Snakes, lizards, and a tiger: one Philly shelter sees an uptick in exotic animal surrenders
The Animal Care and Control Team in Philadelphia is seeing an increase in surrendered exotic animals, like snakes and tigers.
History and Netflix have shown, time and again, that no one needs a pet tiger.
Conservative estimates say tigers kill 40 to 50 people annually in the wild. One myth-soaked story claims a single tiger in India claimed 436 lives. Fangs and claws aside, feeding, cleaning, and caring for the 200 to 600 pound cat is nearly impossible for the average person. (Mike Tyson had tigers; he also had money.)
Maybe that’s why someone tried to surrender a Siberian tiger cub to The Animal Care and Control Team (ACCT) in Philadelphia. It’s one of a slew of other, not-a-great-idea types of would-be “pets” that have been offered to ACCT recently.
“You can’t have the right habitat for a Siberian tiger. It’s cruel and it’s a huge safety risk. We offered to take it and connect it with a sanctuary. They seemed excited, then called their friend who already sold the cub,” Sarah Barnett of ACCT told 6abc news recently.
Tara Schernecke, acting co-executive director of ACCT, told The Inquirer on Thursday, that in recent months, the agency has seen an increase in exotic pets brought in, including many boa constrictor snakes, a tiny monkey, and a Tegu lizard. Barnett said ACCT doesn’t have much room for exotics, certainly not large predators like alligators and tigers. ACCT can only house exotics for one or two days.
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Owning certain exotic pets, like monkeys, wolves, and some, endangered reptiles is illegal in Pennsylvania. It is technically possible to have a pet tiger or alligator in the state with the proper permits and approvals.
Wally, a semi-famous alligator from York County, was seen walking in the fountains at LOVE Park recently. The gator is a certified emotional support animal for its owner. It was 60 pounds in 2019.
Kathryn Allen, the zoological manager at Clyde Peeling’s Reptileland in Union County, Pa., said people often fail to realize just how long reptiles live and how much care they need. One alligator pair at the zoo, Rocky and Adrian, are 34 and 39 years old. Rocky is 600 pounds. Both were former pets.
Even boas, she said, can live longer than most dogs.
“My boa is 17 pounds and about 15 years old,” Allen said. “I don’t mind having a frozen rat in my fridge, next to my own food, but a lot of people aren’t up to that. "
Allen said the Tegu is a large, formidable lizard with very strong jaws and sharp teeth. Males, when pumped with testosterone, can be aggressive.
“Do most people want a 6-foot lizard that can weigh 15 pounds?” she said.
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Allen said its good that Philadelphians are calling ACCT for advice and not simply releasing the animals into the wild. In Florida, released pets like boas and pythons have changed the ecology and are considered invasive species.
In Pennsylvania, most released reptiles wouldn’t survive winter — but Barnett said they could ruin your day in the meantime.
“A Burmese python can eat someone’s chihuahua if it’s loose,” she told 6abc.
For that and many reasons, ACCT doesn’t put the exotics they receive up for re-adoption. They do, however, have plenty of rescue dogs available.