Kenya has banned the export of various snake species, including the African rock python, to zoos and pet shops around the world after reports of animal abuse and snakes being sold on the black market for their meat and skins.
The trafficking of the endangered snakes by cartels is also having a negative impact on the environment, said authorities.
“We have conducted strong research and it shows that the ecology of the snakes has been negatively affected, especially the pythons,”said Dr Patrick Kinyatta Malonza, senior research scientist in charge of herpetology at the National Museums of Kenya.
The Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the government agency in charge of wildlife management, played a big role in imposing the ban that took effect this month.
The snakes were destined for zoos and pet shops in the UK, Czech Republic, Germany, the US, Mexico and Brazil respectively where, the KWS said, they fetch between $100 and $200, depending on the type of snake. According to Paul Gathitu, the KWS spokesman, it is now illegal to export pythons following the ban.
Licenses issued for scientific research and venom extraction abroad have also been suspended.
