Japan to require microchips for 'dangerous' animals

Reuters ^ | Oct 13, 2005 | Reuters

[libstripper]

Japan is moving toward requiring owners of potentially dangerous animals, such as crocodiles and pythons, to have microchips implanted in their pets in case the animals get loose, officials said on Thursday.

The move follows a recent wave of incidents around the nation in which animals such as pythons, crocodiles and giant salamanders have been found wandering loose, frequently on the streets of densely populated cities.

[libstripper]

Time for us to take a break from aruging over Miers and have a good laugh. Last night O'Riley did something similar--he ran a special about pythons invading the Everglades.

[Tennessee_Bob]

Whoa - literally the mark of the beast....

[xJones]

In one notorious case, a man lost track of his pet python after he took the animal "for a walk" in a park and the snake fled when the man fell asleep on a bench. He was quoted by one TV station as saying he was surprised the snake disappeared because it wasn't that kind of snake.

LOL, she was a good python, not a naughty snake.

[libstripper]

Exotic animals such as reptiles have become increasingly popular pets in Japan over the last few years, largely because they are clean and quiet and usually reside in terrariums--a big plus in the nation's cramped apartments, which often forbid ownership of more common four-footed friends.

A few years ago I went to the intenet just to see what keeping a boa would ential. Turns out, they're anything but low maintenance. Being a very large tropical snake, a boa needs a cage that's about four feet on a side, maintained at about 80 degrees farenheit and with about 80 percent humidity. Since the critter can't be housebroken, snake daddy or mommy has to keep the cage clean, very clean. Then there are all sorts of mold and health problems for the snake parents to worry about. Being somebody who doesn't even like cleaning a cat's litter box, that decided me against ever becoming a boa daddy, and I like snakes.

[R.W.Ratikal]

Today pythons, tomorrow us.

[DTogo]

Japanese couples may want to insert a chip into each other to keep the other honest and faithful... Yeah, as if that'd make a difference.

Japan * ping * (kono risuto ni hairitai ka detai wo shirasete kudasai : let me know if you want on or off this list)

[colderwater]

After spending a lot of time in Japan, I would say instead, "tomorrow, Koreans."

C.W.