A collection of illegally removed and ‘near threatened’ tree pythons have been returned to the wild after a handy tip off to the Queensland Government on New Year’s Eve.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) rangers and Queensland police discovered and seized six Green tree pythons and two Brown tree snakes from an intercepted vehicle after they were allegedly illegally taken from their rainforest habitat near the Lockhart River in Far North Queensland. The Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI) received a ‘tip off’ which led to the vehicle being stopped and searched in the Coen area.

Green tree pythons appear on the ‘near threatened’ list and Compliance Manager Mike Devery said, ‘The removal of one near-threatened species from the wild can have significant and detrimental impacts on local populations. Sadly, most Green tree pythons that are removed from the wild will die during the smuggling process or once placed in captivity’.

Thankfully, that was not the case this time. After the rescued reptiles’ health was checked, they were returned to their natural habitat by QPWS and Kuuka Ya’u rangers.

 

Green Tree Python Release QPWS

Kuuka Ya’u Rangers releasing the Green tree pythons | QPWS

 

‘Due to the striking nature of the juvenile and adult Green tree python, they are targeted by smugglers as part of the unlawful trade in wildlife. Under the Nature Conservation Act 1992, capturing native animals from the wild without a permit is prohibited’, said Mr Devery.

The street value for such rare and beautiful snakes is up to $50,000 and wild-caught snakes are sought after for their ‘pure DNA’ compared to reptiles bred in captivity. The maximum penalty for taking animals from a national park is $483,900 or two years imprisonment. The incident is still under investigation.

If you’re aware of any information about the illegal trade of native plants and animals or see anything suspicious call 1300 130 372.

 

Green Tree Python Release QPWS

Green Tree Python Release | QPWS

 

Feature photo by @r_manu on Unsplash

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