You could be forgiven for thinking you have walked into a zoo when you step foot into Stephen Rowlands’ front room in Oldbury.
Mollie the albino wallaby bounds round the room, and don’t be surprised if you see snakes, birds of prey, reptiles and tarantulas as they are just some of the animals that help make up tropicalinc.com. The Theodore Close resident set up the business six years ago specialising in rainforest presentations, with a little help from his 60 furry - and some not so furry - friends.
His business recently hit the headlines when he took in baby wallaby Millie, whose mother died when she was two weeks old.
His love of animals stemmed from his childhood in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, where he grew up with his brother and sister, nurse mum and carpenter dad.
Stephen, aged 26, said: “When I was five I started nagging for a snake. I nagged because my brother was nagging so I just copied him.
“We already had rabbits and dogs and cats, I think my brother had seen them on telly and by the age of eight my parents gave in.
“My brother lost interest and it was me who carried it on and from there my parents started to allow me to have my own pets, other reptiles, as long as I cared for them.”
As Stephen grew up he studied herpetology, the study of all reptiles, to the highest level and reached a point where he needed to decide what to do next.
“I already had odd things like snakes and reptiles and there were a few people who knew me. When I finished studying that asked me to come and do talks.” Through word of mouth the business grew and grew and he is now employing a team of four. They are asked to travel all over the country giving presentation at schools, and even parties.
As well as the educational element of the business, tropicalinc.com also sponsors a village in Manous, central America where they recently painted a school that World Vision had built.
They also rescue many animals, some of whom are kept in Stephen’s Oldbury home, while others are looked after in animal sanctuaries and zoos.
“A lot of animals come to us because people can’t look after them or circumstances change. Some may have been bred in the zoo or orphaned.”
Stephen is also keen to give back to the local community. He holds a class for young offenders who attend The Bridge Centre in Smethwick.
To assist with expansion plans Stephen is now on the lookout for a suitable premises with acres of land to build a sanctuary. So far he has drawn a blank, but anyone who knows of a site in the West Midlands should call the team at tropicalinc.com on 0845 388 1501 or 07521 929 742.
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