Officials secured over 110 snakes in the home of a 35-year-old in Lower Saxony. The woman had previously been bitten by one of the animals, but thanks to a serum she is now out of danger.
In Lower Saxony, the police confiscated more than 110 constricting and poisonous snakes from the house of a 35-year-old woman. Some of these were not kept in a species-appropriate manner and in prescribed terrariums, the Salzgitter police said on Sunday evening. Previously, the woman from the municipality of Sehlde was temporarily in mortal danger after being bitten by a snake.
The 35-year-old was bitten on the finger by one of the rattlesnakes she kept at her home and was taken to a hospital for treatment. Because her condition was deteriorating and her life was in danger, the woman was transferred to the Hannover Medical School Clinic. There she was given a counter-serum delivered from the Tropical Institute in Hamburg, which improved her condition.
Snakes were kept stacked in boxes
The woman initially stated that she kept 70 to 80 snakes. But officers then found more than 110 of the animals in their home. The reptile experts present, known as herpetologists, examined the snakes and took them into their care. According to a report by the NDR, there was an increased alert for the operation because there was a risk of further snake bites – there is also no antidote for one of the poisonous snakes in the world. The animals were then housed on a snake farm in the Wolfenbüttel district.
The police are now investigating whether the woman should have kept so many snakes because of regulations on animal and species protection and the possible endangerment of other people, the NDR reported. According to the reptile experts, there are some indications that the animals are poorly kept. They were kept in the same room as cats and in stacked boxes, which were also not adequately protected. Some snakes also showed signs of malnutrition and dehydration.
Sources: AFP, NDR
