London’s Richmond Park has become a dumping ground for unwanted pets as diverse as chinchillas, tarantulas and even a goat, the Daily Mail reports.
In some cases, people empty entire aquariums into the famous royal park’s streams and ponds.
Releasing the animals into the park puts them at risk of being unable to fend for themselves, and it can disrupt the park’s ecology, the Daily Mail notes.
Park personnel work with rescue agencies to find new homes for the pets when they’re discovered, said Adam Curtis, assistant park manager.
Among the animals that have been found are hamsters, gerbils, chinchillas, rabbits, terrapins, a tarantula, an American corn snake and a half-starved goat.
Visitors might see the iconic park as a good place to abandon pets because it is a nature reserve. It is well known for its 630-strong herd of red and fallow deer; rangers have been caring for the deer since 1637.
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