Hungarians keep these deadly animals at home illegally

pixabay

Buying dangerous or venomous animals that could kill people in a blink of an eye seems to be out of the ordinary. It is not like that in real life, unfortunately. In the past years, there have been many instances when dangerous snakes or crocodiles were abandoned by their owners or escaped their homes. Horrified passers-by will never forget the day when they had to call the authorities in terror.

Crocodile, anaconda, python, or scorpion are just a few examples of the animals that people in Hungary bought online illegally. – reported Fókusz. These animals could kill anyone around them in the blink of an eye. In the era of the internet, it is not shocking that these animals are available for sale. What is horrific is that it is not even the dark web where these exotic, dangerous, and deadly animals can be easily purchased.

German, Austrian, Dutch sites are offering dangerous animals for sale for a price that is basically pocket money. A black mamba costs EUR 400, a cobra for sale costs EUR 100-150, but crocodiles, alligators, and caimans can also be purchased. Albino animals are available on this site as well. There are also other websites marketing these animals. Some Slovak and Czech websites offer dangerous animals for sale. And the worst is that crossing the Austrian or Slovak border with a Nile crocodile or snake can be easily carried out. What is even worse is that some sellers send the animal by post.

There is no need to explain why these animals are dangerous. Most people would certainly not want to keep a 4 meters long alligator as a pet at home. Neither would those Hungarian people who called the authorities for an anaconda that was found in District 18th of Budapest. This snake can weigh 200 kilos and grow 8 meters long.

In front of the Tropicarium, someone left a caiman in a box. This animal was relatively small with its 1.5 meters length, considering that a fully grown caiman can reach 5 meters. In Dunaharaszti, a family was living with dangerous animals such as a venomous snake and a crocodile. A python was also found near a supermarket, and knowing that it was only 1.5 meters long almost sounds like the best news in the worst situation. This animal can reach 6 meters.

In Hatvan, alligators were found in the back of a car a few years ago. The car had a Romanian license plate. There are some criminal organisations in Romania that breed and smuggle dangerous or endangered animal species.

Keeping and smuggling dangerous animals illegally has serious consequences. The criminal law states that it can be punished by a 2-year prison sentence. Another thing that owners of illegal animals probably do not consider is that antidotes are a must-have. While a poisonous snake, for instance, can be purchased relatively low cost, an antidote is worth around EUR 4,377. A dangerous animal can be kept only if the strict regulations and rules of the law are implemented.

A dangerous animal can only be kept if the owner or entity can ensure that the animal cannot escape. Particularly dangerous animals can only be kept in the zoo or in the circus if strict measures for security are taken.

Moderately dangerous animal species can be kept by those who have legal capacity, qualifications, professional experience, and all the necessary statements of consent. Besides, they must ensure secure conditions. Venomous animals that are moderately dangerous can only be kept if the future owner can show evidence that there is an antidote in case the animal causes harm. If the animal is moderately dangerous, but not venomous, evidence must be shown that professional healthcare is available in case the animal harms someone. The law regarding dangerous animals is available HERE in Hungarian.

The statement of consent is necessary to keep a dangerous animal in Hungary. This statement should be signed only by the neigbours if the animal is not venomous. If the animal is venomous, two-third of all the residents in the adjacent holdings have to sign the statement of consent.