THE RSPCA received more than 600 calls about exotic animals last year in the West Midlands, new figures show.
People contacted the charity about exotic animals 607 times in 2018 while nationally in England and Wales, the charity received a total of 15,790 calls about abandoned, stray, sick, suffering and neglected exotic reptiles, mammals, birds and fish – more than one every hour.
The RSPCA believes the reason behind some of the suffering of these exotics pets is that owners do not do their research and don’t understand the type and amount of care that they need, resulting in them being neglected, dumped or escaping.
Among the exotic animals was a 6ft-long boa constrictor found in a Sutton Park, in Sutton Coldfield.
RSPCA animal collection officer Cara Gibbon said: “I was quite shocked by the size of the snake when I arrived to pick him up as it is certainly not something you expect to come across in a popular park.
“The poor snake was very cold and he could have easily died of hypothermia if he wasn’t found when he was.
“Snakes aren’t able to regulate their own body temperature so need to be kept at specific temperatures in order to survive.
“I just can’t believe someone would be so irresponsible that they would chose to dump a snake in such a public area.”
The snake made a recovery and was rehomed to a specialist keeper.
Stephanie Jayson, RSPCA Senior Scientific Officer for exotics, said: “Although their numbers are small compared to more common pets, we have real concerns about the welfare of reptiles and other exotic animals kept as pets in this country.
“Reptiles and other exotic pets are completely reliant on their owners to meet their welfare needs including requiring the correct levels of heat, light and humidity, plus an appropriate diet.
“These animals are commonly found for sale in pet shops and are advertised online. At least in the past, animals have often been handed over to buyers with little or no information about how to care for them properly, although new regulations in England should improve this.
“We believe people may buy them with little idea of how difficult they can be to keep and the animals are sometimes neglected when the novelty wears off and the commitment hits home.
“This is why we would encourage anyone thinking of getting an exotic pet to find out as much as possible about the animal’s needs and whether they’re the right pet for them.”
Across England and Wales in 2018, the number of calls the RSPCA received to its 24-hour cruelty hotline about all animals increased by 13 per cent from 2017 to 1,175,193 calls.
For information about the exotic animals looking for a home at the RSPCA, visit www.rspca.org.uk/findapet.
