Volunteers from an exotic rescue centre discovered more than 70 ‘neglected’ snakes.
Volunteers from an exotic rescue centre discovered more than 70 ‘neglected’ snakes.
A woman discovered over 70 neglected pythons after her ex-boyfriend left them behind.
Daniel Holmes from Knaresborough Exotic Rescue found the snakes in squalid conditions, with many dehydrated.
A case is being prepared for the RSPCA to prosecute the owner for neglect.
Even the most amicable break-ups result in some belongings being left behind. But one woman was left rattled after her former boyfriend refused to return for his collection of pythons.
The unnamed man had told his partner he only kept six royal pythons during their relationship.
But when she called in professionals to help remove them, volunteers from an exotic rescue centre discovered more than 70 “neglected” snakes, as well as the bodies of 20 more inside bags in a freezer.
Daniel Holmes, from Knaresborough Exotic Rescue, found the animals in squalid conditions, with those that survived dehydrated and shrivelled.
He estimated the owner’s breeding operation must have been going on for years, in what he described as the “worst case of neglect” he had seen in nearly two decades.
A rescuer said ‘this was the worst condition I have ever seen snakes kept in’
“I’m normally quite calm, but I got a bit upset and angry about it,” he said.
“This was the worst condition I have ever seen snakes kept in and the worst case of neglect.”
Holmes, 43, said the woman was “petrified” of the creatures, and that her ex-boyfriend had originally told her he only had six of the animals.
After their break-up he was given four weeks to come and collect them, but never did.
Holmes then received a call from the woman’s father, asking for help to remove the snakes, of which 20 had since been counted.
He hired a van and took two volunteers with him to the address near Durham, to transport them back to the rescue centre in the North Yorkshire village.
However, the group instead stumbled across more than triple the expected amount in “tragic” and “sickening” conditions, with at least one live snake being found in storage with a dead one.
About 50 were found in drawers, with another 20 loose inside the property, which he said were likely to be males trying to find females to mate with.
“Now we’re probably going to have pregnant snakes as well,” he added. “They’ve all got mites, which are like fleas to dogs, so they all need treatment.”
The snakes were found to be ‘really dehydrated and shrivelled up’
One was suffering from such a severe abscess it has been taken to the vet and may not survive, while the others were “really dehydrated and shrivelled up” because of the poor conditions in which they were kept.
Holmes estimated the owner had tried breeding the pythons in the property’s outhouse for a number of years, but had “given up” and abandoned the operation.
He had three snake racks, which cost thousands of pounds and are made up of individually heated drawers which allow owners to efficiently house dozens of snakes, meaning he could re-start at any time.
A case against the owner is now being prepared for the RSPCA to prosecute. “He needs to be prosecuted,” Holmes added, “otherwise he could start again”.
On the benefits of owning a royal python, Holmes said: “They are non-venomous and they make really good pets. They’re a good therapy pet and are really good for kids with autism.”
An RSPCA spokesman said: “Unfortunately, incidents involving snakes that have been neglected or abandoned are not uncommon, and RSPCA front-line rescuers are often called to pick up the pieces.
“The RSPCA urges prospective owners of reptiles to thoroughly research the needs of the particular species and what is required in the care of the animal, using expert sources, and only consider keeping one if they can ensure they are fully able to provide for these needs long-term.”
