Australia: A man was fined $1,500 for riding his own snake

A man from Australia’s Gold Coast has been ordered to pay a $1,500 fine after he was spotted surfing with his pet snake.

Earlier this month, snake owner Higor Vuza was spotted several times taming the waves with his reptile named Shiva.

“Traveling waiting for the perfect wave”

Fiuza has a special license to own a domestic animal

“He goes for a swim and then gets back on the board… he’s just surfing around waiting for the perfect wave,” he said. 9News.

Fiosa explained that the snake seemed to enjoy the water because it usually makes a hissing sound when disturbed, which did not happen while it was on the board.

He was fined $1,500 last Thursday after a video of him and Shiva enjoying the waves went viral.

Surfer from Gold Coast, IN #AustraliaTake him #snake Company go surfing. Surfer Higor Fiosa said: “I always took her to the beach, and she loved swimming in the water, so one day I decided to take her surfing, and she loved it.” pic.twitter.com/AkJLMZ7SzV

– Hespress French (@HespressFr) September 6, 2023

“We became aware of it when it appeared in the local media,” said Jonathan McDonald, a wildlife officer from the Department of Environment and Science.

MacDonald said that although Fiosa was licensed to keep domestic animals, he was not allowed to take the snake from its approved premises without special permission.

“We do not want permit holders to display their native animals to the public unless it is for a specific and approved purpose and in a way that ensures the animal’s welfare and the safety of the public and complies with the relevant rules,” he said. . .

He pointed out that such exposure to the animal can stress it and make it behave in an unexpected way that could harm a person.

“Snakes are obviously cold-blooded animals, and while they can swim, they generally avoid water. The snake will find the water very cold, and the only snakes that should be in the ocean are eels,” MacDonald added.

It is noteworthy that snakes are non-venomous snakes that can reach a length of three meters (about 10 feet), and they wrap around their prey and squeeze it until it suffocates. They mainly eat birds, lizards and other small mammals.