The South West Film and Television Archive (SWFTA) is the regional film archive for the South West of England. Established in 1993, SWFTA's core collection comprises of the combined programme libraries of Westward Television and TSW (Television South West). The archive also cares for a significant number of donated film collections, both amateur and professional, dating back to the early 1900s.
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Alligator on Lizard
Daisy the pet alligator living on the Lizard in Cornwall
From the collection of:
Overview
Daisy the pet alligator has its teeth brushed by owner Gwen Roberts. Gwen is interviewed by TV reporter Del Cooper about owning and looking after pet alligators at her home in St Keverne on the Lizard Peninsula in Cornwall. The word alligator comes from the Spanish word el lagarto meaning lizard. Alligators are native only to America and China but Chinese alligators are an endangered species. Taming exotic animals to become pets became fashionable in the 70s - although keeping them in cramped conditions in the bathtub, as Gwen does, is hopefully no longer acceptable.
The British Veterinary Association and the British Veterinary Zoological Society seek to improve regulations regarding the owning and welfare of exotic pets. Every year UK Border Force intercept many cargoes carrying exotic pets and for this reason there is even an Animal Rescue Centre at Heathrow Airport. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), an international agreement between governments, aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
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