Why would someone do this?

I was talking to one of my neighbor's son's friends the other day ad we got on the subject of animals. I mentioned that I had my BP. He thought that was cool and all and said his father used to have 1 until a few years ago when he decided he no longer wanted it and released it into the wild, in Connecticut. If you have owned a BP then you are more that aware of there temperature and humidity requirements. The winters hear can get cold sometimes sub zero. I doubt it ever had a chance.

theres gonna be people that are just ignorant out there and this is just a perfect example of them. it makes me mad too but, what are we gonna do??? am i right?

true i supose

That's disgusting.

"This python is an African native. It's hot in Africa. I live in Connecticut. It's cold here. I've fed this python it's entire life. No one will feed it out there. It probably doesn't know how to avoid predators either. I think he'll do great!"

I can never understand why, if you have an exotic pet you don't want any more, you would release it instead of selling it. I just....can't find any logical explanation for it. Release it and kill it or sell it, let it live, and get some cash....Tough choice.

Well most likely this person was too lazy to find it a new home, and also didn't want to kill it.

"releasing it into the wild" is just another way to kill it...indirectly. Obviously you are just giving it a death sentence by "setting it free".

even though its very wrong, atleast he didnt let it go in the everglades..... :rolleyes:

i dunno at least in the everglades it would have been eaten and been a relatively quick death. here it would have been starvation of freezing. i think i would have rather been eaten,

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Originally Posted by Maverick67

i dunno at least in the everglades it would have been eaten and been a relatively quick death. here it would have been starvation of freezing. i think i would have rather been eaten,

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Not true about they would be eaten quickly, native species smaller than ball pythons live, though they are exposed to danger, but also have perfect camo for the everglades. And I am sure the snake would not starve to death, even though it was a pet, it still has natural instinct, and I cannot think of any place in North America that wouldn't have rodents! And when it does get too cold for the ball python its body will slowly shut down, it will hardly feel anything.

Slowly shut down. Have you ever frozen to death? i have this feeling it is not pleasant regardless. Humans bodies shut down in cold as well and i am an avid winter sportsman. hunting ice fishing and whatnot just fingers and toes being frozen is not particularly pleasant. i highly doubt it would be pleasant regardless of species.

On Python Hunters they found a Burmese that had been rendered helpless during the cold snap. Black vultures had come down and stripped off sections of its flesh while it was immobile and unable to flee or defend itself.

The snake survived this. Can you imagine that?

But the Everglades is too wet for ball pythons.

this one was not released into the everglades. i was released in New England.

Maverick, you(unless I miss my guess) are a human and therefor warm-blooded. A cold-blooded creature will not experiance the same sensations as you will. As to how painful or not it actually is, there's debate.

But invoking how YOU would feel versus how a python would feel just leads to people thinking snakes shouldn't be in "small" cages, or need a wide open cage without dark corners, because that's what they would like themselves.

To the OP, the only thing we can do in cases like this is try to gently educate as to how bad of a decision that is. Not only is it irresponsible for the environment(assuming it survives for any length of time at all), but it's cruel to the pet.

People turn loose pets in hopeless conditions( cold area for pythons) because they are too cowardly to do the right thing. People near the desert often drive their pet dogs out to dump them in the desert. "Setting them free" in conditions that will ensure a horrible death, despite KNOWING intellectually that the pet cannot survive, and sometimes after being told the pet will die a horrible death. It's all fine, because it doesn't happen in front of them. "Out of sight, out of mind".

If they can't rehome it, and can't find a shelter to take it, then PUT IT DOWN. I don't care if it's a snake or a puppy. Pets deserve a humane death if they can't find a home. Throwing a unwanted cat out, putting a python in the woods, or dumping a puppy in the desert, it's all inhumane and cruel and people can be charged with 'abandonment of an animal' in most places.

Sorry you had to meet some of the many ignorant people around the world.

I agree with dealing with uneducated people putting animals out in inhumane conditions completely. but i am still lacking the ability to find freezing t death to be a painless process that's all.

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Originally Posted by Maverick67

I agree with dealing with uneducated people putting animals out in inhumane conditions completely. but i am still lacking the ability to find freezing t death to be a painless process that's all.

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Actually hypothermia is not all -that- unpleasant. You actually start to feel warm and sleepy towards the end.

That being said, snakes don't go through hypothermia. The colder they get, the slower their body operates. After a while it just gets so slow that it just stops.

I would rather freeze to death than be eaten alive.

i think i would have to experience both to make a qualified decision on the subject.

I'd prefer a instant death, thanks. I'm not so curious as to want to experiance either. I hate cold. I put on a sweater to eat ice cream sometimes.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

But the Everglades is too wet for ball pythons.

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I don't know if I buy that, a lot of snakes survive out there. =/

Most of the snakes there like wet conditions. The infamous Burmese comes from an area known for monsoons after all.

Some people really are just idiots when it comes to animals they no longer want. Whether its a cat or dog they just let go or fish they release into lakes that end up wrecking hell on the ecosystem. I'm not sure if its a matter of they don't know better or just don't care. I find it hard to believe that this idiot thought a BP would survive after the summer in the northeast. Most likely he just didn't care, which is really sad.

Take it a step further and imagine these situations with children. I was a foster care case manager for several years and experienced these types first hand. Its really sickening.

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

I hate cold. I put on a sweater to eat ice cream sometimes.

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LOL...Thats a Sig worthy quote..hahaha.

Yeah, I have family and used to live in CT. and would NEVER think about releasing a BP there, or anywhere for that matter. I live in FL now and even down here around winter it can ge cold enough to kill any snake in the wild...The study done last year (I believe) showed any snake exposed to cold for over a day or two I think is pretty much dead.

Sucks to hear about irresponsible owners doing things like this.:colbert: