Recently, a powerful lobby spent
hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat a bill that would have enhanced
public safety, safeguarded the environment and curtailed cruelty to animals.
Who is this giant wielding such influence? BP? The NRA? Halliburton? Nope, it's
none other than the U.S. Association of Reptile Keepers, which fought a bill
that would have made some species of dangerous snakes illegal to import and
sell. The group griped and hyped for three years until the list was gutted by
more than half--four species have been banned rather than nine.
The ban will stop imports and
interstate commerce in Burmese pythons (who, as a new study shows, are eating
their way through Florida's Everglades), yellow anacondas and northern and
southern African pythons. Yet anyone can still go out and buy, breed, sell and
trade in boa constrictors, reticulated pythons and three other species of anaconda.
It's a strange lot that insists that
pythons, rattlers, constrictors, vipers and other reptile species make good
pets. Snakes shun contact with people and for good reason: They are wild
animals who only suffer at the hands of humans. Reptiles do not want to be your
friend. They want to be left alone.
But for the animals who are shipped
around the world crammed inside toilet paper tubes, plastic margarine tubs and
shipping crates labeled "automotive parts," a buyer's need to be
different is often a death sentence. Mortality is high. Dealers hope that some of what they call "inventory" will
survive shipment, knowing full well that the box will arrive filled mostly with
decomposing bodies.
Because they
can't vocalize pain or discomfort, it's easy for owners who feel inconvenienced
and bored by their new chore to ignore a starving, dehydrated or sick snake. Snakes
are relegated to eating whatever someone remembers to dump into their tanks. They
are hauled out for shock value, but roughly handling even large snakes can
cause serious internal injuries.
Why should the interests of a small group trump cruelty to animals, public safety, taxpayers' money and environmental devastation? Why did it take three years for the government to sign this weak bill into law? Who "needs" a pet anaconda, boa constrictor or python? These are all questions with no reasonable answer.
Jennifer O'Connor is a staff writer for the
PETA Foundation, 501 Front St., Norfolk, VA 23510; http://www.PETA.org.