Munich Shelter Gives Reptiles a Home

MUNICH, Germany, July 22, 2010 -- Veterinarian Markus Baur never has a moment alone at work. He shares a small, drab room with his colleague Tobias Friz -- and with a number of animals. At the moment, his office is home to a freshwater turtle, a Mexican parrot snake, two tarantulas, several twist-necked turtles, giant musk turtles, Chinese false-eyed turtles, mud turtles and an egg-eating snake. "There was no more room anywhere else," Baur explains.

The veterinarians currently care for about 600 animals at Munich University's reptile sanctuary and have seen more than 1,700 animals come through since the beginning of the year. They have been able to find new homes for many of the reptiles -- among them, nine young Nile crocodiles that Baur and Friz escorted to a Spanish zoo via Air Berlin in late June.

"For every animal we're able to place, two new ones turn up," Baur sighs. "We never know what tomorrow will bring."

Customs officials, fire departments and police all drop off confiscated, abandoned or escaped reptiles almost daily. Overburdened pet owners leave paper bags containing baby crocodiles at the door and holidaymakers back from Tunisia come to unload tortoises they smuggled back from vacation.

Many new reptile owners realize too late just what they've welcomed into their living rooms from pet stores, exotic animal markets or Internet suppliers. For one thing, most reptiles continue to grow their entire lives. Alligators, for example, can reach an impressive four meters (13 feet) in length and tend not to be so popular with the neighbors. Even a comparatively harmless green iguana, Baur explains, "grows into a two-meter (6.5-foot) beast that considers the living room its own property."