Python Seized From Owner In New York And Transferred To Zoo

A New York man admitted to state environmental police that he did not realize the Burmese python he illegally kept as a pet would grow so large so quickly, officials said.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation said Environment Conservation Police Officer Jeff Hull responded to a complaint about the snake on Aug. 28. The complainant believed the large snake was not legal, and they turned out to be right.

The snake, a female albino Burmese python, measured 13 feet and two inches long, and it's still growing. The python was kept in a tank that was only four to five feet long, officials said.

Burmese pythons are illegal to possess without a permit in New York. The owner admitted to Hull that "he was not prepared for how fast the animal would grow and that he recognized he could no longer care for it."

The species is considered invasive in Florida, where annual hunts are held to try to stem their numbers in the Everglades, after they were likely introduced through the exotic pet trade, and released by owners who couldn't handle their enormous size.

The snake was seized by environmental police, and donated to the Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome, which holds the appropriate permits. The owner issued tickets for possession of wildlife as a pet and for possessing dangerous wildlife without a permit.

The zoo, which named the python "Mango," said she's around 3 and a half years old and weighs 80 pounds.

"The owner was a little overwhelmed by how quickly she grew," the zoo said. "We were surprised as well, but we are ready for the challenge of maintaining this awesome creature!"

The zoo said Mango is currently housed in snake enclosure sponsored by Baileys Karate School, but plans are already underway to enlarge her habitat to allow her room to grow.

Burmese pythons are considered an invasive species in Florida, which holds annual hunts to try to reduce their numbers in the Everglades, where they prey upon native mammals, disrupting the food chain. They were likely introduced through the exotic pet trade, and released by owners who could not cope with their full size. The longest Burmese python captured in Florida was more than 18 feet long.

Story via TMX