KGW (Portland, Oregon) 28 February 06 OMSI python moved to Oregon Zoo (Teresa Bell)
A huge python named “Bubba” was safely moved from the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry to the Oregon Zoo Tuesday, after he outgrew his home.
Bubba first arrived at the OMSI in 1997. Back then, he was ten-feet long and weighed 50 pounds.
Since then, he’s grown to be more than 14-feet long and weighs in at 97.9-pounds, according to zoo officials.
Bubba is thought to be one of the largest snakes of its kind in the Portland area. Burmese pythons can grow to more than 20 feet and weigh up to 200 pounds.
Bubba was a favorite for OMSI visitors, according to OMSI Educator Katie Wood.
“We have visitors who have been following Bubba’s life since he arrived here, she said. “People are fascinated by large snakes, so whenever we weigh and measure him, we make sure to list the new figures."
Bubba’s new home at the zoo won’t be ready until April 1, so for now, he will live in a quarantine area that is out of public view.
The natural range for Burmese pythons stretches from northeast India through southern China and south through the Malay Peninsula. Considered threatened, they are readily bred in captivity, but their status in the wild is on the decline. Habitat loss and hunting for their skins for the fashion industry have put pressure on wild populations.
OR Press: OMSI python moved - Oregon Zoo