Aussie fined for taking his pet carpet python for a surf without permission

A Gold Coast man who took his pet snake out for a surf has been fined by wildlife officers.

Video footage of surfer Higor Fiuza and his carpet python Shiva catching waves on a longboard* at Rainbow Bay, near Snapper Rocks in Queensland, went viral last month.

At the time, Mr Fiuza said the three-year-old snake had been surfing at least 10 times and “was a natural” at it.

“She is such an amazing snake,” Mr Fiuza said.

“I always took her to the beach and she loved to be in the water swimming, so one day I decided to take her out for a surf and she loved it.

“Usually, when she doesn’t like something, she starts hissing, but she doesn’t hiss (in the water). She is always chill.”

Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science, however, wasn’t impressed.

Senior wildlife officer John McDonald said the department handed Mr Fiuza a $2322 fine for taking the native species* out in public without permission.

“The man was brought to our attention when he appeared in local media taking his python into the surf,” Mr McDonald said.

He said an investigation found the man had a permit* to keep native animals but he didn’t have a separate one to remove the pet snake from its enclosure*.

Mr McDonald said the Nature Conservation Act banned animals from being removed from their approved premises unless it was for a trip to the vet, selling or giving the animal to another permit holder, or taking it to an authorised display.

He said taking native pets out in public could cause the animals unnecessary stress and they could behave unpredictably when removed from their enclosures.

“Snakes are obviously cold-blooded* animals, and while they can swim, reptiles generally avoid water,” Mr McDonald said.

“The python would have found the water to be extremely cold, and the only snakes that should be in the ocean are sea snakes.”

FACTS ABOUT CARPET PYTHONS

• Scientific name: Morelia spilota.
• Size: They grow up to 4m but most don’t exceed 2.5m.
• Appearance: Olive to brown skin with cream blotches* which allows them to hide among leaf litter in tree hollows, logs and rocky crevices*.
• Habitat: Live almost everywhere in Australia except Tasmania. Look out for them in undergrowth, in tree branches, or the roof of your house or shed.
• Behaviour: They are secretive and well camouflaged*. Heat-sensitive pits on their bottom jaw let them sense and track the body warmth of other animals. They hunt by ambush, waiting for their prey* to pass by. As they are non-venomous*, when they catch their prey, they suffocate it by squeezing it and then swallowing it whole. Carpet pythons mostly feed after dark, and eat smaller animals such as rats, possums, birds and lizards.
• Breeding: Female pythons lay up to 20 eggs at a time.

Source: Queensland Department of Environment and Science

POLL

GLOSSARY

• longboard: a type of long surfboard
• species: a group of organisms or animals that consist of similar individuals capable of interbreeding or exchanging genes among themselves
• permit: an official document giving someone permission to do something
• enclosure: an area surrounded by a barrier
• cold-blooded: having a body temperature not regulated by the body and close to that of the environment they are in
• blotches: a large irregular patch or mark
• crevices: a narrow opening usually in a rock or wall
• camouflaged: hidden or disguised
• prey: an animal that is caught and killed by another for food
• non-venomous: not poisonous

EXTRA READING
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QUICK QUIZ
1. How many times has carpet python Shiva been surfing?
2. Why did wildlife officers fine its owner Higor Fiuza?
3. Name three reasons why wildlife officers think Shiva should not swim in the ocean.
4. When is a snake allowed to be taken out of its enclosure?
5. How do carpet pythons capture their prey?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Snake Dangers
Work with a classmate to brainstorm and list the reasons for and against being allowed to take a pet snake surfing in public. Consider the reasons listed by both parties in the Kids News article and what you can come up with as a pair.

Make a table with the following headings:
Why a pet snake SHOULD be allowed in the beach // Why a pet snake SHOULDN’T be allowed

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

2. Extension
Design a pet-friendly beach area that allows all people to bring all sorts of pets to the beach in a safe environment for all beachgoers.
Label the safety features and pet-friendly features in your sketch. Share with a classmate.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Design and Technologies, Personal and social, Critical and creative thinking.

VCOP ACTIVITY
1. News: condensed
Identify the most important pieces of information in this article and write a condensed version of it using 50 words or less.
Draw a picture or diagram to support your condensed news story.

Time: allow 25 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English