During 2019, more than 700 turtles, snakes and lizards were collected at the pairi Daiza park refuge, near Mons, in Belgium. Or twice as much as the previous year. "During the month of July, no less than 158 reptiles were received, sometimes seized by customs for illegal detention," said the park's management, in a statement.
Crocodiles at home
"Last year, we even recovered crocodiles held by an individual in a house," underlines Mathieu Goedefroy, spokesperson for Pairi Daiza. A Belgian tradition, it seems, since in 2011, the police had already discovered eleven Nile crocodiles and an alligator in a villa.
However, more than 80% of the specimens entrusted to the refuge are yellow or red cheeked turtles, also called Florida turtles. Banned for sale in France, the species can still be bought in Belgian pet stores.
"It's a huge problem because when they start growing, some people get rid of it. However, they cause great damage to the ecosystem, notes Mathieu Goedefroy. We can only hope that in the future, fewer animals will be entrusted to us. "
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