This pet is history.
A 13-foot-long Burmese python has been moved to a zoo in New York after its owner admitted it had grown too big for him to care for.
The 3-and-a-half-year-old snake named Mango is now in the care of the Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo in Rome, New York, after the pet was turned over to authorities, the zoo said in a statement on Aug. 30. social media posts,
“The owner was a little surprised at how quickly she grew up!” the zoo said in the statement. “We were surprised too, but we are up for the challenge of raising this amazing creature!”
The female snake, which the zoo said was a rare albino Burmese python, was relocated after a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation officer responded to a complaint about a larger snake that was believed to be kept illegally as a pet, the department said in a statement. Official statement Tuesday,
Environmental Conservation Officer Jeff Hull, after seeing a photograph of the snake, identified it as a Burmese python based on the arrow-shaped design on its head.
When Hull entered the pet home, the officer found the 13.2-foot-long snake confined in an enclosure no larger than 5 feet wide. The officer said the snake was still growing and weighed 80 pounds.
The NYSDEC said Mango's owner confessed he “was not prepared for the animal to grow so quickly” and realized he could no longer care for him.
The mango was confiscated and donated to the zoo, which has the necessary permits to keep the snake, the NYSDEC reported.
Her owners, who live in New Hartford in Oneida County, According to WNYTHe was issued a notice for keeping an illegal pet and keeping a dangerous animal without a permit, the NYSDEC said.
In the meantime, the zoo said it is working on plans to expand her habitat to suit her growing needs.
The owner, who identified himself as Mike Stone in a Facebook comment on the zoo's post, said he was “so happy with her final stop!”
She commented on the post, “Thank you so much for keeping my Bella with you and giving her a wonderful home to live a long life!”
She said Mango was docile, loved affection and attention, and she and her children would miss him. She said she and her family would “visit here regularly going forward.”
Rebecca Stedman, who co-owns Fort Rickey Discovery Zoo with her husband, Chris, told the Post that the zoo is also very happy to have Mango join the zoo family.
“We're really happy because she's very calm — she's really easy to work with,” Stedman said. “She'll be a great animal for educational purposes. We can bring her out, and let kids get up close and meet her.”
Stedman said it's important for a snake of his size “to be able to move to breathe properly, otherwise they could be at risk for respiratory infections.”
The snake, which could have grown up to 17 feet in length, was apparently well-fed and “heavier than the average python of its age,” Stedman said.
He said as long as the snake isn't panicked, it's safe to care for it.
The zoo also has a ball python and two boa constrictors, Stedman said.
