Case Study - Sugar Gliders
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Sugar gliders are an Australian mammal species kept as pets overseas. People who promote keeping of Australian mammals often cite the trade of sugar gliders overseas. But look beyond the glitter and you will find that far from being an argument in favour, sugar gliders are (as One Green Planet says) one of the most exploited species in the global wildlife trade".
Selling at up to $US400 each, sugar gliders have become part of a significant trade in ‘exotic pets’ outside of Australia. Their joeys are small and cute, making them almost irresistiblee. In the USA, they are sometimes sold in shopping mall kiosks – often as impulse buys.
As sales of Sugar Gliders increased overseas, unethical backyard breeders found a ready market, spawning Puppy-Factory-like facilities that we abhor in Australia. Image: Sugarglider.com |
In nature, sugar gliders live in small communities of ten or so individuals. Being kept as solitary animals can result in behavioural issues: Yet thousands are kept throughout the USA as solitary animals or in pairs.
It is known that sugar gliders have a varied seasonal diet and some of the high-energy components in their diet are almost impossible to replicate in captivity. Still, some companies do produce foods which successfully provide these animals with a reasonable dietary intake. However, a News.com article from 2010 reported:
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“Vets in the USA are treating malnourished gliders for broken bones and chronic lethargy as owners feed sugar gliders classic American fare - soft drink and hotdogs - instead of insects. News Limited found dozens of examples of caged gliders being fed unusual foods such as ham, hotdogs and soft drinks. The tree-dwellers are made to entertain their owners by riding toy motorbikes or leaping off ironing boards and curtain rods.”
“Syracuse wildlife vet Cheri Capparelli described their typical captive diet as "terrible", saying too many owners failed to feed the animals a specialty formula that mimicked their native menu of eucalyptus nectar and insects”. “Despite federal licensing requirements, the trade goes largely unchecked across the US. A backyard dealer selling gliders out of shoeboxes at a Syracuse mall over Christmas only shutdown his stall after fielding complaints from Dr Capparelli's surgery”.
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People promoting the keeping of mammals in Australia may argue that they would not support such behaviour, but once the market is created, these people won't be in a position to influence what happens to those animals.
Sugar gliders have been sold in the USA since 1994 and already there is a large market – including a thriving black market |
While proponents claim that the overseas trade is proof that native Australian mammals can be domesticated and make good pets, opinion is divided even among sugar glider enthusiasts.
For example consider this from a Canadian “Pro-Glider” hobbyist article: “The species’ more unique traits include loud nocturnal barking and "crabbing" (a weird sound, like metal caught in a paper shredder) when annoyed. (CBC News March 2018) |
“Gwynn Boyé runs Fundy Sugar Gliders, one of the few breeders in Atlantic Canada. Boyé says they can't be kept by themselves — they need the company of at least one other sugar glider "or they lose their little minds. They can't swim, which means they can drown easily in, say, a toilet bowl if the seat is left up. They have a gremlin-like aversion to bright lights."
“They also have what the vet, calls a "musky odour" that emanates from scent glands "on their forehead, near their front legs, and around the hind end. They're nocturnal, which means they sleep all day and run around, barking and literally climbing the walls, all night. So, if you're getting them for your five-year-old child, that's not going to be so great," Boyé said.
Another owner notes that "They have to be in pairs or they're prone to self-mutilate. They will over-groom themselves and start biting themselves. Then they can get infections and eventually die. They can even stop eating. It's not good."
“They also have what the vet, calls a "musky odour" that emanates from scent glands "on their forehead, near their front legs, and around the hind end. They're nocturnal, which means they sleep all day and run around, barking and literally climbing the walls, all night. So, if you're getting them for your five-year-old child, that's not going to be so great," Boyé said.
Another owner notes that "They have to be in pairs or they're prone to self-mutilate. They will over-groom themselves and start biting themselves. Then they can get infections and eventually die. They can even stop eating. It's not good."
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While sugar gliders are nocturnal animals with a "gremlin-like" aversion to light, sites like sugarbears.com show how they are constantly exposed to daylight
US-Based “Pet Helpful” website provides advice about pets and has a page titled “10 Reasons Why Sugar Gliders Should Not Be Kept as Pets” which included the following:
- It's a sad truth that most people cannot provide these curious little creatures with enough space.
- They are hard to take care of. It takes a very specifically-trained vet to deal with SGs. It can be very difficult to diagnose and treat them correctly without causing them serious distress, harm, or even killing them.
- These animals are prone to stress and other complications.
- Unlike a dog or even a rabbit, you can't leave sugar gliders with a neighbour or enlist a friend to care for them when you go away. They need specialist care.
- They tend to poop and urinate on just about everything. They are messy, and they can be very smelly.
Once established, breeding morphs is inevitable. Proponents say that's no problem, even if they escape. Source: https://kcgliders.weebly.com
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Lucky Glider?
The owners of the “Lucky Gliders Rescue Service” website were interviewed for a 2011 blog article. Here are a couple of extracts : “’Critter’ was the inspiration for the first rescue. After a few months, we were contacted by other people who wanted to surrender their gliders. The story was the same for most of them: "We just got in over our heads." Most of the surrendered pets came from individuals who bought them in impulse-buy venues who had not been coached on how to take care of them. “We’ve had our fair share of gliders coming in with metabolic bone disease, self-mutilation, colony rejections, eye problems (including enucleation), mating wounds, inbreeding, ear cropping, tail cropping, blindness - you name it.” |
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Mistreated and neglected Sugar Gliders are an increasing issue in the USA and would be here as well. Images The Sweet Spot (L): Virtuavet (R)
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Doctor. Karen Becker, US Based Vet, offers this information on the Healthy Pets website:
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Summary
Proponents cite the USA Sugar Glider experience as an example of how successful keeping native Australians can be. This page includes just a tiny sample of the available evidence that shows that the USA experience should be a warning of the risks, issues and inevitable problems that occur – for the animals and their owners, when choosing to keep native Australian mammals in captivity.
We will leave the last word to a company that promotes the sale of Sugar Gliders in the USA
Abandonment
"A large percentage of sugar glider owners give them up within a year. They finally realize and accept that keeping the animal is not as rewarding as they had hoped for.”
Summary
Proponents cite the USA Sugar Glider experience as an example of how successful keeping native Australians can be. This page includes just a tiny sample of the available evidence that shows that the USA experience should be a warning of the risks, issues and inevitable problems that occur – for the animals and their owners, when choosing to keep native Australian mammals in captivity.
We will leave the last word to a company that promotes the sale of Sugar Gliders in the USA
Abandonment
"A large percentage of sugar glider owners give them up within a year. They finally realize and accept that keeping the animal is not as rewarding as they had hoped for.”