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CBC (Toronto, Ontario) 08 January 04 Croc controversy in Kelowna over houseful of exotic reptiles
Kelowna: A houseful of large exotic reptiles has stirred up a controversy in a quiet Kelowna neighbourhood.
Doug Illman has a two-metre alligator plus 10 South American crocodillians, known as caimans – each half a metre long.
Illman, his family and his collection only moved into the neighbourhood recently, following a dispute with a former landlord over his animals.
Now that landlord is putting leaflets in people's mailboxes, warning of their new neighbours.
But Illman says his basement is secure and there's nothing to fear.
"These are captive bred caimans they have never been outside," he says. "Their body cannot exist in our outside temperatures here."
Reptile Refuse spokesperson Paul Springate thinks Illman is making a mistake. He says crocodillians are the most unpredictable and violent members of the wild kingdom.
He notes that they start relatively small but can grow to be more than two metres long – which is when most pet owners get rid of them.
"In absolutely no way do these animals make friendly little household pets. They get massive."
It's now illegal to buy or own an exotic animal in Kelowna. But Illman is exempt, since he acquired his crocodillians before the bylaw came into effect.
He says he plans to keep them in his house, until he can open his own crocodillian centre.
Croc controversy in Kelowna

I think that if someone is owning these large reptiles and is willing to take the responsibility for the reptiles than it should be ok. I understand that exotic pets of the giant nature are something that many people are afraid of but, that doesn't mean that people should not be allowed to own or live somewhere with them. a couple of years ago in vancouver a lady was under investigation because she had 2 giant boas and a child and welfare was going to take the child away.