Konya, Turkiye: Law enforcement officers in Turkiye were able to retrieve a snake from a citizen’s pocket during a random inspection, the Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said.
According to the General Directorate of Nature Conservation National Parks at the ministry, it was during a public order check conducted by law enforcement in the town of Konya that the baby python snake was found in the pocket of an individual.
The exotic baby python snake was seized and an administrative fine was imposed on the relevant individual.
The surrendered baby python was then handed over to the veterinarians at Karatay Zoo for health checks to be performed.
The Turkish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry warned of taking, possessing, or selling wild animals from nature without permission, saying it was “prohibited” and would lead to “legal action.”
Pythons are frequently poached for their skins, and in Southeast Asia alone, the market for python skins was estimated at a billion dollars in 2012.
