Someone sent me this story that was on a brazilian news paper website. If you cant get the link to work the translation will be under it
http://m.g1.globo.com/fantastico/noticia/2013/10/jiboia-rara-que-pode-custar-ate-us-1-milhao-esta-desaparecida.html
Jiboia rare, which can cost up to $ 1 million, is missing
reportedly paid U.S. $ 1 million and removed the snake illegally from Brazil. The snake has a rare genetic mutation called leucismo.
10/06/2013 20h51 - Updated 10/07/2013 11:02 am
A million dollars may be the price of a snake. The animal goes that fortune carries wealth in own name: Diamond Princess. A very rare boa. The one in the world with all white skin and black eyes.
It is the darling of the American Jeremy. "It's very hard to describe the love I feel for this snake," said the American.
He loves to show off with the critter in videos and photos on the internet. But prefer to hide the past and present the snake invaluable, which is now missing.
The answers to the disappearance of Princess Diamond can be here in Brazil. In 2006, the white snake was found in the woods, in Rio de Janeiro, and taken to the Niteroi Zoo.
Researchers found that the boa constrictor has a rare genetic mutation called leucismo. "It would be the first in the world to register python that standard," explains Anibal Melgarejo, a biologist at the Instituto Vital Brazil.
Light skin and black eyes. The snake famously appeared on TV. But it was never shown to visitors. "She's never been on display. As I recall, she never was on display at the zoo, "said Thiago Muniz, a veterinarian.
Thiago Muniz, who worked at the zoo, questioned the manager of the zoo, the Giselda Candiotto on the snake.
"She said it was going to take the pet home, and a few months later we were informed that the animal died," said Thiago.
In 2011, the zoo was closed for mistreatment of animals. At that time, it was also observed that some animals were missing, among them the rare boa.
IBAMA and the Federal Police began to investigate and came face to face with the videos and photos of Jeremy, all available on the internet.
"In 2010, he began posting a video of a boa constrictor leucística also as an adult. And then we started to think it was quite a coincidence and started to dig deeper and come to the conclusion that it is the same animal, "says Charlemagne Abreu, IBAMA environmental analyst.
Jeremy is one of the largest makers of snakes of the United States. According to investigators, he came to Rio in 2007 to negotiate the purchase of the snake with the manager of the zoo.
The transaction would have been completed in 2009 when Jeremy would have taken the animal across the border illegally from Brazil Roraima with Guyana.
In-house Giselda, police found photos of her and her husband Jeremy in the United States. Still missing clarify the value that the former manager would have received for the sale.
"We estimate somewhere around $ 1 million, which was paid for this animal," says Carlos Magno Abreu.
"Ends up being an animal of a very high value to these people because of the possibility of crossing this animal," said Thiago.
Exactly what Jeremy would have done. "The first puppies were sold in the range of $ 60 000. Puppies have $ 35 thousand, $ 25 thousand, "reveals Franco Perazzoni, Federal Police.
A snake just like the Diamond Princess that her granddaughter would be, ended up in Italy. "There's a video of Jeremy, he goes to Italy and he goes there to see a snake would granddaughter" Diamond Princess ", this animal that he had there," says Franco Perazzoni.
"A few years ago, I showed this guy the Diamond Princess. He decided to buy a couple of pups and play the white snake. What an amazing experience! "Says Jeremy in the videos.
Giselda and her husband, José Carlos Schirmer, were arrested last week and will respond by international animal trafficking, smuggling and misappropriation.
In the United States, the police searched the home of Jeremy, but found the Diamond Princess.
"The information we have is that she has already died twice. The first in Brazil and now Jeremy says he would have died in January and does not present a carcass, nothing, "says Franco Perazzoni, Federal Police.
His arrest was ordered by the Brazilian authorities. We contact Jeremy by e-mail, he says he will not answer questions from the press and completed saying it was instructed not to talk about the case. The former manager of the Niterói Zoo also declined to speak.
"The biggest concern we have with respect to this research is the repatriation of genetic heritage, they are snakes. He is an animal caught in the wild, then it belongs to the Brazilian state, "notes Franco Perazzoni, Federal Police.
And the search for the charges of $ 1 million remains.
