Surfer fined over £1,000 for taking pet python out on board

A man was fined by Australian wildlife authorities for taking his pet snake surfing. Higor Fiuza filmed himself and his Morelia Bredli carpet python Shiva catching waves, in a video that later went viral. Despite becoming internet celebrities, their fame was in vain as Fiuza was later fined by wildlife protection officers. They said that he breached his permit by taking her out in public whilst also endangering the reptile. Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science slapped Fiuza with a $2,322 fine, which works out at $1,495 US dollars. Wildlife officer Jonathan McDonald said Fiuza's actions can cause “unnecessary stress” and make pets “behave in an unpredictable way." "Snakes are cold-blooded animals and while they can swim, reptiles generally avoid water. The python would have found the water to be extremely cold, the only snakes that should be in the ocean are sea snakes," said McDonald. Fiuza defended his actions while chatting to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, saying Shiva enjoys surfing with him. "I always took her to the beach and she loved to be in the water swimming, one day I took her out for a surf and she loved it. Usually when she doesn’t like something she starts hissing, but she doesn’t hiss, she is always chill," said Fiuza. Morelia Bredli carpet pythons are native to the mountainous terrain of central Australia.