Several cases illustrating the types of exotic animals owned by Connecticut residents have shown the importance of Exotic Animal Amnesty Day on Saturday, July 25 from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Connecticut’s Beardsley Zoo.
On Exotic Animal Amnesty Day, residents may turn in exotic animals they may own legally or in violation of state law with a “no questions asked” policy. Amnesty Day allows people to bring in their unwanted exotic non-native pets with the knowledge that they will face no penalties, be asked no questions and that their animal will be taken care of properly. This program is intended for Connecticut residents only. Animals must be in secure cages.
Deputy Commissioner Susan Frechette says, “In recent weeks DEP’s Environmental Conservation Officers (EnCon) have spent a lot of time removing unwanted or dangerous exotic pets from people’s homes. In addition, there have been discoveries of non-native pets in waterways where they do not belong and where they can have an adverse impact on Connecticut’s native plants and animal populations. Instead of releasing non-native animals into Connecticut’s environment where there is little hope for survival and possible threats to public safety, the DEP encourages pet owners to turn their animals in at ‘Exotic Animal Amnesty Day’ at Beardsley Zoo.”
Over the past few months DEP Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) officers have taken a variety of exotic pets from homes throughout Connecticut. Examples include:
· On July 14 a twenty-year old 5-foot Spectacled Caiman was removed from a condominium complex in Naugatuck. The crocodile-type reptile lived in an enclosure built by the owner of the condominium, who owned the reptile since it was eight days old. Although an occasional adult may be docile, more often than not, Spectacled Caimans are known for their aggressive nature as adults.
· On July 10 a fourteen-year old 5-foot Caiman was taken from a downtown Manchester resident’s basement, where the reptile was born and raised his entire life.
· On April 7 three Western Diamondback rattlesnakes were removed from a home in Stratford. These rattlesnakes are among the world’s largest and most dangerous snakes. They account for more serious and fatal snake bites than any other North American reptile.
In addition to animals removed from homes, there have been occurrences of abandoned animals throughout the state. On March 22 an alligator was found in a South Windsor riverbank near a farm along the Connecticut River. On June 17 a small alligator was removed from a private pond in Trumbull.
For further information on Exotic Animal Amnesty Day, contact the Department of Environmental Conservation Police at (860) 424-3012 or DEP.EnConPolice@ct.gov.
