About Snake George
dolmadis wrote:First he re-discovered the Cyprus Grass Snake after it had been thought extinct for nearly 40 years. Secondly he proved that the most venomous snake on Cyprus, the Blunt Nose Viper lays eggs, other than bearing live young as it had been thought and apparently proven.
George has been working hard to win the right from the Cyprus Government to establish a conservation and breeding project to save the Cyprus Grass Snake from extinction. The European Commission (EU) says that it is taking legal action against the Republic of Cyprus. There is an article about this on the web site..
Snake George wrote:THE CYPRUS grass snake will be extinct in three years unless drastic measures are taken to protect the breed, President of the Cyprus Reptile Society Hans-Jorg Wiedl aka ‘Snake George' warned yesterday.
By Bejay Browne Published on October 22, 2010 in the Cyprus Mail
“I have been trying to get the backing of the Government for the last three years to start up a conservation and breeding programme to stop this snake from becoming extinct,” he said.
Commissioner for the Environment Charalambos Theopemptou said he had a meeting recently with the Permanent Secretary of The Agriculture Ministry.
“We agreed between us, that apart from taking various measures to help to save and protect the snake, there needed to be a specific place where George can help the reptiles to reproduce in captivity conditions,” he said.
Theopemptou arranged further meetings and the required documentation were submitted.
Commissioner for the Environment Charalambos Theopemptou wrote:“Now I’m waiting for a ministerial response,” he added.
“From what we heard at the ministry, sadly I am not hopeful.”
The Commissioner pointed out that there was an online petition available at the web page of the Cyprus Reptile Society, that aimed to save the snake.
Complain to the EU Parliament here
“This snake is important, and 2010 is the year of biodiversity. We – Cyprus – should not be the one country that everyone looks at that lost an important species,” said Theopemptou.
Theopemtou says he has been trying to get the government to do something about the situation for the last three years.
Snake George said: “I have been waiting for help for the state for too long and so I have started an online petition. I would encourage everyone to send a letter of complaint online. This really is the last chance for the Cyprus Grass Snake and so now I have gone straight to the EU,” he added.
“Why should they become extinct? There are very, very few left already. If we act now we could save them. But if we do nothing I see the end of the grass snake in a few short years. I will not accept their extinction.”
Suggested Letter to submit Online to the EU Parliament.
Complain to the EU Parliament here
Snake George wrote:
This Petition requests the EU to take immediate and wider legal action against the Cyprus Government in the matter of the failure to conserve the Cyprus Grass Snake at locations in Xyliatos and Paralimni Lake and to take the necessary action to ensure conservation of this species in certain other locations and to instruct the Cyprus Government to provide urgently all the resources necessary for Hans-Jorg Wiedl (Snake George) to establish a captive breed programme in Cyprus.
The Government of Cyprus has published a booklet about the Cyprus Grass Snake (Natrix natrix cypriaca) which sets out a brief understanding of the ecology of the species. It states that this species is protected by law.
http://www.moa.gov.cy/moa/dfmr/dfmr.nsf ... ROFIDO.pdf
I would welcome the EU taking whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the vital breeding project is established with the utmost urgency. Otherwise this species will soon be certainly extinct.
Please write back to me and tell me what action the EU is going to take and the dates involved by which the EU will achieve success.
