This sounds like total BS to me. In this country most zoos are several years behind private hobbyists/herpetoculturists in terms of captive reproduction. It was not this way years ago, but it is now. Private herp breeders are well advanced of the zoos.

I have heard that European zoos sometimes sell offspring to the public, but I have never heard of US zoos doing this. Maybe small, private zoos could do it, but the buyer would still need a permit for eastern indigos. Perhaps this guy is trying to convince you to lower your price?