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By the time the fire was out it had destroyed 27,000 trees as well as killing hundreds of reptiles.

"This is a critical time of year for our native wildlife – with birds nesting and other animals such as amphibians and reptiles coming out of winter dormancy and starting to breed."

From tree stumps and rocks, the spiny reptiles basked and watched as wooden fences subdivided the landscape.

Zoo staff were thrilled to finally meet the long green additions, which were seized by Spanish authorities in a 2017 bust of more than 600 illegally trafficked reptiles.

While on the Morne Mountains, in Northern Ireland, invertebrates and ground dwelling animals like reptiles were "simply being torched alive".