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POST-STAR (Glens Falls, New York) 19 February 07 Pet store owner mourns theft of rare snake (Madeline Farbman)
Queensbury: Bindi Sue the snake was stolen from her cage at The Pet Zone at Aviation Mall Saturday, and Ted Bell is worried the baby snake, a Dumeril's Boa, will never reach her 7-foot-long prime if her captors don't give her proper care.
He's worried Bindi Sue won't get the warm cage, proper bedding and mouse suppers she needs to survive.
"The snake was very near and dear to us," said Bell, who co-owns the store with his wife. "Whoever stole it is probably not going to be smart enough to take care of it. They're not going to have an appreciation for it."
Bindi Sue, 2 feet long and less than a year old, was taken from the heated glass cage she shared with a redtail boa and some ball pythons. The cage was tucked in a corner between the lizards and fish displays, well back from the rows of puppies near the front of the store. Usually, store employees can tell if someone's causing mischief near the snake cages, but the store was very busy Saturday, said Bell, who wasn't working at the time of the theft.
He thinks he knows the culprits -- youths who like to hang around near the cage. Warren County Sheriff Larry Cleveland said the Sheriff's office received a report of the stolen snake at 7:59 p.m. on Saturday, and that they have identified two teenage boys as suspects, though they are continuing to investigate.
Police received information that helped them identify the suspects from two girls at the mall who said they'd been approached by two boys and were asked if they would like a snake, Cleveland said.
Theft of the snake would be petty larceny, a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, Cleveland said.
Bindi Sue's price tag was $249.99, well more than her cagemates.
Bell said his wife is normally terrified of snakes, but Bindi Sue caught her fancy at a reptile show. They named the snake after Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin's daughter, and Bell's wife loved to take it from its cage to play, Bell said.
"Until you actually hold one, it's hard to understand the fascination with them," he said.
The cage where Bindi Sue lived looked undisturbed Monday, the redtail boa and a ball python curled together in a rear corner. The latch opened easily, but Bell said he now wants to add locks to the cages.
Saturday's theft was the first from the store, which Bell and his wife opened in December.
The mall's security director could not be reached for comment.
Pet store owner mourns theft of rare snake

classic pet store owners that havnt a clue about the animals they sell 3 sp. from 3 differant continents housed together?WTF?
and no locks on the cages??? i feel sorry for them being robbed sucks i know firsthand but a little common sense with locks would have prevented or deterred theft. but i am appaulled at the fact he has mgb,rtb,and bp all housed together! this is one reason i tell anyone who asks stay away from pet trade snakes and buy from a breeder and to educate themselves before a purchase and ask questions, because unfortunately pet trade snakes are often in the hands of people completely ignorant to the snakes needs and as can be seen here often lump boids together(housing)regardless of where they are from this allows a plethera of problems to blossom...
ok ill get off my soapbox now as i think ive made my point,,,,,,,,thomas davis