Town hall chiefs in Derbyshire, England has determined that Thor, a monitor lizard, may now return from exile and freely roam in the park.
It was last summer when 54-year old reptile enthusiast Gary Smith walked three of his reptiles, including Thor, at Derby’s Markeaton Park. A ranger reportedly approached him and escorted him out, because “his animals were dangerous.”
“I turned around and said, ‘You have got dangerous Rottweilers and Alsatians in the park,'” Smith told Derby Telegraph before. “But no, it wasn’t good enough and I had to leave.”
Smith owns Gary’s Reptile Experience, his reptile and exotic animals shop, where he exhibits his assorted reptiles that include his snakes and lizards. He said in that way, he could still give people what they want without breaking any law. Smith said he knows his brood’s temperament and giving them a regular human interaction make them more sociable.
Since the town hall administration has no laws that ban lizards from local green spaces, Thor and his other mates may now continue their walks in the park. They just need to wear leash as a precaution for theirs and the safety of others.
“I mainly walk him for exercise and fresh air,” Smith told SWNS, a UK newswire. “Also, I just like to let people see him and maybe experience touching him.”
