Durban snake park forced to close shop

The municipality and the Park disagree on the relocation

Officials at The Fitzsimons Snake Park in Durban are scrambling to find a home for thousands of both indigenous and exotic snakes and reptiles after the eThekwini Municipality ordered them to leave their premises by Monday, as it has been earmarked for development.

The Fitzsimmons Snake Park, located on Durban's Marine Parade, is home to about 4 000 indigenous and exotic reptiles. Park officials say they only heard they had to vacate the premises when they got the court order yesterday.

Park curator Chris Willis said: "We are trying to find guys who can foster animals if that needs be, if they can just hang on to them for us because they've given us little time to move everything to a permanent location … it’s going to be impossible."

If the park closes, 28 people could lose their jobs and communities who called the snake park for captures will no longer have this service. The park also operates as an education centre.

The municipality denies park officials were caught off-guard, saying they knew about the plans last year.