addition, Article 1245 of the Civil Code stipulates that if an animal is raised and causes damage to others, the animal breeder or manager shall bear tort liability; Article 1249 also stipulates that if an abandoned or escaped animal causes damage to others during the period of abandonment or escape, the original breeder or manager of the animal shall bear tort liability. The Wildlife Protection Law also makes specific provisions and penalties for the illegal introduction of wild animal species from abroad, as well as the release of wild animals into nature, abandonment, and animal escape.
03
A real case - last year, a "small cheetah" appeared in the Shidu Mountains of Beijing, which was identified by experts as a wild animal serval cat endemic to the African savannah, which is not distributed in the wild on the mainland, and its appearance in Beijing is likely to be caused by the abandonment of someone after illegal breeding or the escape of animals. Although the serval cat is a small cat, it is very fierce, bouncing up to 1 meter high and 4 meters away, and the smallest territory can reach more than ten square kilometers, which is difficult to control. The likelihood of an accident that infringes on the person or property of another person is high.
It's disturbing to think about. The passion for heterogeneity also gives us an opportunity to think and discuss, that is, we need to gather a consensus - there is nothing wrong with developing personal preferences, but safety should be the primary premise, especially when it comes to the rights and interests of the majority, there should be more public rights considerations.
Even walking dogs must first get certificates, needles, leash restraints, raise those strange animals, and should not quietly mimi, secretly poke and poke around in the gray area, bringing uneasiness to people and bringing disaster to the ecological environment.
Law-abiding, good-neighborliness, prudence, and not causing trouble to others and society should be the basic principles of any pet.
(Original title: Customs seized Hercules beetle to attract heated discussion!) Raising "Bug Agents" is not just a personal preference)
Source: Workers Daily WeChat public account
Process Editor: tf027