113 exotic pets given up during Tampa amnesty day

tbo ^ | November 9, 2009 | KEITH MORELLI

[JoeProBono]

Owners of exotic pets streamed into the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's amnesty day Saturday, turning over animals that have gotten too large, unruly or were just unwanted.

The program was established so owners could give pets to the state rather than turn them loose in Florida's woods and swamps. Biologists point to the Everglades, where a growing population of Burmese pythons and other exotic snakes has taken hold. Wildlife officials say the population began when python owners let loose their pets after they got too big to handle...."Mostly they were reptiles," she said. "Snakes, lizards and turtles.".....

[JoeProBono]

FILE PHOTOS

[Joe Brower]

Florida Freeper

[mad_as_he$$]

I will never understand the obsession with dangerous reptiles — especially when there are kids in the house. FL needs to outlaw all exotics and start a hunting program in the glades to exterminate all of them.

[KarlInOhio]

Geico turns to a higher pressure advertising campaign.

[SWAMPSNIPER]

The government will do all it can to keep civilian hunters out of the game.

[goseminoles]

While I think its a terrible thing that non-native species are being released in our state, I hate amnesty anything.(Guns, animals, etc)

[JoeProBono]

[Tunehead54]

Actually animal amnesties make sense - very hard to collect all the black mambas in the glades ... nothing in the Constitution about the right to keep and bear cobras, pythons, etc. - hold onto your guns though in case they miss a few ... ;-)

[mom4melody]

LOL...too funny!

[poobear]

Yep, we built the Seminole County Animal Control Facility this year. I was quite an experience. All sorts of animals. We brought home fresh eggs from the wonderful exotic hens. There was however,quite a collection of reptiles. Most of these bastards would try and attack you from their cages. Major problem with folks either letting them go into the wild or the critters escaping on their own. I'd rather encounter a rabid coyote than an insane python. On the other hand, both are venerable to a hollow point loaded gun.

[musicman]

"113 exotic pets given up during Tampa amnesty day"

Is it too late to turn this one in?? You know I saw it, it looked pretty harmless so I bought it, but the darn thing has bitten me so many times, that now I have absolutely no use for it.