Flaviemys purvisi
Very Well-Known Member
MAY 4 2018
By Emma Kirk
The Naturaliste Reptile Park Discover Deadly owner Bec Bolton was gutted after discovering her business had been broken into and animals stolen.
Animals were stolen from the Discover Deadly Naturaliste Reptile Park in Carbunup River leaving owners of the park gutted.
When Ms Bolton arrived at work on Thursday she noticed hay in one of the reptile enclosures had been flicked around and looked unusual.
She jumped in the enclosure to look around for the animals and realised they had gone, on further inspection Ms Bolton said it was evident it was not another animal which had taken them.
“We thought it had to be a human who came in and did this targetting our animals, we looked in the next enclosure the hay wasn’t disturbed, but again the animals were gone,” she said.
“Normally you cannot go in the garden without seeing or hearing king skinks running around, it was deathly silent.”
Ms Bolton said they also had a number of free range animals which normally ran around but had been cleaned out by the thief.
Later in the day they discovered a whole had been cut into a wire fence which bordered the park.
“Some of the lizards had been in the park since we first opened 11 years ago, it’s like someone has broken into our house and stolen our pets,” she said.
“It is nasty and we know it won’t end well for them. It is not like they are going somewhere nice around the corner, they will either be exported out of the country and be lucky to survive, or be traded.
“It is gutting.”
Ms Bolton said they had lost all their western blue tongue lizards, eight bobtails and could not say how many king skinks because they were free ranging.
“There were two lucky bobtails we found in the enclosure which were really well hidden,” she said.
“We had four babies born this year there was only one we found, so the other three are gone, they were only about a month old they will not survive.”
It was the first time the reptile park has been targetted by thieves and the owners are now upgrading their security around the premises.
Ms Bolton said smugglers did not usually target animal parks and were more likely to take animals from the wild.
She said it was likely someone came in as a paying customer to scope the park out and came back when they had closed.
“It is sad, unfortunately trade of Australian animals are like the third biggest illegal export of wildlife.”
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Reptile security
Busselton Dunsborough Times
Thursday, 17 May 2018
The reptiles were stolen earlier this month. Picture: The West Australian.
Reptiles stolen from the Discover Deadly Naturaliste Reptile Park earlier this month have not been recovered but staff have confirmed security measures to prevent further thefts have been installed since the incident.
The centre now had locked covers on all enclosures.
Nine bobtails, nine blue-tongues and a number of king skinks were stolen from the park and manager Bec Bolton said she held little hope for the reptiles’ recovery, expecting those who had stolen the animals already had buyers lined up.
