From a broken leg chameleon to a one-eyed turtle, Cheshire Reptile Rescue has been inundated with unwanted pets after lockdown.
The group must rescue more than 200 pets each month – everything from turtles to giant pythons.
Last week has been one of the busiest weeks ever and the demand is now so great that they have to open a new center near Knutsford.
Director Greg Palmer says, “We used to do the rescue from home, but now there are just too many so we had to look for a new location. We were really lucky – Treetops Nursery in Over Peover gave us a great safe location so we can take in more rescue animals. ”
Greg has been saving reptiles for as long as he can remember and got his first snake when he was just eight years old.
“It was the early 90s and I wanted turtles, but I got a garter snake and everything went from there,” he laughs.
The most common reptiles are leopard geckos and corn snakes.
“They are often the ones who recommend pet stores as ‘starter reptiles’ when people ask about a lizard or snake,” says Greg. “Then six months or a year later, people either decide they don’t want reptiles anymore or they want to ‘upgrade’ to a Python or a monitor and end up with us.”
Nowadays, he is rescuing a wide variety of reptiles, from 13-foot pythons to turtles. He takes the animals in, keeps them under observation, and then puts them back in when they are in full health.
“The big snakes are actually some of the easier ones to find a new home,” he says. “It can be the smaller lizards that are trickier because there are just so many of them.”
Cheshire Reptile Rescue
(Image: Cheshire Reptile Rescue)
For injured animals, Greg works with a specialist veterinarian and has extensive experience in caring for various animal species.
“When people are worried about their reptiles, I would always say give me a call and I’ll help when I can. Many vets are not specialists and therefore cannot always help, but if I can offer advice I will. Even if people no longer want them, please give us a call. Yes, we have a lot to do, but we will help where we can. “
Greg Palmer of Cheshire Reptile Rescue
(Image: Greg Palmer)
But between vet bills, feed, and supplies, it’s an expensive business. And the rescue finances its work through donations and the sale of accessories for the animals.
“We try to have things at a competitive price, and that’s what keeps us going,” says Greg. “We also get donations sometimes. Thanks to a very kind legacy, we were able to open the new center. It couldn’t have come at a better time after the last few months. “
