Who dumped a dead 3ft lizard in Small Heath?
Birmingham City Council’s environmental health team are appealing for witnesses after a dead 3ft long lizard was dumped next to a park in Small Heath.
Enforcement officers working in the area were alerted to the dead animal by a member of the public, who spotted the lizard on the edge of Hay Barn Recreation Ground, off Hob Moor Road, at about 2.30pm on Thursday (14 April).
The Bosc monitor lizard, which is believed to have been kept as an exotic pet, bore no signs of injury and was not micro-chipped. Officers took the animal away and its body was incinerated, as required by law.
Abandoning rubbish of any kind (flytipping), including dead animals, is illegal and offenders can face an unlimited fine and up to five years’ in jail if convicted at Crown Court. Last month (1 March) two men, Ionut Muti and Augustin Dobre, were jailed for 11 months and six months respectively for dumping waste, including 15 sheep carcasses, in Aston.
Environmental health officers are investigating this matter and are scrutinising CCTV footage to help identify the person or people responsible.
Jacqui Kennedy, Acting Strategic Director of Place for Birmingham City Council, said: “The discovery of a large dead lizard dumped as ‘rubbish’ is not only unacceptable, it is disturbing that someone would do this in the first place.
“Due to its weight and size it may well have been transported by car, as it could not be carried very far – so I am appealing to anyone who was in this area of Small Heath on Thursday before 2.30pm to get in touch with any information that may help officers find those responsible.
“We all need to love and respect our neighbourhoods and it’s disappointing to see rubbish of any kind being dumped on our streets. Keeping Birmingham’s streets clean is everyone’s responsibility so we will continue to clamp down on litter bugs, targeting areas where there is a persistent problem.”
If you have any information about who left the dead lizard on Hob Moor Road, or wish to report any other similar incidents, please visit www.birmingham.gov.uk/flytipping to report the dumped rubbish or email admin@birminghamnewsroom.com
ENDS
Notes to editors
Disposal of deceased animals
Under the Animal By-Product (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013, all deceased animals must be incinerated, although there is an exemption that allows the burial of pets.
If you who wish to bury your pet after it has died must ensure the grave is at least 2ft deep, to ensure the body cannot be easily dug up by foxes and other animals.
Most veterinary practices will offer a cremation service.
Bosc (Savannah) monitor lizards
- Monitor lizards are native to Africa and Asia
- These reptiles usually grow to between 3ft and 5ft in size (including the tail)
- On average they have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years.
- Bosc monitor lizards need to be kept in a warm environment (30C to 35C)
- Their diet commonly consists of meat, eggs and insects.
