Call to regulate exotic pets

SNAKES alive...an exotic animals expert has called for new legislation to control their import after several venomous snakes were abandoned.

Leading herpetoligist James Hennessy, who runs the country’s only reptile zoo, said he has taken charge of 22 lethal snakes, including massive cobras and rattle snakes, who have been either handed in to his zoo or simply abandoned by their owners in the last six months alone.

It is a massive increase on previous years, Mr Hennessy said.