Reports surface about death of an imported snake, but zoo director still in the dark

The reptile in question is one of the 31 non-venomous snakes flown in from the United States.

KARACHI: A red-tailed boa, which was one of the 31 snakes seized by customs officials a little less than two months ago, reportedly died on Sunday morning at the Karachi zoo while a two-month-old reticulated python is seriously ill. But the zoo’s director, Bashir Sadozai said he was “unsure” if one of the animals had died when contacted later in the evening.

Two young snake enthusiasts had imported 31 non-venomous snakes from Oklahoma in the United States. The reptiles had left Oklahoma in the first week of February and landed at Jinnah airport on February 17. But customs officials handed the animals over to the Karachi zoo as the importers reportedly failed to provide a no-objection certificate from the National Council for Conservation of Wildlife (NCCW).

Three days after being brought to the zoo, some of the snakes contracted allergies.



On the condition of anonymity, a source privy to the matter told The Express Tribune that a red-tailed boa had died because of a lack of food and a harsh environment. “Most of the snakes are at risk and the younger ones will die if they aren’t taken care of properly,” he said. “The zoo’s administration wants to hide the issue. Snakes aren’t given the correct amount or quantity of food,” he alleged. The boa that reportedly died had cost the importers about Rs9,200.

When contacted, Bashir Sadozai, said he “wasn’t sure” whether a snake had died, though he did admit that one of the larger reptiles had not eaten anything for a couple of days. “All of them seemed to be fine on Friday, but I’m not sure whether one of them has died.”

After the arrival of the snakes in zoo, the administration tried its best to provide facilities and proper food to imported snakes, said the director. The zoo’s administration has now found experts at Dow university who will provide guidance on how to take care of the reptiles. The zoo’s administration will meet university officials on Monday. “We’ll request the university’s vice chancellor to provide us with experts so that we can look after the animal’s better,” said Sadozai.

He confirmed that one of the two bigger snakes had stopped eating after arriving at the zoo. “Our doctors and zoologists are trying to look after them but we need proper reptile experts,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 8^th, 2013.