An anonymous tip led police to a home in North York that had more than 30 venomous snakes on the property.
Twenty live and 18 dead snakes were obtained after The City of Toronto’s Municipal Licensing and Standards, Toronto police, the Toronto Zoo and Toronto Public Health searched the home with a warrant.
The investigation began after Canada Border Services Agency alerted the city to venomous snakes being delivered to the home from Asia.
The snakes included a variety of vipers, puff adders, hundred pacers, cobras and rattlesnakes and all of them are considered “extremely dangerous,” an official with the city said.
They are now in the custody of Toronto Animal Services.
In Canada, there are currently no federal or provincial laws or regulations that would prohibit entry of these snakes. But all venomous snakes that reach an adult length of larger than three metres are prohibited in Toronto.
The person who had possession of the snakes has been charged with 20 counts of having prohibited animals and is set to appear in court on Jan. 27. Each charged offence is a maximum fine of $5,000.
