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An albino python (Python bivittatus), female, measuring 2.5 meters in length, was rescued by the Environmental Military Police (PMA) in Amambai, in the interior of Mato Grosso do Sul. The police stated that she was used as a circus attraction. The snake is unable to return to the wild because it lost its natural instincts. After undergoing a domestication process, the animal is unable to hunt for its own food, for example. For this reason, the python was handed over to Biopark Pantanal in the capital, Campo Grande. The facility is the largest freshwater aquarium in the world, maintained by the state government for environmental education, research, conservation, innovation, inclusion, leisure, and culture. The park covers an area of 21,000 square meters, has 5 million liters of water, and houses 407 animal species (see more about Biopark here).
According to the Biopark's general director, Maria Fernanda Balestieri, "snakes arouse great curiosity in the public and play a fundamental role in science, environmental preservation, and controlling the population of other species." Considered one of the largest snake species in the world, the python can reach up to eight meters in length and weigh 100 kg in adulthood. The species is native to the Asian continent and is considered exotic in Brazil, meaning it does not belong to the local fauna. Carla Kovalski, head biologist at Biopark and responsible for the animal welfare department, explains that the work at Biopark Pantanal ensures the highest levels of animal welfare, providing an environment that meets the snake's environmental, physiological, and behavioral needs.