One man left a 9 foot boa constrictor snake in a bin - meet the couple who've made it their mission to rescue exotic animals
“Most people are well meaning, but they buy exotic animals which need specialist care and they can’t cope. People might buy a boa constrictor as a foot long baby and then it grows to 12 feet.”
The words of Becky Richmond, who along with her husband Chris quit the “rat race” of their previous careers two-and-a-half years ago to set up a charity to rescue and rehome exotic animals who’ve been passed on or discarded by their owners.
The Washington couple are currently caring for over 80 exotic and wild animals including a red iguana named Bob, two meercats named Zig and Zag, Cuddles the royal python and a range of other snakes, spiders, including tarantulas, tortoises, scorpions, and an array of lizards.
The couple have always kept their own reptiles as pets, but decided to set up a rescue charity after people they knew began to pass on their own exotic animals after struggling to look after them or provide the environment they need.
Former pharmacy worker Becky said: “We had four snakes of our own and friends of friends who had maybe bought an exotic animal on impulse for a child or for themselves would get in touch with us and ask if we could take the animals on.”
Former care worker Chris added: “It was at a time when we were both disillusioned with our jobs and were looking for something we were passionate about and would enjoy and so we decided to set-up the rescue centre.”
Becky added: “I set up our Richmond Exotics Facebook page and we were immediately inundated with people getting in touch asking us to take their exotic animals into care.
“There was an obvious gap in the support out there for exotic and wild animals. Normal rescue charities deal with your domestic animals and a number of people who spoke with us said that vets had said they would have to put their animals down.”
As the couple took an increasing number of reptiles and wild animals into their care, in 2024 Richmond Exotics gained charity status and the couple expanded their capacity to look after more animals by teaming up with Becky’s parents who also now use their home to house an array of reptiles, amphibians and arachnids.
Becky said: “Most people who buy exotic pets do so with good intentions, but then discover these animals grow, need specialist care and equipment and they just can’t cope.
“These animals need specialist heating equipment to keep them warm and when the energy crisis hit and people’s gas and electric bills went up, people just didn’t have the money to cover this increased expense. We are currently spending £1,200 a month on electricity bills.
“Another common reason is a loss of interest after buying an exotic animal. A lot of the animals who come to us are underweight, some have rat bites, but the biggest problem is metabolic bone disease through not getting enough UV light or being fed the correct diet.”
Whilst most of the exotic animals currently being cared for are through being contacted directly, Becky and Chris have also had to rescue animals which have been discarded and left.
Becky said: “There was one man who was moving into a new house in Gateshead and he found a nine foot boa constrictor in his bin - which we called Dusty - that was left by the person who’d moved out.
“Another person contacted us after moving into a house, opening the cupboard and finding seven tarantulas. We also rescue a lot of tortoises which have been released into the wild.”
The couple have also recently created an outdoor enclosure in their garden after rescuing two meerkats, Zig and Zag.
To fund the charity the couple take the exotic animals into schools where they also educate the children on the care they need. People can also book appointments to come and see the animals with an emphasis once again on educating people about the importance of being fully informed when taking on an exotic animal as a pet.
Becky said: “We also place education videos on our website, but the key thing is not to buy an exotic pet on impulse. It’s important to do your research and to speak to people, including ourselves, to get advice.”
With the number of exotic animals being rescued continuing to increase, Becky and Chris would like to move into a purpose built centre where they can care for more animals and generate increased revenue for the charity to continue its work by welcoming visits from members of the public.
Becky said: “It would be amazing to have our own visitor centre where we can welcome schools and visitors, but to do this we need people’s help.”
Any individual or business who can sponsor or would like to fundraise for Richmond Exotics are asked to contact Becky on 07776 426940 or by emailing [email protected]. You can also contact the couple via the charity’s website and Facebook page.
The charity also look to rehome the animals. If you are interested in providing a home for one of the exotic animals or need an animal rescued then you can also use the same contact methods.
According to the charity you do not need a license to keep exotic animals unless they are on the Dangerous Wild Animals list.
The couple have built up their expertise over many years looking after exotic animals. Becky also has formal qualifications in herpetology and animal care.