Nelson pushes python ban

TAMPA - Burmese pythons should be banned as pets and imports of the snakes should be outlawed, Florida Senator Bill Nelson said Tuesday.

Nelson will testify before a Senate committee Wednesday, telling the story of 2-year-old Shaiunna Hare, who was strangled to death by a pet Burmese python in Sumter County last week.

"This is a no-brainer. Unfortunately it took this tragedy to get to this point," Nelson said. "It was just a matter of time until a human was going to be threatened. And this time, tragically, in a home."

Wildlife officers believe the eight-foot-long pet python was inadequately caged and that it attacked the child because it was hungry. The snake weighed 12 pounds, half what it should have, according to investigators.

Criminal charges have not been filed, but are possible, a sheriff's spokesman said.

"The Sumter County Sheriff's Office and Fish and Wildlife investigators are in the process of looking at all the evidence," said Gary Morse of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The tale of Hare's tragic death -- likely a first in Florida -- adds a new refrain to Nelson months-long push to ban python imports on environmental grounds.

Specifically, Nelson has pointed to the Everglades, where he says thousands of unwanted pet pythons have been dumped. They have proliferated to the point where wildlife officers estimate there are 150,000 of them in the wild.

"You can see, the ecological balance of Mother Nature is definitely being upset," Nelson said. "We must change it. We must do it quickly."

Critics say Nelson is reaching too far.

Bobby Rex, who owns Scales Exotic Pets in Brandon, says Burmese Pythons are less dangerous than dogs, provided owners care for the animals responsibly.

"Rather than ban people's livelihood and their pets," said Rex, "I think we need to just enforce the law."

Florida law requires that snakes be licensed, micro chipped, and properly caged. Owners are also required to have a plan to house the reptiles in case of emergencies or evacuation.

Investigators said the snake that killed Hare was neither licensed nor micro chipped. It was also housed in a cage without a lock, they said.