A Kenosha County man claims someone stole more than two-dozen reptiles from his home last week. Now local authorities are looking for who’s responsible for the odd crime.
Bill Stewart said he stopped by his Trevor home last Wednesday to find his back door wide open. He walked inside and saw his reptile cages were empty.
“That’s when my heart sank,” Stewart said.
Twenty-five of his pets including 15 Geckos, a small Greek tortoise, a small alligator, a Bearded Dragon and a Large Tegu worth just shy of $2,000 were nowhere in sight.
“Nothing else was taken out of my home so they came in with a plan of taking these animals and they were prepared to do it,” he said.
Stewart immediately called 911 and Kenosha County Sheriff’s deputies arrived.
“They took finger prints and pictures and were going from there,” he said.
A week later, after calling every pet store within a hundred miles and checking local Craigslist ads, Stewart said there aren’t any leads.
“I think what’s bothering me the most is that I don’t understand the motivation behind it,” he said.
Stewart said his missing reptiles are more than just pets, they’re also an educational resource in the community.
“It’s teaching people they don’t have to be afraid of these animals,” Stewart said.
He’s a member of the Madison Area Herpetological Society and represents southeastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
“We bring these reptiles to schools and science fairs and assemblies just to show the public just how incredible and unique these animals can be,” he said.
Stewart hopes whoever stole his pets finds it in their heart to return them so he can continue doing what he loves.
“I’m concerned mostly about their wellbeing at this point I’m not worried anything else than knowing they’re OK,” said Stewart.
Anyone with information about who stole the reptiles is asked to call the Kenosha Co. Sheriff’s Department.
