Linda Kuo

Statement:
Every year an estimated 300 million animals are illegally imported into the United States. Unlike cats and dogs that have been domesticated and bred for selective traits, exotic pets, even captivity bred, remain wild. Most exotic animals retain their natural instincts, behaviors and dietary idiosyncrasies; this makes them unsuitable as pets.

Unlike domesticated animals, it is infeasible to replicate natural ecology and nutritional needs. The majority of medical issues arising in exotic animals primarily stem from an inability to reasonably accommodate their psychological and biological needs. From self-destructive feather plucking in birds to metabolic bone disease in reptiles, veterinarians are caught between the precarious place of tending to the animal’s well-being and educating their clientele about the fragility of these displaced lives.

Without proper care, these animals are experiencing compromised lives marked by unnecessary disease and emotional distress. Displaced is a look at the efforts of the Center For Avian and Exotic Medicine located in NYC to tend to these delicate animals who have been removed from their natural habitats and transplanted into a foreign and often inhospitable world.

Bio:
Linda is a documentary and portrait photographer whose personal work focuses on animals and their encounters with human civilization. Living, dead, domesticated, wild or agricultural, Linda is interested in the impact humankind has upon the animal kingdom.

For Kuo, photography is not only a form of advocacy, but also a spiritual practice. Through openness and simplicity, her goal is to create imagery that provokes deep consideration.

Linda currently lives and works in New York.

Artist Website: kuophoto.com