Indiana

20 Exotic Animals Found in Michigan Home: Report

Animal Control initially believed the complaint was a prank call

Two people are accused of animal abandonment and cruelty after investigators Friday discovered 20 exotic animals in “squalid” conditions at a rural Michigan home, according to a report.

Animal Control discovered four wallabies, sugar gliders, a coatmundi, a tarantula, a venomous spider, fish, a rat-like animal, and an aggressive monkey inside the home in Mottville Township, located just north of the Indiana border, according to the Kalamazoo Gazette. The sheriff told a reporter that the house had a “nasty” smell.

Investigators found the animals after a complaint about small kangaroos in the home’s backyard, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported. Animal Control initially believed the complaint was a prank call.

Troy Leiby, 40, and Jessica Archberger, also 40, face charges including animal abandonment and cruelty, as well as animal killing/torture, according to the report. The pair may have previously operated an exotic animal shop in Indiana.

Employees at the Binder Park Zoo in Battle Creek were working with investigators to determine the condition of the animals and to find them a new home, the Kalamazoo Gazette reported.

Contact Us