Every three to four weeks, snakes from Miami are shipped in such transport boxes to Frankfurt. The snakes are not randomly stocked at the bottom of the box, but are independently mounted in matching bags in the box – as though they were travelling in a hammock. In the specially equipped transport box or rather travel bags, sensitive reptiles are well protected whether Python or any other type of venomous snake.
The control of species conservation is top priority here. Before a snake undergoes a health examination by a veterinary, experts from customs routinely check the type of animal in each bag. Fear should not be the concern of customs officials, but rather a good portion of respect is advisable.
All reptiles that arrive in Frankfurt by GK Airfreight and who are to be transported further come from reptile and snake farms. Before their journey can begin the rules and regulations in Germany are very closely reviewed. In the 16 German states very different provisions for the keeping of reptiles can be found.
Even the veterinary pays special attention to the rules and regulations so as to strictly comply with all provisions. That way no poached animals can get through amongst the animals to be transported.
All offspring carry certified documents. Thus their exact origin may determined. Even the addressee is important in this context. If the animals have not been forwarded straight to zoos or animal parks, it plays a major role as to who ultimately takes on the delivery of the reptiles. In principle, only those persons who have a professional trader status may order poisonous snakes. Exceptions to the rule do happen to occur now and again.
Not so long ago a tortoise was sent wrapped up as a special gift, unfortunately the wrong kind of paperwork, which is where the problem starts. What do you do with an animal that was sent with no papers whatsoever? Only one possibility remains and that is to donate the animal to the closest zoo,- if they are willing to take it of course. So we see how a zoo may alternatively come by a possibly new attraction.
