crime

Osaka police find 80 reptiles in one-room apartment

20 Comments

Venomous lizards and snakes up to three meters long were among 80 reptiles police found crammed into a one-room apartment in Osaka, an official said Tuesday.

Officers were called by a frantic neighbor who saw a huge snake slithering along a wall outside the apartment.

When police raided the apartment, they found dozens of snakes, including a three-meter boa constrictor, as well as a number of lizards. All were being kept in individual containers in the 10-square-meter room.

Officers seized 25 of the creatures, which were being kept without the necessary permits, the official said.

The owner, a man in his 40s, was not arrested, but the case was sent to the prosecutors' office on suspicion he had violated the law on the welfare and management of animals, police said.

"The man told us he kept them as pets and fed them on things like frozen mice. We are investigating where he obtained these reptiles," the police official said.

© (c) 2013 AFP

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

20 Comments
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Where in Osaka!? Its a pretty big place...

If keeping all these animals is not illegal, then It should be,

4 ( +5 / -1 )

A lot of Herpetology enthusiasts have large numbers of pets like this in the states but I cant imagine keeping that many in a tiny apartment in Osaka, that's not healthy for the animals or the person I'm sure.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

House arrest i guest for those reptiles. Amazing nobody knows.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

neighbor sees snake so he calls the cops... lol

0 ( +4 / -4 )

I guess he didn't have many human friends, especially girls. He also had a lot of money invested in these critters. A 3 meter Boa is big enough to eat a small child! This is why it is important to know your neighbors. You never know what sort of nut case you are living next to!

3 ( +7 / -4 )

I cannot understand some one living amongst these critters like that, imagine the stench of the faeces.

Keeping these reptiles should be illegal, the importation should be illegal except for licenced zoo etc. No need to have these things anywhere near the population living amongst others.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Silly man. Find a better hobby!

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

When I saw the headline I thought it was 80 Yakuza members - they're pretty snake-like.

I'll get me coat....

0 ( +2 / -2 )

its must of smelled pretty bad in a one bedroom apartment.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Disillusioned: "I guess he didn't have many human friends, especially girls. He also had a lot of money invested in these critters. A 3 meter Boa is big enough to eat a small child! This is why it is important to know your neighbors. You never know what sort of nut case you are living next to!" aint that the truth.reminds me of:

Police investigate death of man killed by python in Ibaraki National Apr. 16, 2012 and Venomous Australian redback spiders invading Japan National Nov. 26, 2009 and

2 ( +4 / -2 )

The man told us he kept them as pets and fed them on things like frozen mice.

Where does one buy "frozen mice"?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Where does one buy "frozen mice"?

Actually, some pet shops keep them for those (strange?) people who like to keep reptiles as pets.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

crickets for the tarantula, mice for the snakes...

Nope, not for me....

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Why was he not arreseted? it wouldn't suprise me if he had a few endangered species in his collection?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I wonder if he were really keeping them as pets. A friend of mine makes a decent income from importing (legally) all kinds of reptiles and selling them. His apartment sounds like this. He lives in Osaka too; when I first the headline I thought it might be him, but there was no mention of "foreigner", so it can't be ; )

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It's alright to keep snakes and reptiles as pets but you got to have the space and the right environment.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Wait, there's a "law on the welfare and management of animals"? Like they care.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Must have chosen an apartment without a No Pets policy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

poor snakes and poor neighbors....but the frozen mice thing ,,,,I always knew that snakes feeds only on alive preys being cold blood themselves ...so to feed those snakes he had to do some tough choices....a snake then will digest for weeks or months....but not frozen food....any way maybe this person is better off to stop doing this..

0 ( +0 / -0 )

This is crazy. I have had enough of the news this day so try not to have nightmares fromthis and good night all.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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