Why People Keep Cockroaches as Pets: Who is the person who keeps more than 1 lakh cockroaches? Why would a person keep so many cockroaches? What would he do with them? Are cockroaches illegal to keep at home? What are Madagascar Hissing and Dubia Cockroaches?
Cockroaches Seized News: If even one or two cockroaches are seen in your house, then there is chaos in the whole house. Perhaps you immediately start looking for spray or slippers. But just imagine, what if someone has more than 1 lakh cockroaches? A similar case has come to light in Australia, which has surprised everyone including the officials. Here, more than 1 lakh live cockroaches have been recovered from a person. It is being told that these were not normal cockroaches, but cockroaches of foreign species, which are illegal to keep and sell there.
What is the whole matter?
In Bathurst city of New South Wales state of Australia, the Environment Department and the police together have done the strangest and most historic bug raid ever. Authorities have seized more than 1 lakh illegal and exotic species of cockroaches from the premises of a commercial breeder. The price of these insects in the international market has been estimated at around 2 lakh Australian dollars i.e. approximately Rs 1.11 crore.
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Why were there so many cockroaches?
To common people, cockroaches may be just a nasty insect, but they have a huge underground market in the world of exotic pet lovers. People around the world who keep reptiles like chameleons, expensive lizards, pythons or spiders need these special cockroaches to provide them protein. Dubia Cockroaches found in this raid are considered to be the most favorite and nutritious food of reptiles. This breeder was breeding them in large numbers to secretly supply them as feeders to pet shops and hobbyists at huge profits.
cockroaches that hiss like snakes
The most surprising species in this recovery is the Madagascar Hissing Cockroach, which is considered one of the largest cockroaches in the world. Their size is 2 to 3 inches (5 to 8 cm), which is larger than a normal human finger or palm. When they are scared or angry, they release air from their body and make a loud hissing sound like a snake. To protect Australia’s biodiversity and agriculture, importing, rearing or selling them is completely banned.
These cockroaches are like time bombs for the environment.
According to the Australian Department of the Environment (DCCEEW), this is the largest illegal shipment of insects in the country’s history. The government has clarified that no environmental risk assessment of these foreign insects was done. If these 1 lakh insects were accidentally leaked into the open, they could devastate local crops and spread dangerous diseases to local wildlife.
What will happen to these seized cockroaches?
In view of the danger posed by these insects, the Department of Primary Industries of New South Wales has decided to completely destroy all these 1 lakh cockroaches by euthanizing them after seizing them. Along with this, the government has given a strict warning to the people keeping reptiles that they should use only legal alternatives like crickets instead of dubia cockroaches, otherwise they may face heavy fine or jail sentence.