A man in Holladay, UT was arrested for possessing 20 Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) without the proper permits to keep them. Marty Lynn Bone was
A man in Holladay, UT was arrested for possessing 20 Burmese pythons (Python bivittatus) without the proper permits to keep them. Marty Lynn Bone was booked on 20 counts for failing to hold a “permit required for exotic animals.” He was also charged for possessing controlled substances with intent to distribute and for firearm by a restricted person, according to Fox13 Salt Lake City.
The Burmese Python In The United States
The Unified Police Department sent an undercover police officer to buy a baby Burmese python from Bone, but his exotic pet permit was expired, according to Fox13 Salt Lake City. A search warrant was issued, and police discovered 20 Burmese pythons, 585 rats and 46 rabbits, in addition to the controlled substances.
Bone has been keeping Burmese pythons for more than 30 years and told Fox13 that he has been compliant with the regulations in the past and even has a $500,000 insurance policy on his home. In addition, after one of the python’s escaped, Bone installed double-screened windows and self closing doors in front of the existing doors to prevent escape. He said that the Salt Lake County Animal Services failed to notify him that his exotic animals permit had expired in 2017.
Bone told Fox13 that the snakes roam freely inside his home and they even sleep with him on his bed.
“Everything I’ve done is just for the snakes, not for me,” Bone told FOX 13. “I’ve been doing this for 45 years,” he said. “Nobody’s complained, up until today.”
SNAKE SEIZURE: UPD removed 20 pythons from a Holladay home, but the man who lives there tells me this is his life and these Burms (Burmese pythons) are his kids. Tonight @ 9, he explains how much he loves these snakes, but why @UPDSL says owning them was illegal. @fox13 pic.twitter.com/EjyW1GTKNN
— Lauren Steinbrecher (@LaurenSnews) October 13, 2020
Burmese pythons are one of the largest snakes in the world with the capability of growing to more than 20 feet in length and more than 200 pounds. They are native to Southeast Asia and there are established invasive populations in the Florida Everglades. Of the large snakes, the Burmese python is said to have the most docile nature and temperament.
