exotic pets

Ball pythons will remain prohibited in Fort Frances.

Town voted against changing existing by-laws surrounding exotic reptiles in response to a request about having a Ball python.

A resident’s request led to a review.

Ball pythons, which are native to western and central Africa, are nonvenomous and considered the smallest of African pythons.

They are known to grow up to 182 cm (72 in) in length.

A report from administration notes that one of the concerns of residents having them as pets is the availability of appropriate resources.

It says Ball pythons require specialized housing, heating, humidity regulation, feeding, and veterinary services that are not commonly available in northern communities.

It adds that the municipality is not equipped to deal with or care for them, should they become abandoned, escape from the owner, or the owner is unable to provide proper care.

The report also adds that access to veterinarians specializing in reptiles may be limited or
unavailable.

Councillor Bill Morrison says he once owned snakes and faced the same issue.

“It was a bad decision on my part because when all of a sudden I needed veterinary services, it was really difficult to find anything,” says Morrison.

“We’re just not set up for that in this area that I know of. So I could see that being a problem right there.”

Dryden, Kenora and Thunder Bay also have bans on keeping exotic reptiles as pets.

Councillor Wendy Brunetta supports administration’s recommendations to keep the existing by-laws in place as they are.

“I really like that they have supporting documentation as to why it really does justify their decision,” says Brunetta.

“I’m happy that we won’t have a lot of snakes in our community.”