Wild Caught Ball Pythons

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

I think all of us would, but the issue with the money donated there is that funds are clearly being misused by the governments of those countries. Look at when we offered to help and the food was rejected because the government of Zambia was told that the food may be a health risk since it was a genetically modified strain.

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So are you going to go to Africa with me when this whole "breeding program" goes into effect and help me guard the funds set aside for BP's from armed government militia that want to take it?

You do realize that there are people in Africa that breed ball pythons, right? Not all of Africa is as violent as the highly publicized countries.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Oxylepy

You do realize that there are people in Africa that breed ball pythons, right? Not all of Africa is as violent as the highly publicized countries.

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Right and you do realize that almost every government in the ball pythons territory is corupt? Benin, Togo, and Ghana. If these governments are going to take food from kids, what makes you think they won't jump on the supposed "large amounts of money" that will be sent there for snakes?

Ok really, I'm falling asleep...haha

Like I said at the very beginning...this is just a discussion. I hope there are no hard feelings....well, I don't have any towards you....so I hope none are floating my way...

I will be back on around 10am to see if anyone else has joined in....

Night,
-SpiderBP

No, no, it was a fairly decent little argument. I've not the time to put toward real research into the potential of starting a breeding program in Africa but I strongly doubt that there is absolutely nowhere that it could be achieved. At the moment I am too busy working at prepping for my finals and then I'll be too busy studying for next semester, but it's an interesting topic, definitely.

I live in Africa (South Africa) I might not be in the countries where they are catching ball pythons but I do know about the people of Africa and let me say that if these guys are catching ball pythons to put food on the table I don’t see a problem.

On a regular basis I have people from across the border asking me if they can work in my garden, some of these people have degrees but the situation in their own countries is so bad they risk their lives (most illegal immigrants come to South Africa through the Kruger national park where they encounter lions, leopards and Nile crocodiles) to come here to do meaningless jobs.
This is the length that people will go through just to live and support their families.

Some families live of a dollars worth of food a week so that WC ball python you see at petco is someone’s lively hood.

I love all animals and ball pythons are one of my favourites but I love people more.

This just my opinion and is not an attack on anyone.

Poverty, corruption and crime are no joke. These are the 3 main reason why immigrants leave their home contries. The last 2 is mostly why my parents decided to leave ours. Corruption and crime is eating our home contry appart. When you include extreme poverty to the mix, it is just brutal to the body, mind and soul. When these people realise this, that is when they will risk anything to flee somewhere else. Look at the cubans that flee in poorly kept together rafts for example. There are countless stories of cubans perishing to shark attacks....

Giving money to an already corrupt goverment wont fix anything, it will make it worse if anything.

No.
Stop the harvest and they become worthless to the local population. They will then be killed for meat/skins etc - fast track to extinction.

Do all the people that voted 'yes' realize they will be harvested regardless if they are for pets or food? The Asian market will gladly take any and all ball pythons for food and leather. Countries in Africa will capture & export the snakes no matter what they are to be used for. The United States saying we don't want wild caught ball pythons as pets, just means they get shipped to Asia as food.

You will also lose new bloodlines and morphs.

Why should it be up to us, the US?

I can easily see it being on us to decide whether or not we import, but as far who exports what, that's not our call.

Does your poll really reflect your true question?