The number of exotic pets being dumped is on the rise, and two bearded dragons can be added to the stats after being left for dead in south London.

The animals were found freezing, starving and dehydrated on a stairwell in a block of flats in Lettsome Street, Camberwell, on April 27.

They were so cold and lifeless that the RSPCA inspector who rescued them thought they had died.

Luckily, after being carefully warmed up then given a meal and some water, the pair of reptiles were been saved and are doing better now.

RSPCA inspector and exotics officer Anthony Pulfer said: “I find it unbelievable that someone could just leave them there when they are so vulnerable.

“It is distressing to find these beautiful animals just dumped and left to die.”

The charity has seen a rise in the number of exotic pets being abandoned or admitted.

In 2014 it received 434 calls to its cruelty line about 779 bearded dragons - a 27 per cent increase from the previous year.

The charity collected 1,853 reptiles in total, a seven per cent increase from 2013.

In the same week the bearded dragons were found in Camberwell, a desert iguana was abandoned at an RSPCA charity shop in Wandsworth.

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Insp Pulfer added: “Exotic pets, particularly reptiles such as bearded dragons, appear to be increasing in popularity and the number of related incidents dealt with by the RSPCA has risen in recent years.

“The needs of exotic pets can be challenging to meet because they are fundamentally linked to certain behaviours, diets or environmental conditions in the animal’s natural environment that can be difficult to replicate in a home. Unlike cats or dogs these animals have not undergone years of domestication, therefore they are wild animals kept in captivity and their needs are the same as in the wild.

“The RSPCA is experiencing widespread neglect of exotic animals across the country. For many people an exotic animal represents too much of a commitment which is manifested in the growing number of exotic animals being abandoned and handed to shelters around the country.

“Exotic pets are commonly found in pet shops nowadays too, however it is sadly often the case that they are handed over to buyers with very little to no information about how to care for them or the commitment that is involved in keeping them happy and healthy. Bearded dragons can live for up to 12 years in captivity - which a lot of people don’t realise.

“It is for this reason that we are urging potential owners to research and look into what is required in the care of their exotic pet first before taking one on so they know what is involved and how long it is likely to be for.”

Anyone with information about how the two bearded dragons came to be on the steps in the block of flats is urged to contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018.