A venomous green mamba, a boa constrictor and cobras were seized during an Itasca County drug investigation over the weekend.
The Itasca County Sheriff’s Office said it executed a search warrant Saturday at a Deer River property about an hour east of Bemidji. Along with methamphetamine, ammunition and a stolen handgun, several exotic animals and other creatures were found, the sheriff’s office said.
Brainerd’s 4X4 Reptile Rescue collected all the animals, owner Ben Haarup said.
“You never know when the phone rings, what it’s going to bring,” he said, but he’s rescued larger lots of reptiles, including nearly 40 bearded dragons.
He said the animals’ owner has contacted him about retrieving some of the creatures, and others will be rehomed. The green mamba was ill, Haarup said, and has since died.
A couple of 12-inch venomous centipedes, three tarantulas and eight snakes made up the collection.
A 39-year-old man and 34-year-old woman were arrested but not yet charged.
“Illegal drugs, firearms, and the presence of dangerous reptiles posed a significant public safety concern,” Sheriff Joe Dasovich said in a prepared statement. “Thanks to the diligence of our deputies and partners, these threats were removed from the community without incident.”
