Paramount Importance

Animal Welfare, Captivity, and the Hidden Costs of the Exotic Pet Trade.  Dr. Phil Arena, biologist, academic, and animal welfare expert, for a deep and wide-ranging conversation on the complex moral landscape of human-animal relationships. With decades of experience in both fieldwork and ethical inquiry, Dr. Arena sheds light on the unseen suffering of reptiles, amphibians, and exotic animals in private collections and institutions alike. He explains how outdated “folklore husbandry”, the repetition of unscientific pet-keeping practices — continues to drive poor welfare outcomes, especially for snakes, lizards, and turtles.This episode dives deep into:Why 75% of reptiles die within their first year in captivityHow myths in the pet trade lead to inadequate enclosures and misunderstood needsThe concept of “control deprivation” and why space and environmental complexity matter for captive animalsHow animals like skinks, pythons, and crocodiles exhibit stress, social hierarchies, and even play behaviourThe illeg