"It's always interesting to see the things people keep as pets that are not a good idea to keep as pets," says Erica Wilson, a veterinarian at Dickerson Park Zoo

Stone Co. Authorities served a search warrant on a Branson West home after getting a tip from the conservation department. The reason: those living there were allegedly hoarding exotic animals.

The suspect used to volunteer at Predator World in Branson West, but authorities do not believe that's where the animals came from. They think the owners bought the animals over the internet.

It's a surprise to neighbor Nathan Stech, because he never heard anything.

"You apparently don't know everybody as well as you think," says Stech.

Just down the hill...

"It's pretty intense - the amount of venomous snakes that are here and the amount of dead snakes that were here. It's pretty bad," says Jeff McRoy, an animal cruelty investigator for the Humane Society.

The Stone County Sheriff's department, the Humane Society Animal Cruelty Task Force as well as officials from the Dickerson Park Zoo were on the scene Thursday.

The man and woman living at the residence has been arrested for possessing exotic animals.

Found were more than 25 venomous snakes in a shed, living in Tupperware containers labeled "venomous snake, do not open." Among the snakes were cobras, vipers, a cottonmouth, a boomslang and a 6-ft. black mamba.

They also found nearly 50 more dead snakes in that barn. Investigators say the snakes are infected with the deadly paramyxo virus. Wilson says the virus is highly contagious, but just between reptiles. Wilson doesn't think the animals in the house are infected, but they will be tested. The snakes in the barn all have to be euthanized.

Inside the house, investigators found an alligator, a wolf hybrid, two monkeys, exotic birds, exotic fish, and a shark, all alive. However, nearly 30 dead animals were also found in the house in a freezer.

All of this in the same home as a 3-year-old girl. That girl was taken into protective custody and released to the Division of Family Services.

"If that child hand been bitten, there'd be no hope she could have gotten proper medical treatment in time," says Stone Co. Sheriff Richard Hill.

Outside the house, they found another alligator in a cage. Near that cage, they also found more than 60 pipes, bongs, and a pound of pot.

Along with the man and woman living in the house, deputies arrested a visitor on a parole violation. All 3 are currently being held in the Stone Co. jail.

Charges have not been filed, the sheriff says he expects they will be on Friday. For now, investigators are still working to catalog all of the animals.

Contact: dmagditch@kspr.com