Queensburgh snake rescuers raise alarm over dumped ball pythons
Grant Cavanagh said he has received several call-outs for the exotic species that have either been dumped or surrendered in the last six months.
BELLAIR resident and snake rescuer Grant Cavanagh said he is concerned at the rising number of ball pythons being dumped or released into the wild.
Ball pythons, which are native to Sub-Saharan and West Africa, are among the most popular reptile pets in the world.
In the last six months, the Durban South Snake Rescue member said he has received several call-outs for the exotic species that have either been dumped or surrendered.
“In the last six months, we’ve been called out to Virginia Bush Nature Reserve twice for two ball pythons that were sadly killed – we think while crossing the road. It was our third call-out to the reserve in recent years. We’ve also had people threaten to release them – one of those cases occurred in Northdene. Our message to those wanting to release or get rid of these beautiful snakes is to contact us. We’ll rehome or care for them ourselves. We’ve got a large network of reptile lovers who are willing to help.
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“The big takeaway is we don’t want them being released into the wild or being dumped. It is illegal to release exotic species into the wild. Captive ball pythons are often bred for specific patterns that do not occur in the wild, called morphs or a genetic mutation. They are non-venomous constrictors and due to them not being aggressive, they are popular among reptile owners. What we’ve seen though is some owners can’t afford to care for them, in terms of buying food for them, keeping their tanks clean or just general care as they get older and bigger. People see it as too expensive and just don’t want them anymore,” he said.
Last year, a ball python, thought to have been dumped or a stowaway on a vessel, was found dead along the Durban Harbour.
“We are appealing to pet owners that the best thing to do is reach out and contact someone. We don’t want exotic species being released into the wild. We are all about conservation. We’ve already seen how Burmese pythons have established a breeding population in Florida and disrupted an entire ecosystem,” he said.
For any snake-related rescues, contact Grant on 084 267 9402 or Shanté on 062 024 3945. You can also follow them on their Facebook page under the same name.
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