While most people keep dogs or cats as pets – you may be surprised to know there are 13 really wild animals living in Dacorum.
Information obtained by The Gazette from Dacorum Borough Council show the animals are kept under a Dangerous Wild Animals license – and include two venomous lizards and an alligator!
But don’t worry – the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 ensures that those who keep wild animals do so in a way that minimises the risk to the public.
The act was created to tackle the issue of people keeping exotic pe in the late-1960s and early-1970s.
Here are the amazing animals making their home in Dacorum.
5. Monocled Cobra
This cobra has one of the fastest acting snake venoms in the world and is widespread across South and Southeast Asia. Photo: RealityImages - stock.adobe.com
6. Chinese Spitting Cobra
These cobras can live to around 20 years old and found in Southeast Asia. The population of these snakes is decreasing with its conservation status currently at vulnerable Photo: Panupong - stock.adobe.com
7. Beaded Lizard
The first of two venomous lizards in the borough, the beaded lizard (heloderma horridum) is found principally in Mexico and southern Guatemala. Photo: Gerard LACZ
8. Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
The western diamondback rattlesnake, or Texas diamond-back, is a venomous snake found in the southwestern United States and Mexico. The majority of snakebite fatalities in northern Mexico and the majority of snakebites in the US are due largely to this species. Photo: Tom - stock.adobe.com