Tokyo - A Japanese man was arrested for illegally keeping 51 poisonous snakes in a tiny Tokyo apartment, the Jiji Press news agency reported Wednesday. Among the snakes kept by the man in dozens of plastic boxes piled on top of each other was a highly poisonous 1.9-metre Black Mamba from Africa.
The dock worker's snake pit was discovered in July when he was forced to call emergency services after one ofhis pets, a cobra, bit him while he was feeding it.
Police waited until he was discharged from hospital on Wednesday before arresting the snake owner for violating Japan's animal protection laws and are investigating the origin of the reptiles.
