Alternative Pets: Can I Have a Place?
Christy, Cheng Oi I
“I will never forget the first time I’ve seen her. Her pair of innocent eyes seemed to beseech me to take her home,” said Mafalda Remedios while lifting her little lizard.
With already 10 pets kept at home, inclusive of fishes, parrots, birds and dogs, Remedios’s great affection for peculiar species cannot stop her from having another 50 amphibians and reptiles, which have turned her more mother-like.
First Touch
It was a coincidence for Remedios, a Year 4 student of Macao Polytechnic Institue (IPM), to find her interest in amphibians and reptiles by surfing a forum with pictures of reptiles years ago. “Through a reptile peddler, I bought my first reptile, a very adorable lizard which was abandoned by its owner, and decided to bring it up,” said she earnestly.
However, it requires her time to gain more knowledge on reptiles from books and forums. “There are guidelines for the beginners from the forums, like how often we need to feed and clean up their living places, how we can adjust their living environment and what we can do when they are sick,” said she.
Share Sleeping Place
Till now, Remedios has around 50 amphibians and reptiles - snakes, geckos, frogs and tortoises -in her bedroom, which are all kept in glass chests. Most of them were bought second-hand. As the owner of the only licensed reptiles’ shop, Animal Club, Lee Wing Kwong said, “The second-hand market of the reptiles is tremendously larger than other pets due to the low recognition from the public and the lack of promotion from the government.”
Remedios is attentive to their accommodation. Though they occupy one-third of her bedroom, she tries to clear up her reading desk to squeeze out more spaces for them. Besides, as different breeds of reptiles require different food, like pinky mice for snakes and mealworms for geckos, she has to reserve some spaces for storing their food in containers.
During the transition periods between seasons, Remedios needs to adjust the room temperature and the living environment for her pets. “It’s necessary to prepare heat mats for keeping them warm in winter, and lamp illuminations, as well as to enhance their appetites,” said she.
Besides, she said that they have to absorb Vitamin D3 to prevent them from diseases, but there is no registered clinic for reptiles in Macao. Once they are severely ill, they could just await for death.
Lee added, “Very few locals specialize in the reptile industry, and poor medical knowledge reduces Macao people’s motivation in opening a reptile clinic.”
Take into Action
In order to promote the public’s interest and knowledge on amphibians and reptiles, Remedios established the first reptile association Macao Reptile and Amphibian Enthusiast Association in 2010. Most importantly, there’re spaces for members to exchange reptiles’ news and knowledge. Till now, members have increased to around 20. Remedios said she was glad to see that there are more and more reptile enthusiasts.
Impact and Change
Remedios mentioned that she had struggled for the family’s approval to keep the reptiles, but she tried to relieve her parents’ worries and panic by introducing the nature of these species to them that reptiles do not hurt or bite people. “Of course they would draw back the first time, but gradually they’ve found that reptiles aren’t that awful,” she said. And now, her mother also keeps some pets like frogs.
Significantly for Remedios, she also understands the hardship of parents through bringing up her pets. She’s like a mother to look after them all along, so this enables her to understand more about the hardship of her parents to bring her up. Yet, she said that even though there are not enough spaces for the pets, she will not give up raising them as they are her lovely kids.
Last but not least, Remedios hopes that both reptile and non-reptil e owners can be aware of the existence of reptiles and amphibians, and respect their lives.