Snakes, Alligators and Other Exotic Animals Found Inside Brooklyn Apartment

By AOL Real Estate Editors | Posted Sep 10th 2012 2:30PM

Updated Sep 10th 2012 6:48PM

Ever heard the phrase "you live in a zoo"? Renters in one New York City apartment apparently took that a little too literally.

On Friday, NYPD officers reportedly found 13 exotic animals -- including a tarantula, two alligators, two bearded dragons, five pythons and a boa constrictor -- living inside fish tanks in an apartment in a public housing complex in Brooklyn (pictured above).

Exotic Animals Seized in Brooklyn Apartment

Police were at the apartment to serve an unrelated search warrant when they discovered the creepy menagerie. Officials from Animal Care and Control were called to remove the animals, some of them potentially deadly. In New York City, it's illegal to house exotic animals inside public housing projects.

Those weren't the only intimidating animals in the apartment, neighbors said. The tenants of the apartment also had at least three large pit bulls, a neighbor told DNAinfo.com.

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"There's urine and feces in the hallway, and nine times out of 10, it was them," said downstairs neighbor, Klein Poe, of the dogs.

Poe, who has two young children, and other neighbors suspected that something was awry with the animal-owning tenants when they wouldn't allow maintenance workers into their apartment to fix leaky pipes.

"They didn't want to let them in," Poe told DNAinfo. "Now it all makes sense."

See also:
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Sinkholes and Roaches and Snakes, Oh My!

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Reader Comments (17)

by jennifer stewart - September 16th 2012 @ 11:38PM

crazy how did the other tenant's not now wow that is insane

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by PANZER - September 10th 2012 @ 11:14PM

THE HUMANS IN THESE PROJECTS R THE TRUE ANIMALS

by Solar Tempest - September 11th 2012 @ 6:01AM

How would the other tenants know? Tarantulas, pythons, and bearded dragons aren't noisy. Gators can make noises but the size of the one shown above wouldn't be loud enough for people to notice either.

As for the three pitbulls, they get a bad reputation because of idiots. I've had several as pets and they have wonderful personalities and are very friendly.

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by sonny - September 10th 2012 @ 9:55PM

I WORKED IN BROOKLYN FOR A GAS UTILITY FOR OVER 33 YEARS AND SAW HOUSES AND APARTMENTS YOU WOULDN'T SEE IN THE MOVIES. ISN'T IT IRONIC THIS LITTLE HOME JUNGLE WAS LOCATED IN PUBLIC HOUSING RIGHT SMACK IN BROOKLYN: THE REAL JUNGLE OF NEW YORK CITY.

by SAM - September 10th 2012 @ 10:10PM

Exotic or illegal?
Certainly not creepy.
Tarantulas, pythons, and lizards are common pets in Southern California. -ok maybe not the alligators.
Pit bulls? Now that's scary.
I'd rather deal with wild coyotes than someone's pet pitbull.

by DennisTheMenance - September 11th 2012 @ 5:31AM

And you wonder why?
\
- Don't give Anyone Anything unless? Alot of Conditions
-Food Stamps and anything else? They are Loans, not Free.!

You want Things to Use or Own? YOU go work and pay for them

We just found 8 people were Comming to our Towns Food Pantry for Months.. And taking the Food and Selling it !

by mike Hall - September 23rd 2012 @ 11:17AM

It goes on here in my town all the time, we have 4 local food banks all operated by churches ,and the intentions of course were great. Feed the homeless ,the sick and elderly, now we have those who drive to these food banks ,and pick up 3 or 4 bags of groceries at each one ,and they wind up at the flea market here locally on saturday morning on a rented table for sale. This is the problem with any entitlement program, like standing in line for 5 hours to get a 5 pound block of goverment surplus cheese ,simply because it is ,free. people being declared disabled at 21 years old, having a boyfriend who is also disabled,and 3 of her 5 children ,all disabled with ADHD ,they monthly income from disability checks is over 4300.00 a month,then add 600.00 in food stamps, her daycare, she works 16 hours each week at mcdonalds, so also more cash, and they live much better than my wife and self who both work 40 hour jobs ,and spare every penny to get by.

by Stacey - September 27th 2012 @ 1:29AM

I agree - tear all this s..t down. People either work for a living and support themselves or they do not need to live. All these damn tenements have given this country a bunch of lazy, un-educated, welfare taking, baby-making, bottom-feeders that have bled this country dry!

by byron - September 10th 2012 @ 10:08PM

Oh come on people. Everyone knows alligaters are much happier in the bathtub than in the wild. As for bearded dragons, they get a bad rap simply because they wont shave..

by Jadama - September 10th 2012 @ 10:26PM

Spiders, snakes, and Dragons. OH MY!!!

by barbara pettard - September 11th 2012 @ 1:43PM

I would like to see a law that an individual could NOT OWN any exotic pets, especially if they are not indigenous to the region they live in! and if Caught you should be put in Prison for a min of 1 year !
Especially poison, snakes , spiders, and other animals that may harm you or your neighbors!
A PET TIGER? HOW STUPID IS THAT? As stupid as a pet chimp. or other type of monkey/Ape.

by Dennis M. - September 11th 2012 @ 7:13AM

The only thing mentioned that can not be bought from a pet shop here in Tidewater VA, is the alligators,

by Allison - September 11th 2012 @ 10:07AM

I see nothing wrong with keeping these animals (with the exception of the alligators), if it is done in a humane and safe way. I have friends that have a snake. A very nice pet for a family that has allergy issues. Everyone has their own opinion but from the photos these animals were taken better care of then probably half of the dogs and cats in NY.

Missing the point - THEY ARE ON WELFARE!!

by Mychal - September 13th 2012 @ 12:01PM

If they live in the projects isn't that some sort of government assisted living? But they can afford all these exotic pets, and can feed them?

by mike hall - September 23rd 2012 @ 11:19AM

It is called ,entitlement , and yep they feel they are owed ,all.

by Stacey - September 27th 2012 @ 1:32AM

Because people like this know how to work a system that has been broken for a VERY long time! They know how to breed, abuse animals, have baby daddy's and momma's, have all their kids labeled so they get payments for them, etc. etc.

17 Comments / 1 Pages