- How many snakes could one man possibly need?
What is it with all these recent stories about exotic animals and their careless owners? First, there was the zebra that bit its owner’s arm off, and then the Cincinnati Cocaine Cat.
Now, we have another story to add to the list. Only, this one is much more tragic than even the one where a man lost his arm (momentarily).
Authorities in Pennsylvania recently got an alert of an unconscious man lying on the floor of his Aliquippa home. Unfortunately, by the time help got to him, it was too late — the man was dead.
The officials didn’t have to wonder about the cause of death for very long, though.
In the home, they discovered more than 150 snakes — a majority of them venomous. There was also an alligator.
Unsurprisingly, the cops reported that the dead man had a snake bite mark on him. Yet, his cause of death is yet to be determined.
Tragic as the death is, it’s fortunate that there weren’t more of them. In addition to the deceased man, there were four other adults in the house — and a 3-year-old little girl.
Apparently, the people had intended to set up an exotic reptile business. But those plans have now been postponed, what with the animals having been taken into protective custody.
‘There Was a Cobra, a Rattlesnake, Black Mambas’
The reptiles were discovered in the afternoon of Tuesday, March 21. At that time, Aliquippa police received a report of an unconscious man at 1325 McMinn Street.
When the police arrived at the scene, the man was identified as a 23-year-old resident of the house. Sadly, there was nothing either cops or paramedics could do anymore.
He was dead.
We can only imagine that the medical professional may have been a little nervous when evaluating the man’s condition, though. That’s because they were surrounded by snakes.
All in all, the officials later revealed that the house played host to more than 150 snakes. Most of them were venomous.
“There was a cobra in there, a rattlesnake in there, black mambas,” code enforcement officer Jim Bologna told CBS News.
It’s not exactly clear how many venomous snakes were slithering about the house. Estimates range between 60 to 100 — although we’re saying that’s about 60 to 100 too many.
Oh, and they also had an alligator. But hey, at least that one’s not venomous.
Yet, the reptiles weren’t the only living things in the house. The cops also found four other adults in there, together with a 3-year-old girl.
When discovered, the little girl was reportedly sitting in a high chair — right next to a venomous snake.
At Least the Snakes Are Healthy
Unsurprisingly, the reptiles — most of which were illegal — were not allowed to stay in the house. They have been moved to Off the Hook Exotic Pets, a pet store affiliated with the Beaver County Humane Society.
There, the animals are being well taken care of. Storeowner George Diaz told WPXI that the snakes are being monitored and have received a full physical.
“We have to look over them for mites, body scarring, mouth rot. Anything that is detrimental,” Diaz explained.
Fortunately, it seems the snakes’ owners were not neglecting their health.
“I haven’t seen anything like that [health problems]; most of the snakes are very healthy. But things can come up. [The animals] could be wild-caught, I don’t know the ancestors,” said Diaz.
The snakes are set to remain in quarantine for the next two weeks. After that, it’s up to the State of Pennsylvania to determine their ultimate fate.
Expensive Snakes
Hopefully, Pennsylvania won’t ask the public for their opinion. Some of the locals are a bit rattled by the whole discovery.
“Nobody should have that many [venomous] snakes anywhere. They should be destroyed,” Aliquippa resident Valerie McDermott told CBS.
It’s understandable to be scared after something like this, but that’s a bit too harsh. After all, it’s not like the snakes asked to be in Pennsylvania.
The people living in the house had planned to sell them online and at pet shows. According to officials, they had just recently moved into the house to start their local business.
“They just moved here, last two months or so. These folks have a business they run. They sell reptiles, venomous and non-venomous,” confirmed Bologna.
Here’s hoping the snakes can find a safe home and won’t be exterminated. Speaking of homes, their previous owners have been allowed to stay at their house for the time being.
They haven’t gotten off scot-free, though. The police have called child protective services to determine whether the 3-year-old is in a safe environment.
Additionally, venomous snakes are illegal to keep in Aliquippa. For violating city code, the snake house’s owner could be facing a $1,000 fine — per snake.
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