BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

The Philippine Pet Expo 2023 is an international premier event for pets where one can see pets, buy products, join raffles, games, and attend care talks.

Tickets to the event held at the SMX Convention Center were just sold for Php250, and this also comes with the access to the International Gamefowl Festival booths and activities in the adjacent hall.

Even though we’ve come across usual cute pets like corgis, bunnies, and hamsters, many people who went to the event were actually gathered at the stalls which sells exotic pets, particularly reptiles.

Some very expensive ball pythons were sold at the stall of Billy Badilla’s Reptiles. These are: spider leopard clown, Php35000; fire clown pastel spotnose, heterozygous, Php25000; super pastel fire clown, Php40000; clown pied lavender, Php40000; yellow belly dreamsicle, Php125000; pinto pied heterozygous lavender, Php40000; cinammon pied heterozygous lavender, Php40000; and cinammon dreamsicle, PhP100000.

The pastel leopard enhancer, axanthic fire pastel spider, axanthic pastel spider, and pastel axanthic enchi are not for sale

Another stall which sells exotic pets is Congo Charlie Exotic Reptile Jungle. Prices are not displayed, but most of the pythons were sold by the time we got to the stall, with only the jigsaw tiger and the phantom tiger breeds remaining. 

However, the star of the stall, and one of the highlights of the festival, is present. This is none other than the only Caiman lizard in the Philippines. This very rare reptile with a greenish body and and a reddish-orange head is named such because its scales are akin to what the Caiman crocodile has. It’s typically 2 to 4 feet long and can weigh up to 10 pounds. The natural habitat of this creature are Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and the Guianas.

Also present at the same stall is the Sulcata tortoise, alternatively known as the African spurred tortoise. It is one of the biggest tortoise species in the world, and can grow typically from 18 to 30 inches long, weigh 80 to 150 pounds, and live up to 70 years or more.

The abovementioned shops are two of the main exhibitors of the Philippine Expo 2023.

Apart from reptiles, the interesting discoveries there are the dog and cat food brands which are not normally sold in pet store. Some of these are Araton, DoggieEssentials, Vitakraft, Cat’s Best, and Maxwell. Versele-Laga, a “tasty and affordable fiber and protein-rich quality mix” food for small mammals esp. guinea pigs, is available.

Chipsi, a “high quality organic fibre bedding” for small pets is also sold here.

For those who literally want to preserve their pets for life, PetEternity, which specializes in animal taxidermy, has a booth. Dogs, cats, and bunnies which used to be alive are displayed there and they really look lifelike, albeit the idea is kind of creepy.

*Cover Photo/Thumbnail Photo from Buzz Beat Media