Afraid of snakes? Don't go to Rome! Italy's Eternal City is inundated with reptiles, seagulls and rats due to waste management problems, animal expert says
Rome has become a 'jungle' after high temperatures and rotten garbage have made it the perfect breeding ground for rats, snakes and oriental hornets.
Italian zoologist Andrea Lunerti, 56, said he had been inundated with calls this summer about snake sightings.
The expert, who is famous in the capital city for catching dangerous animals, said there are many more sightings of snakes than there used to be.
Speaking to The Guardian, he said: 'A snake was captured by a seagull and dropped on to a terrace. The city has become a proper jungle.
Andrea Lunerti, 56, (right) said he had been inundated with calls this summer about snake sightings
Oriental hornets have also established a strong presence in Rome since 2021 (Animal expert pictured in protective clothing)
Mr Lunerti asks clients to send videos of the snakes so he can determine whether they are poisonous or not
'The snake population grew exponentially during the winter because the temperature was so warm.
'They wouldn't have survived if it had been cold.
'Then they come to the city from their natural environment because there is a lot of food waste, and where there is food waste there are rats – their main prey.'
Mr Lunerti asks clients to send videos of the snakes so he can determine whether they are poisonous or not.
But even the non-poisonous ones 'cause havoc' because they send people into a panic.
Oriental hornets have also established a strong presence in Rome since 2021.
Mr Lunerti pictured holding a hornet's nest. The city has seen an uptick in populations of Oriental Hornet
Mr Lunerti has seemingly no fear when it comes to animals, having no issue holding huge hives
Their proliferation has been attributed to higher temperatures and the city's rubbish.
Rome's waste management problem has made it the perfect breeding ground for vermin, attracting rats, seagulls and other pests.
But Mr Lunerti said at least the seagulls help reduce the numbers of rats and snakes, adding: 'Rome really needs to get a grip on its waste management, otherwise we will be seeing even more snakes and hornets, not to mention the rats and seagulls – there are more seagulls in Rome than there are in Fregene (a nearby coastal town).'
Rome's city council said there was 'no jungle' and the reports of snakes and other pests do not 'indicate any alarm'.
The council also denied the link between the snakes and rubbish, claiming Rome's waste collection has improved in 2024 so far compared with other years.
Citing data from Ama, the company that manages Rome's waste collection, the council said: 'This allows us to say that the cleanliness of the city is the best it has been for years.'
Rome's waste management problem has made it the perfect breeding ground for vermin, attracting rats, seagulls and other pests
Rome's city council said there was 'no jungle' and the reports of snakes and other pests do not 'indicate any alarm'
Mr Lunerti lives in an off-grid cabin around 20 miles north of Rome, surrounded by wild boars, donkeys and goats.
His home is akin to a mini zoo and children frequently visit with their teachers or parents to learn how creatures behave in the wild and what to do if you come across a dangerous animal.
But he is on speed dial for police, farmers and housewives in his local community.
Pictures show him going for barefoot walks in the mud, cuddling deer, frogs, giant snails and also falling asleep with wild boars and wolves.
Mr Lunerti has seemingly no fear when it comes to animals, having no issue holding huge beehives filled with killer bees.
Speaking to the I paper, he said: 'My life is hectic: my phone rings all the time, even at night.
'But if this helps to save even just one animal from human stupidity, I'm the happiest man in the world.'
