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Castaway credit crunch creatures

Fears are growing at the Oceanarium in Bournemouth over the increasing number of pets being donated from members of the public.

Over the last year more than 40 creatures have been re-homed at the attraction, with more having to be recommended to other local zoos and aquariums.

Many of the public donations to the Oceanarium are large creatures, which have been brought in by owners who no longer have the adequate size tanks and equipment to care for the animals.

With no law in place to regulate the purchase of creatures of all shapes and sizes, the Oceanarium is warning the public to make sensible and informed choices when choosing fish, reptiles and amphibians.

The Oceanarium's appeal comes as the RSPCA today (Monday April 27) announced a 57 per cent increase on the number of animals abandoned across England and Wales in 2008, due in part to the current economic climate. The number of abandoned fish rose to 1,505 last year, compared to 670 in 2007, according to the charity.  

Pet donation - a red-tailed catfish donated to the Oceanarium in Bournemouth

Oliver Buttling, Group Curator of the Oceanarium, said: "We are strongly encouraging members of the public interested in purchasing fish, reptiles and amphibians to research the creature they are interested in caring for. People need to be aware of how big an animal is likely to grow and make sure they have a tank and equipment suitable for caring for the creature throughout its life. We want to dispel the myth that an animal will only grow to the size of the tank in which it is kept. A big fish will grow big, no matter what size tank it is kept in. 

"While we have re-homed a large number of creatures since April last year, with regret, we have also had to turn public donations away due to lack of space within our displays. This causes us greater concern as to the possibility that these creatures will then be abandoned or continued to be kept in poor tanks unsuitable for their needs."     

For further information about the Oceanarium please call 01202 311993 or visit http://www.oceanarium.co.uk

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