This is a story that's very likely to make your skin crawl.
Twenty venomous snakes have been seized from a home in the Steeles and Bathurst area.
It happened yesterday after the city received a tip from the Canada Border Services Agency.
Not only were the 20 live snakes found but there were 18 dead ones located, as well, that included cobras, vipers, puff adders, hundred pacers, and rattlesnakes.
"They were housed appropriately and we went in with the assistance of the Toronto Zoo, identified the species that were venomous and therefore prohibited and that's what we seized. They were taken into the custody of animal services where they're currently being held," explains Tracey Cook with Municipal Licensing and Standards.
A man in his mid-40s now charged and will appear in court later this month.
Why did he want 38 snakes? That's still under investigation. "There's a variety of reasons why people may have these reptiles. Some as pets, there's a market in some areas to use venomous snakes for all kinds of purposes, there's also organizations that show reptiles. We're not clear on the purpose, why the importation of the snakes occurred. I do not believe it was solely for the use of that individual," says Cook.
The snakes will remain in the custody of Toronto Animal Services until a court decides what should be done with them.