CONSERVATIONISTS have urged exotic pet owners not to release or abandon their pets in reserves and green spaces in and around Durban.
This comes after three ball pythons, two of which had been run over, were found in and around the Virginia Bush Nature Reserve in the last six months.
Ball pythons, which are native to West Africa, are among the most popular reptile pets in the world.
Two of the pythons, which were sadly run over, were found by Grant Cavanagh of the Durban South Snake Rescue, while a third, which was found alive, was taken in and cared for by Dangerous Creatures at uShaka Sea World.
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While ball pythons are not classified as Alien Invasive Species (AIS) under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (NEMBA), releasing them in a protected area is a criminal offence.
Basil Pather, conservation manager at Beachwood Mangroves Nature Reserve and Umhlanga Nature Reserve, explained that in the last few years, he had seen certain reptiles and mammals dumped at various reserves.
“We must remember that KwaZulu-Natal is one of the strictest in terms of captivity and possession permits. There are various species that we’ve come across in various reserves in the past few years, including a Leopard Tortoise at the uMhlanga reserve, a Kalahari Tent Tortoise at Beachwood and several red-eared sliders or terrapins at different reserves. I’ve even found eight domestic rabbits between both the Beachwood and uMhlanga reserves that were clearly dumped there.
“These terrapins are listed as AIS species, and there have been cases where they were dumped into the ponds. I urge anyone with exotic reptiles/birds/fish, please don’t dump these animals back ‘into the wild’. My advice would be to contact your local district conservation officer, and they’ll advise you accordingly. Disposing of them in a protected area is a criminal offence,” Pather said.
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Lead herpetologist at the South African Association for Marine Biological Research (SAAMBR) at uShaka Sea World, Carl Schloms, echoed Pather’s thoughts.
“The majority of reptile owners are caring and responsible. They would never dump their snakes into the wild. My feeling on the ball pythons found at different points in Virginia Bush was that they were dumped by somebody who isn’t a responsible reptile owner. Ball pythons are very popular in the pet trade, and my advice to those looking to own a snake is to be responsible.
“I would discourage people from buying them unless they know what they are doing. I urge people to ensure they’ve done their research and not to buy a snake impulsively. If you have a ball python or another reptile you can’t look after, don’t release them into the wild. Contact your local snake catchers or even uShaka Sea World to find out your options,” Schloms said.
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