Categories: PETS

The man who rescues Ireland’s neglected reptiles

The owner of Ireland’s National Reptile Zoo has been called to assist gardaí after drug raids where they uncovered crocodiles being kept as pets in bathrooms of gang figures.

James Hennessy leads a colourful life, overseeing his beloved reptile zoo in Kilkenny, a conservation project catering for everything from snakes to alligators.

He has called for the introduction of stronger legislation to protect exotic animals, saying Ireland is currently “open season” for people to bring into all sorts of rare creatures.

Exotic animals can be imported and sold freely in the Republic of Ireland under the 1911 animal welfare legislation.

Mr Hennessy said some exotic pet owners, most notably those with smaller breeds of crocodiles, lack the resources and knowledge to care for their animals.

What’s even more disturbing, he said, is that some criminals view these animals as a status symbol and a commodity.

He said loopholes in existing outdated legislation would inevitably end with a human fatality if not dealt with in the near future.

“We don’t have any exotic legislation in Ireland. You need a licence to own a dog but not a crocodile,” he said.

“It’s free trade within the European Union, so if it’s bred within Europe and is what is described as a ‘non Cites' [The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora] species, then there is no restriction on this trade.

“You can just drive over to a reptile show in Germany and bring back a caiman crocodile in your car and still not be breaking any law.”

He said crocodiles were normally brought to Ireland as babies.

“Caiman crocodiles often start off in a fish tank. They are gorgeous little things so you can see why people would want them.

“At the beginning they look like cute plastic dinosaurs you can keep in your fish tank.

“However, it isn’t long before they are 3ft long.

I’ve taken three crocodiles out of a flat in Dublin when their owner was being brought to jail. They had been living in a tank full of dead fish that were there for months on end.

“The smell was disgusting because the owner was afraid of the animals and wouldn’t take them out to clean the tanks. The only reason he had them was because he thought they were cool.”

Mr Hennessy said the reptiles were sometimes viewed as a commodity.

“There are people who are scientifically minded who keep them and are able to provide for them. They are willing to put the big money in to care for them because they are not cheap animals.

“Then, there’s the other side of the spectrum, the people who buy these animals because they are easy to get. They’re expensive so it looks good and is seen as a way for the owner to show off, especially for those involved in the drug trade.”

He fears the lack of regulation may end in tragedy.

“There won’t be anything done until somebody dies,” he said.

“That’s generally how it works in Ireland. The measures are reactive, as opposed to proactive.”

Some of the reptiles moved by Mr Hennessy to facilitate Garda searches have been sent to zoos in the UK.

“Often it ties up our resources but at the same time there’s no one else to do it,” he said of the call-outs.

“It seems to happen in waves. You might not hear anything for a while, then you find yourself out every week. The exotic animals found in private properties are generally then sent abroad to a vetted owner.”

Animal hoarding, he said, can also be an issue.

“I’ve gone into places where there are people with mental issues that have resulted in them hoarding animals.

One homeowner had more than 60 turtles in the house. They would get banned from a pet shop and go to another one where nobody would know them. It got to a stage where their picture was up in every pet shop, warning staff not to sell animals to them.

“You can buy animals online now, which is really adding to the problem.”

Meanwhile, animal manager at the National Reptile Zoo Joana Da Vinha Santos, who is also a veterinary doctor and biologist, explained why crocodiles need to be cared for in an appropriate setting.

“Crocodiles and alligators are surprisingly resistant to a lot of things,” she said.

Rascal the python. Picture: Pat Moore

“They are built to survive so naturally they are very resilient. However, they can have pretty much all the issues that we do, from time to time, from an upset stomach to a lack of heat. They actually show a lot of issues that we humans do as well, such as cancer or hormone problems and all sorts of diseases.

“Luckily, we can monitor them here and there are many ways of telling what is happening before it's too late or before it's too dangerous.

“This makes it possible to prevent problems by just providing proper care, which is what we do here. It's very difficult to take care of a sick crocodile or alligator so we avoid this by providing them with the best care we can give.”

Despite the demand for his services, Mr Hennessy has kept his efforts focused on conservation initiatives.

Most recently, the zoo welcomed a number of baby bushmaster snakes that he plans to ship to a zoo in Singapore.

The snake is among the most dangerous of its kind in the world and can produce enough venom to kill almost any creature it encounters.

“We’ve been successful in breeding these, which is quite rare,” he said.

“One of our next moves is to try and work out how to ship these to southeast Asia safely. They are highly venomous creatures so they are in a high-security section where there are three sets of locks just to access the area.

“We try to keep the environment they are in as natural and as close to their own habitat as we can so we can learn as much from them as possible.”

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Doggone Well Staff