Inside the obscured, closeted habitats of Britain’s exotic pets

After months of messaging back-and-forth on Facebook, photographer Jonty Clark managed to finally persuade Tania to let him photograph her two pet wolves. With no idea what to expect, he made the trip to Hemel Hempstead and knocked on her door.

She opened it just a crack, barely enough to peer out. ​“Give me your hand,” she ordered. A warm, wet tongue licked his fingers to taste his skin, but more importantly, to learn his scent. 

“They can smell fear – you need to be calm,” Tania warned as she revealed two grey wolves standing on their hind legs, towering tall at six-foot-two.

Inside, the wolves, named Loki and North, paced the living room, occasionally pausing to sniff Clark’s feet. He took in the surroundings, noticing a torn-up sofa covered in bite marks and paw prints. As he began to take pictures, the animals toyed with a large bone, almost acting like dogs, until one snatched it from the other, and the playful energy vanished. Without warning, they launched into a violent clash, throwing each other around the room with terrifying force – a stark reminder of the animals’ wild, primal roots.

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Tania quickly stood up, bared her teeth and growled at them, asserting her alpha authority until they calmed down. It was a surreal moment, but revealed the pack-like bond she had created with the animals she loved so deeply. 

This profound relationship between exotic pets and their owners lies at the heart of Clark’s new online photography project, ​“I have a few animals…”. Over the course of 2024, the 22-year-old travelled across the UK, documenting the lives of people who share their homes with unusual companions – pigs, snakes, iguanas, tarantulas – through a raw, stripped-back style. The result is an intimate glimpse into a mostly hidden world, as ethical grey areas and outside suspicion often leads exotic pet owners to live their lives in secrecy.

“For me, photography is a window into people’s lives,” Clark explains. ​“This project showcases the unique and bizarre connection these people have with their pets.”

Born in Buckinghamshire, Clark’s fascination with photography began early. He started experimenting with his dad’s camera before receiving one of his own for his 10^th birthday. Following a degree in Marine and Natural History Photography at Falmouth University, Clark decided to turn his lens towards the subject of exotic pet ownership.

Initially, he was unsure of what to expect when visiting these homes and worried there would be evidence of neglect. Instead Clark witnessed ​“a new level of compassion for pet ownership”. Because of the complex care these animals require, their owners form unusually strong attachments with them – potentially more than those seen with conventional pets like dogs and cats, Clark observes. His work seeks to understand what drives someone to choose a high-maintenance, sometimes dangerous animal over a traditional companion. 

“It’s a form of escapism,” Clark explains. ​“These people often had a struggle or something hard going on in their life. So, to have something exotic in their life was a form of luxury.” 

From four curious rats darting across a worn leather sofa, to a marmoset monkey perched atop a taxidermy alligator, Clark captures the surreal domestication of these wild creatures. One particularly striking portrait features Dave and his black and white tegu, a large lizard native to South America. Snuggled together on a sofa, the tegu’s striped tail neatly uncurls down to the floor, its head resting below a pillow embroidered with a gold crown. Dave, in a relaxed foetal position, cradles the reptile gently in his arms, in a powerful display of trust. 

After a motorbike accident, Dave was unable to work and began rescuing neglected exotic animals, rehabilitating them in his council house in Redruth, Cornwall. With multiple reptiles to care for, his home – shared with his three young daughters – is filled with glass tanks and the constant chirping of crickets. 

“He was so welcoming. But it was a crazy house, animals everywhere,” Clark says. 

Seeing the devotion these owners had for their animals only made the ethical dilemmas harder for Clark to untangle. While it’s clear that many of the owners share powerful bonds with their pets, the realities of caring for such animals often raise uncomfortable questions.

Take Tania’s wolves, for example. Because of their highly territorial nature, they can only be walked in the early hours of the morning, when the streets are empty. The rest of the time, they’re confined to her small council house – a space never meant to hold something so fierce.

“There’s definitely an ethical issue,” Clark admits. ​“But there was more love for those animals than I’ve seen in any other home.” 

For more of ​“I have a few animals…” and other photography by Jonty Clark, visit his official website.

Hannah Bentley is a freelance journalist. Follow her on Instagram.

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