Lemurs, alligators, snakes: Deputies rescue exotic animals from being illegally sold in Clayton Co.

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Clayton County Sheriff’s Office says they’ve dismantled an illegal exotic animal trade and rescued 20 animals from a home.

They say they teamed up with Clayton County Animal Control and game wardens from the Department of Natural Resources to take several dangerous and illegal animals from Jaequan Smith Devers’ home.

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Clayton County ordinances limit households to no more than five animals, but deputies say they found more than 20, including:

• Ring-tailed lemur
• American alligator
• 2 Black and white tegus
• Timber rattlesnake
• Western hog-nosed snake
• Bald python
• 13 dogs

Alligators and tegus are both illegal to keep in Georgia, with alligators being classified as “inherently dangerous wild animals.”

Lemurs are one of the most endangered animals on Earth and are at risk of going extinct, according to the sheriff’s office.

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Deputies also found 2.8 pounds of marijuana during the raid.

Smith Devers is being charged with six counts of possession of wild animals without a permit and four counts of possession of tools during the commission of a crime.

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