Concern about the high number of amphibians and reptiles at the conservation center

The experts at the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union's species protection center in Leiferde are concerned about the high number of amphibians and reptiles that were taken care of last year. In 2023, a total of 302 individuals were received from confiscations or as found animals, the Nabu species conservation center announced on Friday. "The high number of found animals and often their condition clearly shows us year after year that the conditions in which many exotic animals are kept must simply be extremely poor and would certainly not stand up to inspection by the authorities," said Nabu expert Joachim Neumann.

The authorities are not aware of where and how exotic animals are kept. Therefore, in most cases, it is not possible to monitor the conditions in which they are kept. "The introduction of an official reporting obligation for sellers and proof of species-specific expertise would significantly improve this situation," said Neumann.

Last year, Nabu's species conservation center in the district of Gifhorn looked after 3656 animals from 181 species. As a result, the number of animals in care fell slightly. The largest group of animals cared for were native birds with 2466 animals from 95 species, including almost 200 birds of prey, mainly kestrels and buzzards. A rare guest was a young weakened white-tailed eagle.

Because of the recent flooding, Nabu experts expect the number of mice-eating predators to increase this year, including white storks. Countless small rodents have fallen victim to the floods and will therefore be missing as prey.