Reptiles perish in island blaze

The Shearers' serpentarium on the Isle of Skye

The owners of an island reptile centre have told how they tried to save nearly 200 snakes and lizards from a burning breeding unit.

Catherine and Alex Shearer were beaten back by black clouds of toxic fumes as the blaze consumed the building at Skye Serpentarium on Monday night.

Only a handful of snakes - including a box with three baby pythons inside - survived the fire in Broadford.

Mrs Shearer said an electric socket may have shorted and sparked the blaze.

The breeding unit was separate from the Shearers' home and the serpentarium, which the couple opened in 1991.

My husband turned the electricity off and got a fire extinguisher and I put a wet sheet over my mouth, but I couldn't see or breathe Catherine Shearer

It had housed newly hatched boas and a number of the 600 unwanted and abandoned pet snakes and reptiles the couple have taken in.

Mrs Shearer said the dead animals included two lizards previously thought to have been extinct and pythons they had kept for 20 years.

The building also held the centre's files and computer equipment.

She said the fire began with a cloud of grey smoke on Monday evening.

Plastic containers

"I called the fire brigade and then we tried to grab what we could - we got one box holding a royal python," said Mrs Shearer.

"We couldn't get back inside because of the smoke. Many of the snakes were in plastic containers and when they started melting there was black toxic fumes.

"It was so thick it was almost like trying to get through a solid barrier.

Visitors to the centre are able to see and handle snakes

"My husband turned the electricity off and got a fire extinguisher and I put a wet sheet over my mouth, but I couldn't see or breathe."

Police and two fire units arrived and firefighters wearing breathing apparatus brought the blaze under control.

Mrs Shearer said: "The fire crews started bringing out all these dead animals - tortoises the size of footballs, royal pythons. They asked for a bag to put them in.

"At the end they found a corn snake, but I don't know if it will survive for much longer and three baby boas in a wee box. I don't know how they stayed alive during the fire."

Vet offer

Skye Brewery has offered any help it can give with transport or storage and a local veterinary practice has also said it will assist.

A larger snake has been wrapped in a duvet and was being kept in a polystyrene box until the Shearers can find another home for it.

Mrs Shearer said: "We've been told the fire wasn't anything to do with negligence. A socket appears to have shorted and caught fire."

She had no idea how their breeding programme would recover from the fire.

The serpentarium remained open on Tuesday and a large group of nursery children arrived and chatted noisily in the background as Mrs Shearer spoke about the fire.