NSPCA wins important victory for reptiles as python abusers get big fines

A judgment passed on two illegal snake owners on Monday is set to become the biggest legal win for reptiles in South African history.

This is according to the National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), who rescued three Southern African Pythons and live rabbits housed as their food, from a warehouse in the North West in 2019.

Not only was the deplorable condition of the animals in contention, but pythons are a protected species and, therefore, cannot be kept as pets. Furthermore, it is illegal to feed live prey to snakes.

According to a statement by the NSPCA on Tuesday, the judgment handed down by magistrate Samuel Maboho at the Rustenburg regional court will have a lasting affect on future cases of cruelty involving reptiles.

At the time of the rescue, the NSPCA entered the property under warrant after a tipoff. 

“Our inspectors were beyond appalled when they discovered the condition the snakes and rabbits were being kept in. A few of the major concerns that were noted included injuries that were left untreated, the animals were underweight, the snakes had burn wounds from incorrect lighting and the fact that live rabbits were being fed to the snakes. The feeding of live animals [to other animals] is illegal,” the organisation said.

The pythons were taken to the Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital for treatment, and the rabbits were rehomed “to loving families” by the SPCA.  

The NSPCA initiated the prosecution for the abuse of the animals “and yesterday, after two years of the NSPCA following up on the case, finally justice was served,” the statement read.   

Magistrate Maboho gave both guilty parties a R50,000 fine, or five years in jail. 

The Johannesburg Wildlife Veterinary Hospital was awarded R80,000 for their costs incurred in treating the pythons, and the NSPCA was awarded R5,000 for the costs incurred for travelling to and from court for the duration of the case.

According to the NSPCA, the accused may never again own or be in charge of reptiles or rabbits.  

According to the statement, the magistrate said he hoped that the sentence would not only demonstrate the appropriate punishment for the abuse of animals, but also deter individuals from committing such crimes in the future.

He said the sentence may contribute to ensuring that animals are protected so that they can survive for future generations to see.  

According to the SA National Biodiversity Institute, the Southern African Python, also know as the African Rock Python, can grow to 5m and weigh up to 55kg, making it the largest snake in Southern Africa.

The impressive patterns on its skin make it a target for accessories such as belts and bags and its “vulnerable” status in the South African Red Data Book is because it has been hunted by humans. 

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