The carcass of a four-meter-long tiger python was found in Berlin’s Hasenheide last week. Giant snakes being released are currently happening more often. Patrick Boncourt, biologist and reptile expert at the German Animal Welfare Association, explains the business with animals and answers the question of whether they can even be kept in a species-appropriate manner in private households.
SZ: Mr. Boncourt, it is not yet clear where the dead tiger python came from. What suggests that the animal was previously kept privately?
Patrick Boncourt: The tiger python is a standard species kept privately. In the case of the animal in Berlin we are also dealing with an albino type. This does not occur in nature and can only be achieved through breeding. Unfortunately, we see such animals being abandoned every day. Especially in the last two years, as the cost of living has risen, animal shelters and we at the Animal Welfare Association have received significantly more calls from people who want to get rid of their snakes and other reptiles.
Why do people choose to keep such snakes at home?
There is a small proportion who keep snakes for species protection or responsibly as pets. But mostly it is collectors, breeders and dealers who purchase such giant snakes. Some people own the animals to pose or collect them like stamps. For breeders it is more about the challenge of inheritance.
What does it mean exactly?
Some of them take on a new genetics project every year and then offer it legally at reptile fairs or on the Internet in order to make money. The emotional connection to the animal often no longer plays a major role; the focus is more on developing new, rare species of animals that bring in a lot of sales.
Can meter-long snakes be kept humanely in private?
Clear answer: For laypeople, keeping giant snakes such as a tiger python is not feasible in an animal welfare manner. It is only possible to create the natural living conditions for these animals in your own living room with great technical effort. This requires heat and UV lamps, humidifiers and large terrariums.
Patrick Boncourt is deputy head of the animal protection center in Weidefeld, a facility of the German Animal Welfare Association, and is responsible for the reptile project there.
(Photo: private)
Which could be quite expensive.
Exactly. But even more challenging is the experience you need to keep it. Just as an example, a rule of thumb from zoos: If the snake’s body length is three meters or more, it takes one person per meter to hold and transport the snake. Medical care or other needs are also things that private individuals need to know about in advance.
Why do snakes keep being released?
In addition to the increased maintenance costs, the market also plays a major role here. The tiger python is a good example of this. A few years ago, the albino type found in Berlin was worth 10,000 euros or more. Breeders then jumped on this species and flooded the market with it within two, three, four years. Today you can get the albino tiger pythons for 50 euros or less. If the genetics aren’t right, some of them are even given away. For some owners, the animals are uninteresting and have now become disposable items.
Would it be useful to ban the trade in giant snakes?
I’m skeptical about that. In this way, we would create a black market that would mean that private individuals would no longer take their animals to the doctor. What we need are uniform national or European rules for ownership, breeding and trading. It cannot be the case that everyone can buy a giant snake from a pet store or online without any controls.