As my case progresses I stand before an important decision in my life. In one hand I have the fate of my animals which are confiscated by my government and in the other I have my family and myself. My government confronts me with my actions and asks if I want to go to court over this matter. If I choose to go to court I will probably end up being statuated as an example of what happens with criminals like me. This will have economical implications and consequences that will affect my family thru me. I have to choose to either "sacrifice" my animals or my family. The apparent "right" choice is to acknowledge that I have kept geckoes illegally. This means that have to renounce my ideological rights and fundamental freedoms in order to spare my family. I do not have the conscience to burden my family economically in order to go to court and fight for the rights of herpetoculturists in Norway.



There are however a few last things I can do in attempt to postpone signing the papers my government sent me. I am charged by §48 in the Norwegian law about wild animals whereby game that is illegally killed or illegally held captive should fall in the property of the government.



My question is. Are captive bred geckoes considered wild animals? What is the definition of a domesticated animal? Can a gecko who bears the same genes as it's wild relatives be considered a wild animal? If geckoes in captivity are to be released into the wild to strengthen wild populations they have to be quarantined in the wild first to ensure that they do not contaminate wild populations with germs that they have acquired in captivity in other parts of the world. Further, Geckoes in captivity are bred and socialised in such a manner that they are less shy and less likely to see other larger species of animals as threats. If captive bred populations are released into their native habitats they have to be monitored to determine if quarantine alone is enough to readapt them to living in the wild.



Does this mean that geckoes are to some extent domesticated and can not be regarded as wild animals (game)?



Is there literature on the ethics of herpetoculture and whether it is ethically defendable to keep such animals in captivity without putting a compromise on animal welfare and animal rights?

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