Burmese Python In Captivity Seized In Ballarat, Victoria

Authorities seized a large python being kept in a Victoria property on Thursday. The albino Burmese python was discovered during a search conducted by Conservation Regulator Wildlife officers, Agriculture Victoria, and Victoria Police at a home in Ballarat.

Authorities believe the property was being used in an illegal wildlife trafficking operation. The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) is investigating where the python came from and how it was smuggled to Victoria but conversation regulator wildlife officer Jared Priestly said the python could have been purchased illegally on the black market and brought to the state.

“Due to the size of the snake and the biosecurity risk it caused, it was taken to a vet yesterday afternoon and euthanized,” said Priestly. “It would have been part of a wildlife trafficking operation. It is quite rare we find them in Victoria,” he added.

Priestly explained that illegal keeping of exotic animals was among the biggest risks of new pest animals emerging in Victoria. “We are always really concerned when we discover an exotic reptile in Victoria due to the enormous threat they pose to Victoria’s biodiversity and agriculture,” he said.

“Illegally imported animals have the potential to significantly impact our natural environment because of the exotic diseases they may carry,” he added.

The python seized yesterday was 2.75 meters in length. Ideally, Burmese pythons, which are large constricting snakes native to Southeast Asia, grow up to five meters in the wild but grow even longer when in captivity.

According to DELWP, keeping and trading illegally imported animals is a serious criminal offense with penalties of up to 10 years in prison and fines reaching $110,000. Authorities explained this is because snakes are a risk to the public if they escape or are released.

“It might seem like an odd thing but unfortunately we do come across illegal wildlife in our daily duties and we do take it really seriously,” said Victoria Police Inspector Dan Davison.