Punishment for corn possession

[FAY]

The sad part about all this is that I come acoss people that really have no idea that corn snakes are illegal!
They are absolutley shocked when you tell them.

 

[cris]

They will kill it(like they should) and you will probably get a fine. Get over it and dont keep illegal animals if you dont want them taken away. Its all your fault, no point trying to make it look like you are doing anything right.

 

[Egernia]

I am sure that you can find a wildlife park in your area that would be more than happy to take in the animal. There would be paperwork involved on their part to get the surrended animal added to their stock lists, but it is a better option than destroying the animal.

You can get a receipt from them for the surrended animal and I am sure that the fact you no longer have the animal is going to work in your favor with NPWS.

For any others out there with exotics why not contact your local wildlife park and see if they are able to take the animals off your hands either for exhibit or educational purposes. Best stick with the smaller parks as the large ones probably will not be interested unless you have something rather extraordinary. I am sure that you could remain anonymous.

 

[Splitmore]

what exactly are you charged with? I'm surprised it would even make it to court. I've done 4 rescues in the last 6 months around me and turned up 3 corns and a golden crown snake. That should give you some idea of how many are out there.

 

[missllama]

to be honest i think people get bigger warnings and fines for having there permit books not up to date properly lol someone i no got into alot of trouble for not having there book filled out properly when they got a visit nothing exotic tho...

i hope you dont get into too much trouble if u were honestly just caring about the welbeing of the animal i dont blame u at all

 

[user 16446]

Plant some exotic weeds in your neighbor's garden.

 

[matt86]

They will kill it(like they should) and you will probably get a fine. Get over it and dont keep illegal animals if you dont want them taken away. Its all your fault, no point trying to make it look like you are doing anything right.

Perhaps a bit harsh...

Anonomou5, bit of a rock and a hard place wasn't it? I agree with Cris, that it 'should' be killed, in terms of quarantine standards, and the fact that we can't let our native wildlife be compromised. But I also see the moral side from which you based your decision to care for it... It's not the animal's fault it ended up here. You won't end up in jail, and you won't even be out of pocket more than a major speeding offence - people have done far worse, and ended up with far less punishment.

I don't agree with these 'amnesty' periods either. It's like saying 'no matter who you are, or what your intentions are, declare stuff within this timeframe and you don't have to worry.' Then people attempt to do the 'right' thing outside of these periods, and they are punished.

We shouldn't have exotics in this country, but we do. So it's time that we update our processes to deal with it. We don't need to legalize it, or condone it, but we need to accept that it is a part of the community, and find a more constructive way to deal with it.

 

[Khagan]

I'd like to be sympathetic with you, but when you read up about it being illegal you should have handed it in to NPWS explaining the situation and would have probably avoided this situation.

 

[haymista]

No idea bout the legal side but morally you did the right thing IMO, a snake shouldnt die just because it doesnt belong in australia. What makes me sick is people smuggling exotics for a quick buck. Theres a reason why quarantine exists and its a very good one.
out of interest, if it was handed in to NPWS would it have been euthanized or taken to a zoo etc.?

 

[Drazzy]

Hard call mate, the ends are all the same; but least the said corn snake had a longer life.

 

[stickers]

I think almost every one has keeped or did somthing slightly illegal but the law is there to protect our natives I sound like my mother I was at the vets and wires came in with a corn snake & turtle (red dots on cheeks)both were put down sorry.

 

[LullabyLizard]

I know what your saying, but you endangered the lives of our wildlife? I know all lives are valueble, but one life weighed up with entire species. . .

You wont go to jail, but the corn will be killed.

 

[caustichumor]

The corn will be euthanised (hopefully they wont euthanise your carpets as well? however they might as a quarantine procedure) You could lose your reptile license for up to 5 years, however If you get a fine it will probably be small, and nothing compared to the lose of your animals.

 

[Fuscus]

I've just been dobbed in by a mentally ill ex-neighbor for possessing a corn snake. .

You knowingly broke the law but your neighbor is mentally ill :shock: Interesting.

 

[moosenoose]

I can't blame someone who has taken something under their wing for its own protection (even if that's considered ignorant). Good luck to you.

Mind you, I wouldn't knowingly keep a Cane Toad (just to clarify )

 

[pythons73]

They do need to start punishing ppl alot harder,especially for importing-exporting illegal reptiles into our country,however you shall get a slap on the wrist like the hundreds that have gone before you.They[corns] are just as common as a carpet python these days...

 

[melgalea]

no zoo or wildlife park will take in an exotic unless they have brought it over on there own accord, due to diseases and other stuff...
your animal will be killed, no doubt about it.

 

[pseudechis4740]

People have been made examples of but not for one corn snake. If you had multiple exotics the fine would be in the order of a few thousand but not for a single animal with no means of reproduction. Best of luck I simpathise with your plight.

 

[James_Scott]

Quote "You knowingly broke the law but your neighbor is mentally ill :shock: Interesting."

I think people are being a bit harsh. Yes it was the wrong thing to do, and yes they will be punished for it and even though the fine will be small I am sure the scare was enough for them never to do it again, not to mention the anguish of loosing loved ones.
None of us are perfect and I'm sure we have all broken the law at some stage when it comes to herps. How many of us kept tadpoles, frogs, skinks etc that were caught in the wild as children. It is what made us love herps and lucky for most of us we were never caught. I know that this is a more serious offence but the fact the punishment will have the desired affect the least the rest of us can do is be sympathetic to their loss.

Like many others on this site, my problem is not with the people looking after these animals, it is the people bringing them in the country in tiny suitcases etc, where most die on the trip over. It is a cruel industry and what most people need to understand more than the legality of it all, is that providing a home for these animals even if you think your doing the right thing by that individual animal, you are creating a trade for illegals or at least a way that the people in the wrong can off load the animals without getting caught.

Sadly many of these animals do get released into the wild and I can only thank the people who got caught with them for not doing what many before them have and released them to save their own backsides!
Well done guys, and I regardless how high the fine will be the fact you lost your loved pets is enough punishment.

 

[serpenttongue]

I've done 4 rescues in the last 6 months around me and turned up 3 corns and a golden crown snake. That should give you some idea of how many are out there.

Splitmore, in this case, what exactly do you mean by 'rescues'? Animals that you've relocated from someones yard, or animals that have been confiscated from a collection?