Several people called 10TV Wednesday night complaining about a pile of dead reptiles dumped in their neighborhood.



They found dead snakes, alligators and turtles lying in an alley on the near west side.



By Thursday afternoon, the pile had been removed. But authorities were still trying to determine where the dead animals came from.



The Columbus Sanitation Department picked up the pile early Thursday morning. Sanitation workers say there were adult and baby alligators, boa constrictors at least 6 feet long, turtles, bags of fish and other discarded animals.



Neighbors say that a lot of things have been dumped in their alley before. But the man who made the bizarre discovery says he has no idea where the latest waste came from.



"There’s people who are known to dump off auto parts, dump off cars… stuff like that. You may see a dead cat or something like that there. But not 60 or 70 dead animals, and especially reptilian type," Henry Brake told 10TV.



Columbus sanitation district manager Bob Armstrong says the odor from the waste made it hard for the driver to even haul the garbage.



City officials made it clear that it is illegal to dump any dead animals. At the minimum, it's a third degree misdemeanor, punishable by a $500 fine and up to 60 days in jail.



The penalties with so-called "exotic" animals could be more severe. The Columbus Health Department was investigating, along with police.



Authorities said no area pet shops had any idea whether the reptiles originally came from their stores.

http://www.10tv.com/Global/story.asp?S=3214215&nav=LUESYhXI

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