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1983: Darryl
When Darryl was taken from an exotic pet store, he was close to death. The dealer had no experience in the proper care of tropical animals: He was merely the last link in a chain of cruelty that begins with the capture and transport of vulnerable animals from tropical rain forests to the U.S. An estimated 75 percent of the millions of iguanas imported annually are dead within a year. So many animals—reptiles, hedgehogs, birds, monkeys, tigers, and bears—are purchased at stores, auctions, and on the Internet. The racket in buying and selling protected wildlife is now suspected to be larger than arms smuggling and second only to drug trafficking. Life in captivity often leads to suffering and death for these animals, who can easily succumb to malnutrition, loneliness, and the overwhelming stress of confinement.
Darryl was a lucky one. Given the right food and environment, he became robust and healthy. He had the run of his new home and climbed onto his human companion's chest every night, where he was quietly stroked to sleep.
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