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Florida Taking Steps to Stop People From Releasing Pythons
12/14/09 - 02:31 PM

Associated Press

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The state of Florida is taking another step to try to stop people from releasing Burmese pythons and other nonnative species into the wild.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is expanding its amnesty program for reptiles of concern. Owners will be able to turn in those animals with no questions asked and without fear of prosecution.

The state has hosted amnesty events at zoos and other locations in the past, but now anyone will be able to turn in the reptiles at any time to wildlife experts who hold reptile of concern permits.

The amnesty program starts this week. It includes such reptiles as Burmese pythons, green anacondas and Nile monitor lizards.

It’s estimated thousands of pythons are living in the wild in South Florida, many of them former pets released by their owners when they got too big.

Fish and Wildlife spokesman Tim Breault says the agency wants to make it easier for people turn over these reptiles. He says it’s a tough decision for owners because they usually have a strong emotional attachment to their pet snakes.

“This is part of being responsible pet owners and we understand that people can’t care for some of these animals and don’t want to see them destroyed or killed and we see this as an alternative to turning them loose out in the wild where you can put them back into care for them for the rest of their life.”

“It gets down to the point where people have pets that are no longer needed. They no longer have the ability to care for them. It was owned by a child who’s now an adult and no longer wants it and in many cases we’d rather them turn them into a facility than turn them loose in the wild.”

Burmese pythons can live 25 years or longer.

The state is also preparing to start issuing new hunting permits in January for reptiles of concern in the wild. The first phase of the python hunting program captured 39 Burmese pythons on state-managed lands between July and October.