Amanda Leedham, a local from Kingstanding, Birmingham, finds "great satisfaction" in rescuing abused or abandoned snakes and placing them in "loving homes."
From the age of 10, Amanda was always fascinated with reptiles and continued to study them for 40 years. She now owns 7 snakes and one tortoise and favours them like they're her children.
In the region, the cost-of-living crisis remains at an all-time high, and Amanda is finding it difficult to make ends meet. Before doing anything else, she prioritises her responsibility to take care of the reptiles and ensure their safety.
Amanda with one of her snakes, Fiona
Source: Amanda Leedham
Amanda also added that snakes were regularly abandoned by their owners in Birmingham as they couldn't afford the bills of power and heating.
She argued, however, that releasing them into the wild put them in danger of starvation, hypothermia, and human attack.
"I've had to reduce my spending by using less electricity, only using the washer once a week, and watching no television at all. I only use my heater at night so I can handle my snakes, and all of my reptiles have heated cages so they are always kept at the right temperature. Despite my struggles, I will keep giving up my needs in order to support them since this is my life's passion." She said.
Amanda's reptiles have become "superstars on social media" after sharing videos on Facebook of them climbing in her fridge and throughout her house.
The Burmese python, one of the world's biggest snake species, resides with her.
"I have seen how reptiles have been abused and dumped, and it broke my heart. I have learnt that these creatures are clever loving souls who bond with their owners if treated right.
This inspired me to try and get the word out there, reptiles are not dumb animals, they do in fact have the capacity to love their owners. I study reptiles' behaviour for years and they are incredible and learn from us over time." She added.
Although there may not be enough room for more snakes, Amanda will continue to rescue them and find suitable homes for their safety.
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