A man from the Gold Coast in Australia who filmed himself taking his pet snake, Shiva, for a surf has been fined by wildlife authorities. The video of Higor Fiuza and his bredli carpet python catching waves went viral, leading to their brief fame.
However, this also caught the attention of wildlife protection officers who accused Fiuza of endangering Shiva and violating his permit to keep the snake by exposing her to the public. Queensland’s Department of Environment and Science issued a fine of A$2,322 for his actions.
Officials argued that taking native pets in public can stress the animals and make them behave unpredictably. They also expressed concerns about public safety and the potential for the python to spread diseases to native wildlife. Fiuza defended his actions, claiming that Shiva enjoys being in the water and has surfed with him multiple times. This incident is not the first time an animal has gained attention for surfing at Rainbow Bay, as a duck named Duck is also known to surf there.
What was the craziest story you heard or seen at the beach?
