KARACHI, July 9: Two big pythons of the 30-plus pack of confiscated reptiles handed over to the zoo for safe keeping a few months ago have been shifted to a private place, while a baby python was found dead on Monday in its enclosure at the zoo, sources told Dawn on Tuesday.

It’s the fifth death in the reptiles group that was seized at Karachi airport in February after the importer (Sam Farms) could not produce mandatory documents related to the consignment. The customs authorities handed over the confiscated animals to zoo officials for safe keeping till the issue was resolved.

The consignment included one Python curtus, three boa constrictors, 14 Python regius and 13 Python reticulatus. Two of the pythons were adults — one was about 17 feet long and the other was 12 feet long — while the remaining pythons were young.

The sources said the big pythons had recently been shifted to the Safari Park and put on display for a three-day pet show. Later, they said, they were moved to a private place.

When approached for a picture of the big pythons on Tuesday, the Safari staff initially insisted that the reptiles had been returned to the zoo. However, the Safari director said the reptiles were at the park and they could be photographed the next day. “The reptiles are here but a picture can be taken only tomorrow, because I am not in the office today,” said Safari director Tariq Naseer while speaking over the phone.

Zoo director Fahim Khan confirmed the death of the baby python because of lack of expertise in handling the exotic species. “We are trying to provide them with the best care possible within our means. But they are exotic species and require special handling,” he explained. He added that zoo staff even had resorted to forced-feeding as some of the python babies hadn’t eaten for days.

Regarding their shifting to the Safari Park, he said that the confiscated consignment had been handed over to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and not to the zoo. The Safari was also run by the KMC, he added.

“The pythons are at the Safari and will be shifted to the zoo soon,” Mr Khan said.Upon contact, one of the persons involved in ‘importing’ the reptiles said that the customs authorities had sent a letter to the firm last week stating that a fine of Rs30,000 had been imposed on the importer. “We will challenge the fine in court and raise our concern over their custody and deaths while being at a government facility,” he said.