DELAND, Fla. — Someone stole almost $30,000 worth of exotic snakes from a downtown DeLand pet store. The stolen snakes are pythons and a boa and several were females with eggs.
DeLand police said the burglary occurred sometime early Tuesday at Anamalia Pets on S. Woodland Boulevard (see map) , when someone forced their way into the business through a rear door.
Owner Gary A. Locker left the business about 12:30am Tuesday and discovered the burglary at about 9:00am. Surveillance cameras at a nearby credit union show the rear of the pet store, but those cameras were not recording between 2:00am and 8:00am, and police believe that is when the thieves struck.
DeLand police said more than $300 in cash was stolen along with the snakes.
The snakes were kept in large drawers at the rear of the store. All were various breeds of Ball pythons except for one Snow Colombian Red Tail Boa.
Locker knows quite a bit about snakes. He's collected snakes most of his life and he opened the shop a year and a half ago with a thriving breeding program.
"I'm trying to produce this pattern with the albino color," Locker said.
Locker said he has reinforced the old wooden door that the crooks went through.
The stolen snakes are very expensive. One snake carrying eggs is listed on the police report at $16,000.
To run a retail store selling animals like exotic snakes, you have to have a special exhibit and sales permit through Florida Fish and Wildlife.
Starting in July, it will be illegal to own a Burmese python in Florida. Earlier this month, Governor Crist signed a bill banning personal ownership of the snakes and certain other reptiles.
Non-native pythons escaping from or being released by their owners has become a problem. Last year, a pet python killed a 2-year-old child in Sumter County.