PROBLEM PETS

In contrast to the photos, which show apparently lovable foxes, bear cubs, kinkajous and raccoons cavorting indoors, the text consists largely of warnings -- against buying endangered animals, against taking on young animals which will become unmanageable as adults and against keeping active species in cramped quarters. The drawbacks of each particular pet (porcupines gnaw furniture, foxes can never be released back into the wild, ferrets have a strong odor, etc.) are listed along with minimal directions for the care of each. The person actually committed to caring for a non-domesticated pet would probably do better with a more complete manual such as Villiard's recent Wild Mammals as Pets, but Hess performs an equally valuable service in discouraging the frivolous acquisition of exotic pets.