Animal lover’s home abuzz with unusual pets
As she opened a large plastic container filled with creepy crawlies, she started explaining where it all began.
When walking into the Göpper household, one can expect to hear some squeaking, chirping, hissing, whistling and barking. Since local animal lover, Lyn Göpper wasn’t allowed to own exotic pets as a child, she inevitably went all out as an adult.
As she opened a large plastic container filled with creepy crawlies, she started explaining where it all began.
“It all started when my son expressed his love for iguanas around 18 years ago. When he started showing interest in unusual pets, we started accumulating them. And so Iggy the Iguana came to be the first member of our exotic pet family,” Lyn said.
She carefully picked up a handful of hissing cockroaches and placed them on her knitted jersey, one by one. The cockroaches hissed loudly as if to indicate their dismay at having their sleep disrupted – they are nocturnal insects, after all.
From there, the extraordinary family just grew and grew some more. Although both her children had left the house many years ago, Lyn still loves taking care of her animal family.
She currently has two dogs, two snakes, three rabbits, a tarantula, bearded dragon and a cockatiel as well as some rats, fish and hissing cockroaches. Unfortunately their beloved 18-year-old Iggy passed away at the end of July.
As the cockroaches continued to crawl over her hands and chest, she mentioned they once had a stick insect as part of the unusual family.
Lyn added that while the house was abuzz with movement and activity in summer, it can get quiet in winter as the reptiles tend to hibernate until it gets warmer again.
“I can’t even remember how I came about most of the animals; I just know I love them to bits and I can’t imagine a life without them. It’s also an exiting visit for the little ones because they just love holding the animals and getting to know them,” she said.
“The house is never quiet as one can expect company around each and every corner. I was never able to fulfil my dream of becoming a vet, but this I’d say is close enough. I’ll just always be an avid animal lover.”
