16 April 2009

Snakes Alive - Again


On Easter Monday we made a quick visit to MKT where we learned that a Burmese python had been spotted just behind the house. The picture on the left is not the actual snake that was seen but is the same type.

This was somewhat coincidental as just the day before the South China Morning Post had done a feature article on these creatures. It seems that every time the HK AFCD (Agriculture and fisheries) receive a call that a python is spotted, they send out a snake catcher who promptly has to despatch the poor creature to China! Makes no sense to me at all.
Someone sees a python in a country park (an area supposedly designated and marked to be left alone) so the creature is plucked from its home and sent to China, where snakes are a delicacy menu item?

What makes it worse is wild populations of Burmese pythons are considered to be "threatened" and are listed on Appendix II of CITES.
If we see it, we will let you know but we will not be rushing to tell the AFCD unless it is curled up on the sofa and refuses to budge. Any snake that eats rats is OK by me.

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