NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County voted to undertake an ordinance this month that prohibits the dealing with of snakes for money on or close to public property.
During a gathering on Dec. 19, council members mentioned ordinance BL2023-70, which added language to a piece of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to incorporate “the display or exhibition of animals for payment or gratuity.”
The full ordinance reads:
WSMV4 Investigates addressed the problem of snake handlers on Broadway and the potential dangers the massive reptiles characterize to the Nashville crowds.
During an interview with Jac Menish, the curator of behavioral husbandry on the Nashville Zoo, she defined how pythons, like those typically seen on Broadway, are fairly docile if raised in captivity, and don’t require a allow to personal as a pet.
However, given the flawed setting, the potential for a harmful scenario is there.
“You never know how they’re going to react,” Menish mentioned. “If they get around your neck, they can squeeze, and it could become very dangerous, very fast. Even if they’re not intending to harm you, it’s just them reacting to their environment. So it’s a risk.”
Mayor Freddie O’Connel signed off on the approval of the amended ordinance on December 21, so don’t anticipate to see any massive pythons on show in downtown Nashville in 2024.
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