Snake George's Reptile Park is an ongoing conservation project for the snakes and other reptiles of Cyprus that are rapidly dwindling in numbers. The owner of the park ‘Snake George' has been actively educating the Cypriots along with other nationalities on the benefits of snakes and their role in the environment.
The Park is laid out to give access to all including the disabled and small children, with sun shade for the summer months.
Snake George's funding for his one man quest to protect reptiles in Cyprus is almost totally funded by visitors to the park and very little comes from sponsorship, It is also surprising to find that Snake George only charges £1.50 (Cyp) adults and 50 cents for children to enter the park all year round.
Although his real name is Hans-Joerg Wiedl, many Cypriots and friends from abroad know the founder and owner of the reptile park as Snake George.
Born in Austria , Hans-Joerg Wiedl came to Cyprus in 1973 as a UN soldier and was stationed on the island for 15 months. In 1986 he decided to stay in Cyprus for good and make the dream of his youth come true. Based on his previous research on reptiles and amphibians in jungles and deserts as well as in temperate climate zones, he began a thorough investigation on the herpetofauna of Cyprus . In 1987 he married a Cypriot and has two young daughters.
In 2002 an illustrated book about the snakes of Cyprus was published in English, German, Greek and Turkish, a project of the development program of the USAID and the UNDP through the UNOPS. A set of postage stamps featuring Cyprus ' reptiles inspired by him was sanctioned and produced in 1992.
 
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