24DASH.COM (Hereford, UK) 27 June 06 100 reptiles die in animal centre blaze (Jon Land)
Reptiles perish in animal centre blaze More than 100 reptiles have died in a fire at an animal centre, it emerged today.
Snakes, lizards, frogs, tortoises and giant snails perished in the blaze in the breeding shed at the Skye Serpentarium in Broadford on the Isle of Skye.
The Serpentarium's owners said today they were devastated by their loss in the fire, believed to have been caused by an electrical fault.
Catherine Shearer, who runs the centre with her husband, Alex, said they had lost at least two-thirds of their reptiles.
"It is awful, we are just devastated," said Mrs Shearer.
"A royal python, which was one of the first snakes I ever had, has gone.
"We have also lost rare species like a pancake tortoise and two lizards which were previously thought to be extinct.
"We had a real bond with many of the reptiles - they were absolute pets. It is really sad."
The alarm was raised at about 8.30pm on Monday when Mr Shearer, who was in the breeding shed, spotted smoke.
"I phoned the fire brigade and my husband went to get the fire extinguisher but by that time the black smoke was so dense and toxic we couldn't get into the building," Mrs Shearer added.
"I put a wet sheet over my mouth and tried to go in but I couldn't see or breathe.
"The fire brigade tried to contain it but then flames started leaping out - now the building is just a charred mess."
The couple, who have been housing abandoned and unwanted reptiles since 1991, managed to rescue one royal python from the shed.
Three baby boas and a corn snake retrieved from the shed after the fire have also survived.
A spokeswoman for Highland Fire and Rescue Service said about 12 firefighters tackled the flames, which took almost an hour to extinguish.
100 reptiles die in animal centre blaze