Campaigners in Bahrain have warned against keeping snakes, alligators, poisonous spiders and hyenas as pets.

They have called for an urgent clamp on the trade of exotic animals, which they fear pose a threat to owners who end up killing them or releasing them onto the streets of Bahrain, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

The Environment Friends Society (EFS) has recorded an increasing number of online advertisements in the last few months promoting the sale of dangerous creatures.

"Primarily trading of these kinds of animals is illegal, but beyond this it is dangerous," EFS president Dr Khawla Al Muhannadi told the GDN.

"These days, children and teenagers are crazy about strange pets and their choice includes wild snakes, alligators, hyena cubs and poisonous spiders, which are dangerous.

"The cute little alligators grow with time and the family, scared of the child associating with the animal, is forced to kill or throw it away - the former is a crime while the latter is far more dangerous.

"Where do they throw these animals? The society once spotted a huge mutated frog in a pit of domestic waste. We also have reports of people throwing alligators into the Tubli Bay."

Dr Al Muhannadi urged authorities to take strict action against online trading of exotic animals.

"There are a number of Instagram accounts that show pictures of wild animals, endangered species and migratory birds from other countries for sale," she said.

"We have signed treaties that protect the migratory species and all these acts violate these regulations. These advertisements must be banned immediately and those behind them punished."

She said keeping such animals as pets were a safety concern, referring to a Filipina housemaid who died in Kuwait in December after she was half eaten by two lions.

The lions were owned by her Kuwaiti employers, who then set the animals on fire and buried them to escape police, according to reports.

"Wild animals are not pets and this craziness must stop," stressed Dr Al Muhannadi. "By rearing the wild, we are not advocating the right environmental relationship and balance. Parents must explain this to their children and stop encouraging them by buying these pets.

"If this craziness continues, we may also witness a situation like that in a neighbouring country, where a housemaid was eaten by a lion living inside a house. It is important that the government act against these illegal traders." – TradeArabia News Service