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The Journal The couple, of Rectory Terrace, Hexham, Northumberland, were found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to the iguana at their Benton Pet Centre store in Longbenton. North Tyneside magistrates also found Mr Noble guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to a venomous false water cobra after a trial. Most worrying, though, is that the case, although seemingly unusual, is in fact becoming increasingly run-of-the- mill stuff for the authorities in the North-East. Thirty venomous snakes - including rattlesnakes, vipers, sidewinders and an adult gaboon viper which has the longest fangs of any venomous snake in the world - were seized by the County Durham-based Reptile Trust during a raid in Devon earlier this month. The reptiles are currently settling into their new home in the North-East until a court case to decide what should happen to the animals, which were allegedly smuggled illegally into the country. Such cases are increasingly common and the trust is called out on similar operations around the country every single month of the year. As a result the RSPCA is urging the Government to tighten up the law in a bid to clamp down on the thriving black market in animal sales. They are concerned that pet shops are not monitored well enough by the police and local authorities and this is allowing exotic and dangerous pets to be sold into unsuitable homes and to owners who have little or no idea how best to care for them. There is also a concern that not only are these animals ending up in the hands of children, but also that animals which should require a dangerous animals licence, such as poisonous snakes and spiders, are being sold illegally. Iain Kane, North-East Regional officer for the RSPCA, said: "There has certainly been an increase in the number of exotic pets coming into Britain, much of it illegally. The smuggling of these animals is a growing trade. What is more, a lot of the exotic and dangerous snakes and spiders we are encountering do not currently require a licence, which is something we are trying to change. "We are seeing everything from tarantulas to crocodiles, cobras, vipers and rattlesnakes. Then there are other exotic pets like monkeys as well. At the end of the day they are creatures which are simply not meant for British conditions. "Most of them are from hot and humid conditions and without specialist equipment, which is often every expensive, it is extremely hard to recreate those conditions. As a result the animals are suffering and when we find them they are often in very poor state of health. "Not only that but when people realise they cannot care for them properly, or they simply grow tired of them, they release them into the wild leaving them with a very small chance of survival." The North-East currently tops the league table of cruelty cases against animals with latest RSPCA figures reporting 20,004 investigations in just one year. That's 7,000 more than the South Central region and nearly 5,000 more than the North-West. The conviction rate is also higher in the North-East, with 655 in just one year, compared with 465 in the North- West, 180 in Wales, 103 in London, 128 in South Central and 149 in the South-West. Mr Kane said: "In the macho society of the North-East the python, iguana or giant lizard has become the latest status symbol for pet owners. "But the problem is most of these people have absolutely no idea how to look after their exotic pet. "In just one year a staggering 808 exotic pets were abandoned on our streets. Ignorance can be a very dangerous thing. "The worrying thing is we could feasibly have people buying a hatchling that may be only a few inches long, but in a few years that cute little hatchling could be huge. "Snakes don't tend to bite unless they feel threatened but a python is a constrictor and will attack if it's hungry. If a snake like this gets hold of you it is not going to let go either." Under law, some exotic animals, such as certain monkeys, crocodiles and poisonous species, should be subject to a Dangerous Wild Animals licence issued by a local authority, to protect the public and ensure the animals' welfare is monitored. But a RSPCA survey of councils across England and Wales showed that only around 320 licences are held - believed to be a serious under-representation of the true number of animals kept. The society, along with other organisations involved with monitoring the sale of exotic pets, fears that hundreds are being smuggled into the country each year to feed an ever-growing demand. Peter Heathcote of the Reptile Trust in Burnopfield, County Durham, said: "We are being called on more and more raids each year, especially with the police. "The most fascinating thing is that where once criminal elements might have a big dog like a rottweiler to guard their cash or whatever, they are now just as likely to have a cobra or a python." Mr Heathcote also emphasises the problems of people buying exotic pets, venomous or not, if they know little about them. "People buy exotic pets because they are fashionable, but they often have no idea of how to care for them properly. Then there are the dangerous pets, like venomous snakes and spiders . . ." A spokesman for Durham Police said: "We are looking at the matter of dangerous animal licences, but we think the problem has been overblown." |