GULF NEWS (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) 30 December 09 Pet python's owner charged with endangering residents (Mariam M. Al Serkal)

A three-metre-long python that Sharjah Police handed over to the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife after it was spotted on the street. Image Credit: ABdul Nasar Kaindar/Gulf News readerSharjah: The owner of a Burmese python discovered by residents on Sunday has been charged by police with endangering the lives of residents.

According to a senior official at Sharjah Police, the owner approached police because he wanted to claim his python that had cost him Dh40,000.

In a statement to the police, the owner said that he worked as a snake trader at the Bird and Animal Market, and used his python for snake shows. The snake was imported from the US and the owner claimed that the python was harmless.

Police said the python, which is currently under the care of the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah, is three metres long and weighs 35kg.

Police said the owner kept the python in a cage inside his apartment in the Al Naba'a area. On Sunday afternoon, the snake managed to escape from the cage and left the apartment by slithering through the bathroom window and eventually ended up on the street.

The Operation Control Room at Sharjah Police said they received a call at 3pm about a large snake that fell from a date palm on the roadside.

"It was difficult at first to capture the snake because it was scared from the loud cries of the people who surrounded it, and it moved randomly from one place to another. Eventually, we managed to put it in a bag and call Sharjah Municipality to take action," said the police official.

Police said that although the snake is not poisonous it is a very dangerous animal as it can put the lives of children at risk, and that if they are used as an exotic pet the owners should ensure that they are kept in a secure environment.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/pet-python-s-owner-charged-with-endangering-residents-1.559438



GULF NEWS (Dubai, United Arab Emirates) 29 December 09 Python gets a temporary home at animal centre (Mariam M. Al Serkal)

Sharjah: The Burmese python found in the Al Naba'a area on Sunday has found a temporary home at the Breeding Centre for Endangered Arabian Wildlife in Sharjah.

"The python is in good condition and is under observation, but it is too early to determine its exact condition because we only have been taking care of it for one day," said Paul Vercammen, operations manager at the centre.

Gulf News reported yesterday that the python was discovered by a taxi driver when he saw it falling from a date palm tree on the roadside. An Anjad patrol was then called to the scene to remove the snake, and then placed it in the custody of the breeding centre.

People wandering in the area were shocked when they saw the python that measured over one metre.

The Burmese python can grow up to three metres and when it grows big, its owners may find it difficult to handle so they release it, or at times it escapes. These pythons are dangerous as they kill prey by squeezing them to death.

Vercammen pointed out that the snake is not indigenous to the region and must have been imported by its owner.

"The police handed the python over to our centre until further notice. We do not know how long it will stay here as it depends on the legal procedure," he said, also noting that part of the legal procedure involves tracking down the owner and then issuing a decision as to who should take responsibility for the python.

He added that it is very likely that the python will remain in Sharjah since it was discovered there.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/python-gets-a-temporary-home-at-animal-centre-1.559128

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