Illegal Exotic Animal Amnesty Day is Saturday in Holtsville, SPCA says

Calling all Long Islanders who are housing -- illegally -- alligators, pythons, anacondas and Komodo dragons. Here's your chance to turn in these and other illegally possessed, protected, endangered and threatened animals.

Saturday is Illegal Exotic Animal Amnesty Day when creatures requiring special New York State Department of Environmental Protection or U.S. Fish & Wildlife permits can be handed over with no prosecution.

"The purpose of this effort is to get these illegally possessed animals into a controlled environment where they can be cared for properly," said Chief Roy Gross of the Suffolk SPCA, which is co-hosting the event with the state DEC, Fish & Wildlife and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"People who are in possession of these animals unlawfully can turn them in to us without fear of prosecution," Gross said in a Thursday news release. "No one will be asked to give their name."

Specially trained handlers will be on site from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Town of Brookhaven Wildlife and Ecology Center, 249 Buckley Rd., Holtsville. The animals should be brought in containers, which will be returned.

All venomous reptiles will be accepted, along with these large constrictor snakes: Burmese python, reticulated python, African rock python, green anaconda, yellow anaconda, Australian amethystine python and Indian python. Alligators, crocodiles and caimans are eligible for turn in, as well as the Asiatic (water) monitor, Nile monitor, white throat monitor, black throat monitor, crocodile monitor and Komodo dragon.

A list of possible mammals was not included in the release, but Gross said that in the past the likes of monkeys, marmosets, cougars -- even leopards and a black bear -- have been taken from people's homes.

SEE PHOTOSAnimals on the loose on LI, in NY

Better leave at home any native wildlife or species that do not require permits or are not threatened, endangered or illegal, as they are not eligible for turn-in.

To learn more, call Suffolk County SPCA at 631-382-7722; the DEC at 631-444-0250; and Fish & Wildlife Services at 516-825-3950.