NEWS
Australian Man Fined for Taking Pet Snake Surfing
Source: Higor Fiuza via Nine News Australia
An Australian man has been fined after taking his pet python surfing.
According to BBC News Sydney, Higor Fiuza and ‘Shiva’ the snake became local celebrities after Fiuza filmed the pair catching some waves.
However, Australian wildlife authorities weren’t so amused and fined Fiuza A$2,322 ($1,495) for endangering Shiva and breaching his permit to keep the snake by taking her out in public.
“Snakes are obviously cold-blooded animals, and while they can swim, reptiles generally avoid water,” wildlife officer Jonathan McDonald said in a statement. “The python would have found the water to be extremely cold, and the only snakes that should be in the ocean are sea snakes.”
Fiuza told the Australian Broadcasting Company that Shiva loves water and has been surfing at least ten times.
“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,” Fiuza shared. “Usually when she doesn’t like something she starts hissing but she doesn’t hiss [in the water], she is always chill.”
