So how many reptiles can you have in your home? Not 150
Posted August 13, 2015 1:52 pm.
Last Updated August 13, 2015 6:52 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
It was an unusual request for the Indian River Reptile Zoo: Move 150 reptiles, including crocodiles and alligators, from a Toronto home to their facilities near Peterborough.
There were caimans too, a reptile that is very much like a crocodile but has an armoured belly.
All in all, approximately 20 volunteers spent eight hours moving the pets. Zoo founder Bry Loyst says the married couple handed over the crocodiles along with some money, which the sanctuary used to expand its crocodile rescue building.
The animals were in good health and did not need veterinary care but there was one catch: it is completely illegal to own a crocodile in Toronto. It is also against local bylaws to keep a caiman as a pet.
The city’s animal bylaws are clear: Crocodylia (such as alligators, crocodiles, gavials) are prohibited.
“If you are the owner of a prohibited animal, you will be required to find a suitable home for the animal such as a zoo or sanctuary. Prohibited animals found in the City may be seized and impounded by Toronto Animal Services,” the city’s website reads.
Regardless of whether it’s cats or crocodiles, 150 is a lot of any one pet. So just how many reptiles can you have in your home?
In theory, there is no limit, Carl Bandow of Toronto Animal Services told CityNews.
However, “there are other sections of the bylaw that can be used if the animals cause a nuisance or a noise problem,” he said.
The city has limits for cats and dogs. Owning more than six cats or more than three dogs can lead to a $240 fine.
On animals such as birds, rodents and rabbits, there are no limits, Bandow said, and it’s the same for reptiles.
But it’s the type of reptiles that were a problem in this case.
“People need to know that they need to have reptiles that are permitted under the bylaw and they need to be able to keep the numbers manageable,” Bandow said.
In the case of the animals taken to the Indian River Reptile Zoo, Bandow said the city had never been contacted or received a complaint. And, because the Toronto location has not been disclosed, there’s not much the city can do in terms of a follow-up.
If something like this were to happen again, Bandow said, and the pet owner called the city, they would have contacted someone with expertise: 150 crocodiles isn’t something you see everyday.
With files from The Canadian Press
