Reptile zoo seeks law on exotic pets

The curator of Ireland’s only reptile zoo has called for urgent legislation in relation to the keeping of potentially dangerous exotic pets.

James Hennessy, who runs the Reptile Village Zoo in Co Kilkenny, said he had been inundated with calls in the last year asking to rehouse crocodiles, poisonous snakes and turtles because their owners cannot look after them.

“It has become pretty scary. We have to turn down animals because we are full up,” he said.

“We’re here for conservation and education, but our role has changed in that we continuously get calls to rehome animals because their owners did not know what they were getting into.”

Mr Hennessy is giving lectures on health and safety in relation to reptiles at the Pet Expo which started this evening and is running this weekend in the RDS Main Hall.

“I will be stressing that people must do their research before buying these kind of animals. They are not like budgies or cats. I will be warning people about what can go wrong,” he explained.

He blamed the internet for the easy access to animals such as spectacled caiman crocodiles which can grown to 10 feet, boa constrictors, cobras, which can kill a person in a half-an-hour, and pythons.

He said people can use the internet to buy exotic pets which are imported usually from the UK or from continental Europe.

A 10 foot long rock python was found dead in the River Slaney last month.

“There is no legislation in Ireland whatsoever to cover exotic pets,” he said.

“I have an eight-foot-long alligator. I could sell that to a 10-year-old child and I would not be breaking any law.

“I have had eight calls in the last few months from people who have bought caiman crocodiles asking for advice because they have outgrown their enclosure.

“I can foresee a lot of problems in the next year or so with either animals dying or people getting bitten.”