This unrelated photo shows a pet lizard at a companion animal expo in Seoul, Oct. 20. Yonhap

A man in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, is under police investigation for allegedly abandoning over 200 reptiles in his home for months, resulting in the deaths of 95 of them.

The Cheongju police said they discovered 80 lizards and 15 snakes dead in the man's flat last month. Law enforcement officers entered the man's residence after the landlord claimed the tenant could not be reached for months.

Besides the dead reptiles, police found 152 lizards and four snakes still alive and rescued them with the assistance of a local animal shelter. The animal rescuers said the reptiles had not been fed for at least two months.

The man told police that the reptiles were his pets, explaining that he had to leave them unattended to find a job.

Under the animal protection law, if indicted, he could face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won.