Deadly snakes found in Liversedge house
POISONOUS snakes including a cobra and a viper have been found living in ‘totally unsuitable’ conditions in a Liversedge house.
The 16 snakes were found at the house in Gray Street after police were tipped off that the resident had a King Cobra without proper paperwork.
Police searched the house with police wildlife officer Bryan Butterworth, an animal health inspector from Kirklees Council and a DefRA wildlife inspector from Heathrow Airport.
They did not find a king cobra but the resident had a snouted cobra, a rhino viper, a British adder, four deinagkistrodons and nine puff adders. The venom from some of these snakes is enough to kill a human being.
A police spokesman said: “To possess these snakes the keeper must possess a licence issued under the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976. This keeper did not possess any licences.
“The wildlife inspector also said they were been kept in totally unsuitable conditions.”
The snakes were seized and are now in expert care.
Police also seized a Mississippi alligator skull and a Nile alligator skull which were brought into the country illegally.
• For more on this story plus pictures of the deadly snakes, see this Friday’s paper.
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Sunday 27 May 2012
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