The Australian authorities imposed a fine of US$1,500 on a surfer after he was spotted practicing this water sport with a snake around his neck. A video clip showing the man surfing on the famous Gold Coast in Australia sparked widespread reactions.
The authorities imposed a fine of 2,322 Australian dollars on him. While it acknowledged his right to acquire and raise this snake of the type “Morelia Spilotta,” it stressed that it is forbidden, under any circumstances, to take it out of the place where it was registered, or even to take it with him surfing.
The Queensland Department of Environment explained, in a statement, that “taking a snake to a public place requires its owner to obtain a permit for this purpose.”
She went on to say, “Snakes are cold-blooded animals, and despite their ability to swim, they generally avoid water,” adding, “It was possible that the snake would find the water very cold, while the only snakes that are supposed to be in the ocean are sea snakes.”
Morelia spilota snakes are a species found in Australia and Papua New Guinea, and their length may reach three meters.
Although it is not poisonous, it wraps around its prey until it kills them by suffocation. These reptiles feed mainly on birds, lizards and small mammals. (AFP)
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