New York State Environmental Conservation Police Officers (ECOs) responded to several wildlife rescue incidents recently, including exotic snakes on the Coney Island boardwalk, a rattlesnake in Ulster County, and a mother Turkey hen and her poults on Long Island.
Burmese Python Owner Ticketed – Kings County
On July 12, ECO Maynard observed a large snake near Riegelmann Boardwalk in Coney Island with a crowd of about a dozen people, including small children, gathered around it. An individual with a second snake (a ball python) around his neck was handling the larger snake and showing it off to the crowd.
Officer Maynard questioned the subject who identified the larger snake as a Burmese python and admitted to owning it. Burmese pythons are considered dangerous and are illegal to possess in New York State.
The snake owner received a ticket for illegal possession and the snake was confiscated. ECO Grispin assisted with transferring the snake to the Nassau County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA). In addition to being potentially dangerous to people, Burmese pythons introduced to the environment can severely impact native wildlife populations.
Rattlesnake Released – Ulster County
On July 28, ECO Zullo responded to a complaint about a timber rattlesnake left inside a bucket outside a residence in the Town of Wawarsing. Officer Zullo investigated and determined that an individual removed the snake from another property and brought it back to his apartment inside the bucket. ECO Zullo learned the same subject also possessed the head of another timber rattlesnake in a freezer inside his apartment.
The defendant admitted to capturing the live rattlesnake and possessing the snake head in his freezer and voluntarily surrendered both to Officer Zullo. The subject received tickets for taking/possessing a threatened species in New York State, returnable to the Town of Wawarsing Court.
The live rattlesnake was released back into the wild and the snake head was secured as evidence. Video of the snake release can be viewed here.
Mother Hen and Poults Reunited – Suffolk County
On August 3, ECOs Della Rocco and Layton responded to a radio call requesting assistance with turkey poults stuck in a storm drain in the Hamlet of Coram in the Town of Brookhaven on Long Island.
The Officers, who were on patrol in the area when they overheard the call, arrived at the location and observed the poults trapped in the storm drain and crying out as the mother hen roamed nearby with the rest of her clutch.
The ECOs lifted the storm drain cover and ECO Layton climbed inside, carefully captured the poults, and returned them safely to their mother. Video of the reunion can be seen here.
Read about other recent wildlife rescues.
Photo of ECOs Maynard (left) and Grispin (right) with illegally possessed Burmese python confiscated from Kings County.
Leave a Reply