MORE than 50 snakes were taken in a raid on a pet shop in Nottingham.
Thieves broke into Sherwood Pets, in Spondon Street, off Mansfield Road, Sherwood, by forcing the door on Friday night or in the early hours of Saturday. at
Fifty royal pythons were stolen, along with a rare Brazilian rainbow boa and three hognose snakes.
Shop owner Tina Rimer, 44, has since recovered eight of the snakes from exotic pet stores in Hull and Doncaster, which had been sold the animals.
She says the snakes were worth £15,000 to £20,000 between them. The largest of the reptiles, the rainbow boa, measures five feet in length.
"When I walked in I just felt like giving up," she said. "I've spent seven years of hard slog building up a collection and suddenly they've been taken away from me."
Mrs Rimer collects the snakes as a hobby as well as selling some specimens.
"I'll never be able to replace some of them," she added.
Mrs Rimer said she feared the animals could suffer respiratory problems if not looked after correctly. "It's not like somebody's stolen a television. These are living things which will feel pain," she added.
Shop customers Gary Sansom, 36, and Samantha Kitching, 36, from Bulwell were on their way to buy food in the form of frozen rats for their ten pythons
Gary said: "This incident is very strange. You can't just sell a royal python on the street, the thief had to know what they were doing."
He added that royal pythons can go for months without eating a proper meal.
Joanna Crossley, 26, who lives in nearby Mansfield Street, said: "I'm not too pleased there's been a burglary in the neighbourhood, but if they're after rare snakes then I think I'll be all right."
Sherwood appears to be a hotbed for reptile enthusiasts, with Nottingham Reptile Centre close by in Mansfield Road. Owner Matt Oldham, 25, said: "There's a bit of money in royal pythons, but people do it for the love of the animals more than anything."
He said they sell average sized boas for between £80 to £90, but that some rare snakes could be worth a lot more.
Police say the stolen snakes are not considered dangerous, but urged exotic pet owners and dealers to be on the lookout for them.
A spokesperson said: "If you think you may have received an unsolicited approach to buy the snakes, or know who is responsible for the theft, contact Notts Police on 101, quoting incident 202 of May 4.
