Article content
Conservation officers have seized a nearly three-metre-long Burmese python from a home in Chilliwack.
One of the largest snakes in the world, the pythons are native to Southeast Asia and are illegal to keep as a pet in British Columbia.
Article content
After an investigation, the B.C. Conservation Officer Service — including officers with special training in handling exotic animals — did a search on Tuesday and seized the reptile.
Article content
It is being held in an undisclosed location while the investigation continues, and enforcement action is pending, the service said in an announcement on social media.
“It is not the first time the COS has seized exotic animals,” it said. “Over the last decade, officers have captured cheetahs, alligators and monkeys.”
Exotic animals such as pythons are known as controlled alien species in B.C., as they are not native and are therefore not considered wildlife.
“It is illegal for anyone in B.C. to possess, ship, transport or breed controlled alien species without a special permit, such as those required by zoos or aquariums.”
There are about 1,200 species listed under the controlled alien species regulation.
The penalties for illegal possession include fines as high as $100,000 and up to a year in jail.
Recommended from Editorial
Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here.
You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber: For just $14 a month, you can get unlimited access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province.
Share this article in your social network
