Candoia - Rescue and Release in Fiji

Here are some photos of a large female Candoia bibroni bibroni (Fiji Boa) found and rescued from a forest area being cleared for development. She was brought in to a conservation organisation here in Suva (the capital) and they called me.

I fought the temptation to keep her - but I already have 8 at home, and I am really trying not to put too many wild animals in boxes - so we photographed her and released her into a safer area.

She's much darker than most Fiji boas - the majority are brown / pinkish. She also has the black belly stripe we are finding is typical of snakes from this island, but not all of them. Hope you enjoy!

And here is her moment of freedom!

She is goregous, I would have be tempted to keep her too but it's nice that she was able to be released.

Yeh, I was really tempted - but my partner is my little Green Jimminy Cricket sitting on my shoulder giving me conservation hell.... and I'm sure she's happier out there....

Beautiful!

She's lucky they brought her to you.

I'm recognised as the official "Snake Nut" in the city of Suva - so we now have an agreement that if any snakes are brought to them, they'll call.

The biggest problem is that Fijians have watched entirely too many horror movies and are convinced that all snakes are venomous, so they have a horrible habit of either killing them on sight or removing their teeth by putting a stick into the mouth and then dragging it out.

This girl was lucky as her captors didn't do that, but obviously if that is done they can no longer survive alone in the wild, and my collection would increase....