Zagreb Zoo Houses Serbian Snake Collection

Zagreb's zoo agreed to house the snakes, as other zoos either didn't have the facilities or wanted just some of the collection on offer after the owner's death.

The collection of snakes includes some of the world's most poisonous.

A black-tailed rattlesnake

A green pit viper

The poisonous snakes are housed in a special chamber, with safety glass and closed-circuit television monitoring.

Ivan Cizelj, the fish, amphibian, and reptile curator at the Zagreb Zoo, says the creatures in his care are "kind of a hot item."

A mangrove pit viper

The Zagreb Zoo purchased special antivenom to have on hand, as the bite of some of these predators can kill a human in minutes, not hours.

Snake-handling tools

White-lipped island pit viper