Snake Smuggler Caught
Good news: An alleged snake smuggler in Australia has been caught with a dozen pythons in his car. Some say the snakes could have went for $1500 each on the black market. West Australian police discovered the snakes when they randomly pulled over the 27-year-old’s car on the Eyre Highway at Eucla on Wednesday. The man’s been charged with exporting fauna without a licence and the unlawful possession of protected fauna. The pythons included six Children’s pythons, four Stimson’s pythons, an olive python and a black-headed python. Department of Environment and Conservation senior investigator Rick Dawson said none of the snakes were venomous but they are valuable when offered on the black market. The snakes are being sent to Perth for health checks. It is unlikely that these pythons can be released back into the wild due to the risk of introducing disease to wild populations but they will ensure they are well looked after. They take the unlawful possession of protected reptiles and reptile trafficking very seriously and will investigate and prosecute the capture and trafficking of wildlife in a bid to end this cruel practice
