Latest news with #ReptileZoo
CTV News
17 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
Scales of Justice: Lawsuits between Reptilia and Westmount Shopping Centre concern animal welfare group
The embattled reptile zoo in Westmount Mall has landed in court over a rent dispute with its landlord. CTV London's Daryl Newcombe explains. The claws are out in a legal dispute over Reptilia's 20-year lease at Westmount Shopping Centre and allegations that the reptile zoo owes the mall unpaid rent. In February, a Statement of Claim was filed by 785 Wonderland Road Inc. (Westmount Shopping Centre) against Reptilia that alleges, 'The tenant failed to pay the full rent to the landlord for the months of October, November and December 2024, as well as January and February 2025.' The mall is seeking rent arrears of $153,348 plus interest, and a $100,000 payment based on a Minutes of Settlement reached in August 2024. On June 20, Reptilia responded in a Statement of Defence that denies the allegations. The indoor reptile zoo also launched a Counterclaim against the mall for more than a million dollars. Reptilia's filing refers to its lengthy legal dispute with the City of London about whether the provincially licensed reptile zoo must comply with London's Animal Control By-Law that forbids displaying exotic species. Specifically, Reptilia refers to a clause in its lease agreement, 'In the event that the City of London or any other authority having jurisdiction requires any amendments to the zoning by-laws or regulations to permit the Tenant's use set out in this Section 9.01 (a) of this Lease, the Landlord shall be responsible, at its sole cost and expense' Reptilia's Counterclaim against Westmount Shopping Centre alleges it has suffered 'significant operational losses' directly resulting from the property not being zoned for its use. The reptile zoo is seeking $1 million for negligent misrepresentation and $275,000 for breach of contract. 'The decision from the City of London and the application commenced by the City of London garnered significant media attention, which negatively impacted Reptilia London's operations including the number of visitors to its facilities,' the Counterclaim states. 'Additionally, as the result of the decision by the City of London, many educational facilities, including School Boards, refused to work with Reptilia London based on concerns of Reptilia London's operations being in contravention of the Animal Control By-Law. Reptilia's educational programs usually make up a significant portion of its revenues.' Zoocheck Canada says the legal documents are another cause for concern among animal welfare advocates. 'Our biggest concern is the animals that are located at that facility,' said Julie Woodyer of Zoocheck Canada. 'Obviously that's a great concern to us whenever we start hearing that there's these ongoing battles in court and assertions that the finances just aren't there.' Reptilia continues to operate its zoo inside the mall. John Winston, who has been engaged with Reptilia since the business arrived in London tells CTV News in a statement, 'This is a landlord/tenant dispute. Rest assured that care of the animals is not, and would never be, compromised.' Winston emphasizes, 'Ontario Animal Welfare Services has inspected the facility three times since opening and determined it was operating to provincial standards.' Zoocheck Canada obtained emails between the Thames Valley District School Board and representatives of Reptilia through a Freedom of Information Request. The correspondence focusses on the school board's resistance to bringing students to Reptilia based on concerns about accreditation and the dispute with city hall regarding the Animal Control By-Law. 'The school boards, rightly so, do not consider it a proper way to educate children,' added Woodyer. CTV News has yet to receive a response from the operator of Westmount Shopping Centre about the court documents filed by Reptilia. Allegations made in the Statement of Claim, Statement of Defence, and Counterclaim have not been tested in court.
Miami Herald
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Miami Herald
Enormous 19-foot, 250-pound creature is left at California reptile zoo. See it
A creature was dropped off at a California reptile zoo that was so massive, one handler said it was one of the biggest they've ever seen — and might even be the biggest one in the world. 'This is Cucumber. She is our Burmese python here at the Reptile Zoo,' Laura Brewer, operations manager at the zoo, says while sitting right next to the python in a video posted to the zoo's Facebook page May 17. 'She was a donation. We've had her for about four months. She is enormous.' The video shows Brewer sitting between the python and a wall of the snake's enclosure as she compares the size of their bodies. The 19-foot-long, 250-pound snake is so big she wolfs down 10-pound rabbits, Brewer said in the video. 'She may be the largest one,' Brewer says. 'I can't even explain how girthy she is. It's incredible.' Brewer then shows the size of her thigh to the python's body, saying the snake is twice the size. Brewer goes on to explain that Burmese pythons are the third largest snake behind reticulated pythons, which are the longest, and anacondas, which are the heaviest. 'These guys are so cool to be able to interact with because they're actually very sweet,' she said. 'So even though she's such a huge Burmese python, she's been interacted with on and off for the last … I mean her whole life, 25 years.' The zoo did not respond to McClatchy News' request for information about where the python was kept before she was dropped off at the zoo. Brewer said the snake's previous owners mentioned that she loves to relax in water in the summertime. 'With a little bit of socialization, having us come through and be with her, she's tamed down. She's so sweet,' Brewer said. 'We have to be very aware of her, obviously, but it's been cool to be able to sort of formulate that relationship.' Several people in the comments joked about the snake's size — and how easy they thought it looked for her to eat a human. 'Better watch her,' someone said. 'She is big enough to eat you.' Others commented saying they couldn't imagine where the snake had been kept before she was donated to the zoo. 'Dropped off? By who, and why?' someone asked. Fountain Valley is about a 40-mile drive southeast from Los Angeles.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Kentucky Zoo Director Recovering After Bite from 'Highly Venomous' Snake
Kentucky Reptile Zoo co-director Jim Harrison was working on an anti-venom project with two Jameson's mamba snakes when he was bitten A Jameson's mamba is a type of snake that is "highly venomous," with a bite that can cause paralysis and respiratory failure Harrison said that after the bite, he received anti-venom and was put in a helicopter to the hospital, where he was intubated A Kentucky zoo director is lucky to be alive after a bite from a venomous snake. Jim Harrison, co-director of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, told WKYT-TV that he had been attempting to breed two snakes on Monday, April 28, for an anti-venom project when a Jameson's mamba snake suddenly bit him. "The male shot out. I grabbed it with wraps, and then the female took advantage of me not paying attention and then shot up and bit me," Harrison recalled to the outlet. A Jameson's mamba is a "dull green snake" native to equatorial Africa that is "highly venomous," according to the African Snake Bite Institute. The institute added that the snake's bite is potently neurotoxic, which means its venom can affect the nervous system and cause paralysis and respiratory failure. Related: How I Survived a Venomous Snake Bite in My Own Backyard — Then 10 Hours of 'Excruciating Pain' (Exclusive) Kentucky Reptile Zoo co-director Kristen Wiley said that after Harrison was bitten, he was "in pretty serious shape rather quickly," adding that zoo staff needed to rush to get him a dose of antivenom that she called "anti-serum." Harrison, who has received at least 16 snake bites throughout his career, said that he had a keeper drive him from the zoo in Slade to Stanton, about 10 miles away, where the "anti-serum vials" were located. "And they started the anti-serum, five vials there, they put me in the helicopter and intubated me, and after that, I don't know anything," Harrison recalled to WKYT-TV. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "Those guys here that responded right away, they definitely saved his life," Wiley told the outlet. "[Harrison] was in the ICU for about three days. He was intubated for about two days, which means he was on a ventilator for that time." Wiley said Harrison is "recovering well," and will hopefully "leave the hospital soon." However, there are still some withdrawal symptoms that Harrison is facing, including a shooting pain in the bitten arm. Related: Va. Man Narrowly Avoids Venomous Snake Bite After Finding Copperhead on His Washing Machine "It's not instant pain. The pain is some of the muscle breaking down, I believe," Harrison told WKYT-TV. "There's not a lot known about this particular species and, as far as I know, nobody in the United States has been bitten by one." He explained to the outlet that he had been researching Jameson's mamba venom to create an antivenom and that the venom is being studied as an alternative to opioid pain treatment. "Obviously, that would be a huge advantage if they could mitigate pain without having the same addictive tendencies as opioids do," Harrison said. Despite being hospitalized in the ICU, Harrison said he is still determined to continue his work. He told WKYT-TV, "As soon as they let me go, I'm back working." Read the original article on People
