Afraid of snakes? Then don’t go to Rome! Italy’s Eternal City is inundated with reptiles, seagulls and rats due to waste disposal problems, says animal expert
Rome has become a “jungle” after high temperatures and rotting garbage made the city the perfect breeding ground for rats, snakes and oriental hornets.
Italian zoologist Andrea Lunerti, 56, said he was inundated with calls about snake sightings this summer.
The expert, who is known in the capital for catching dangerous animals, said there are many more snake sightings today than before.
He told The Guardian: “A snake was caught by a seagull and thrown onto a terrace. The city has become a real jungle.”
Andrea Lunerti, 56, (right) said he was inundated with calls about snake sightings this summer
Since 2021, Oriental hornets have also been heavily present in Rome (animal expert pictured in protective suit)
Mr. Lunerti asks customers to send videos of the snakes so he can determine whether they are poisonous or not
“The snake population grew exponentially in the winter because the temperatures were so warm.”
“If it had been cold, they wouldn’t have survived.”
“Then they come from their natural habitat to the city because there is a lot of food waste there, and where there is food waste there are rats – their main prey.”
Mr. Lunerti asks customers to send videos of the snakes so he can determine whether they are poisonous or not.
But even the non-toxic variants cause chaos because they make people panic.
Since 2021, Oriental hornets have also been strongly present in Rome.
Mr. Lunerti keeps a hornet’s nest here. The population of the Oriental hornet has increased significantly in the city.
Mr. Lunerti apparently has no fear of animals and has no problem keeping large beehives
Their increasing prevalence is attributed to higher temperatures and the city’s garbage.
Because of the garbage disposal, Rome is an ideal breeding ground for vermin and attracts rats, seagulls and other vermin.
But Mr Lunerti said the seagulls would at least help reduce the number of rats and snakes. He added: “Rome really needs to get its waste management under control, otherwise we will see even more snakes and hornets, not to mention the rats and seagulls – there are more seagulls in Rome than in Fregene (a nearby coastal town).”
The Rome City Council said there was “no jungle” and that reports of snakes and other pests “gave no cause for concern.”
The city council also denied that there was any connection between the snakes and the garbage, claiming that garbage collection in Rome had improved in 2024 compared to other years.
Citing data from Ama, the company responsible for waste collection in Rome, the city council said: “We can therefore say that the cleanliness of the city is better than it has been for years.”
The problem of waste disposal in Rome has turned the city into an ideal breeding ground for vermin, attracting rats, seagulls and other pests.
Rome’s city council said there was “no jungle” and that reports of snakes and other pests were “no cause for concern.”
Mr Lunerti lives in an off-grid hut about 20 miles north of Rome, surrounded by wild boars, donkeys and goats.
His home is like a mini zoo and children often visit him with their teachers or parents to learn how animals behave in the wild and what to do if they encounter a dangerous animal.
But he is on speed dial with the police, farmers and housewives in his community.
Pictures show him walking barefoot in the mud, cuddling with deer, frogs, giant snails and even falling asleep with wild boars and wolves.
Mr. Lunerti doesn’t seem to be afraid of animals and has no problem keeping huge hives full of killer bees.
He told the newspaper “I”: “My life is hectic: my phone rings constantly, even at night.”
“But if this can save even one animal from human stupidity, I will be the happiest person in the world.”
