More than 100 wild, exotic animals, including ostrich, taken from North Bellmore home

A North Bellmore man with a collection of dozens of exotic animals, including a South American ostrich living in his basement, was issued 30 citations, and the animals were removed from the home, the Nassau County SPCA said.

Det. Matt Roper, director of law enforcement for the SPCA, said the search of the man’s property was part of an ongoing criminal investigation.

“It was disturbing,” Roper said of the scene investigators arrived at Tuesday evening. “The animals were all well cared for. There was no neglect, but he was in possession of animals on the endangered species list and he was in possession of animals that are dangerous to the public.”

More than 100 animals were found at the property, including a South American ostrich known as a lesser rhea, Roper said.

The Department of Environmental Conservation issued the violations while the SPCA is investigating the animals. The Town of Hempstead Building Department also issued violations for harboring illegal animals and other construction violations related to housing the animals.

John Di Leonardo, executive director of Humane Long Island, said the violations were issued to Matthew Spohrer, who was living at the North Bellmore home with his parents.

A man declined to comment at the home on Thursday through an intercom doorbell. He also declined to say if he had an attorney.

Officials said Spohrer told authorities he ordered an ostrich egg on eBay last year. Di Leonardo said the baby ostrich was seen in October on display at the Bellmore Street Festival, triggering tips that launched the investigation.

Officials from eBay were not immediately available for comment on Thursday. Ostrich eggs were listed for sale Thursday on the online auction website.

Di Leonardo said he planned to have the South American ostrich inspected by a veterinarian and delivered to a wild bird sanctuary this weekend in North Carolina. 

Other animals discovered at the site included an endangered tiger salamander, a giant African snail, a North American opossum, two prairie dogs, an Asian water monitor, a Savannah monitor, a sulcata tortoise and several degu rodents. The were also peafowl, chickens, ducks, geese and cows.

“The illicit wildlife trade is one of the largest sources of criminal earnings, behind only arms smuggling and drug trafficking,” Di Leonardo said in a statement. “But the animals pay the price.”

Roper said after an inventory was completed, the animals were taken for veterinary checkups. They will ultimately end up with licensed animal rehabilitators and sanctuaries, officials said.

The illegal animal trade is an “epidemic” in Nassau County, Roper said, estimating more than two dozen other similar illegal animal owners were in his jurisdiction.

“Some people think that having a rhea as a pet is a cool thing to have, but it's a dangerous animal that can have up to 6-inch talons,” Roper said. “It can run at speeds of up to 20 miles an hour in the breeding season. It's extremely nasty and it's not for a self-proclaimed animal expert to have.”

CORRECTION: The ostrich found in the basement of the North Bellmore home is a rhea from South America. An earlier version of this story had an incorrect origin.