Snakes are a pretty common animal in virtually every part of the world. They’re creepy and they can be dangerous, but they aren’t particularly out of the ordinary. That is, of course, everywhere except New Zealand. In the land of hobbits, believe it or not, snakes simply do not exist. In fact, even owning a snake in New Zealand can open a person up to prosecution.
If you are anything like us, or God willing, Indiana Jones, you hate snakes. They are gross, creepy, vile creatures according to pretty much everyone other than the late Steve Irwin. What you probably did not realize is that if you ever want to avoid running into a snake, just about the only place in the world you can go is beautiful New Zealand.
In 2011, a man named Nathan Bush bought a pet snake and when it was discovered, he was taken to court and sentenced to four months in prison. That’s how seriously New Zealand takes its anti-snake stance. In fact, if a resident of New Zealand even becomes aware of the existence of a snake, he or she is required by law to report the animal to authorities to be dealt with in order to keep the nation completely snake-free.
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| Why are Snakes illegal in New Zealand |
This is pretty remarkable considering the country’s neighbor to the west, Australia, is infamous for being home to some of the most dangerous snakes the world has ever seen.
It is easy to understand why there are no native snake species in New Zealand as it is an island.
But one has to wonder why it makes such efforts to keep it free of snakes?
Well the answer to that lies in the food chain of New Zealand.
In this beautiful Pacific nation, the top place in the food chain is occupied by the native birds such as Kiwis.
In absence of a natural predator, these birds have evolved to become virtually defenseless, laying eggs on the land.
As a result, the introduction of a predatory species like the snakes can seriously a pose an existential threat to the species of these birds.
Thus, New Zealand's authorities go to great lengths to make sure the island is kept free of our reptile friends forever.