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An exotic reptiles exhibition took place in the Blagoevgrad Youth Hall in March. It contained a total of 30 different species, including two of the rarest and most dangerous snakes in the world. “We believe that we have succeeded in assembling the richest collection of exotic animals in the Balkans,” said Georgi Elenski, one of the three veterinaries who organized the exhibition. Their idea is to encourage people to learn more about dangerous snakes like the mambas and the taipans. For this reason they’ve been amassing a sizeable collection of 120 reptile species for the last 12 years. One of the deadliest snakes in the world – the coastal taipan – is a part of their permanent collection and could also be seen in the Blagoevgrad exhibition. Although it is only the third most venomous snake on Earth, its speed of reaction and aggressiveness are unparalleled, Elenski said. Other species of note included in the exhibition were a black mamba and a blunt-nosed viper, which had killed its previous owner. The viper was bought from a zoo in Moscow as were most of the first species in the collection. Consequently, the three veterinaries began ordering them from the Internet, after buying a license for each specie. The exhibition is based in Haskovo and travels for four months each year, during spring and autumn. So far, it has been presented in most Bulgarian cities, Elenski said. 
A chameleon. |  A rattle-snake. |  A coastal taipan. |  A blunt-nosed viper. This one had the honor of finishing off its previous owner. |  A green mamba. |  |
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