(File photo)
A Limpopo resident has been fined R2 000, or a 30-day prison sentence, for smoking a bong — a water pipe used to consume cannabis — which contained a live snake.
The National Council of SPCAs (NSPCA), which described the incident as a “deplorable act of cruelty”, said it received a complaint early last year about a video doing the rounds on social media.
“In it, a young man is seen displaying a jar containing a live snake,” it said. “On closer inspection, one can see a thin tube protruding from the lid of the jar, as well as what appears to be a rolled cigarette.”
In the video, the man proceeds to tease the snake before lighting the cigarette and inhaling the smoke that has accumulated in the jar.
“Throughout the remainder of the video, the jar, still containing the live snake, remains full of smoke. It is believed the man was smoking cannabis and exposing the snake to the psychoactive substance.”
The NSPCA’s Wildlife Protection Unit immediately started to investigate the person responsible.
“It is inconceivable that someone would expose any living animal to this type of behaviour and our inspectors were adamant that the man in the video would be identified and prosecuted for contravening various sections of the Animals Protection Act.”
After following up on a series of leads, national senior inspector Duán Matthee located the man responsible for the video and identified him as Dirk de Jager, of Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo.
Matthee laid charges against De Jager, who was arrested in August last year.
Douglas Wolhuter, the manager of the Wildlife Protection Unit, told the Mail & Guardian that De Jager had been charged with contravening several sections of the Animals Protection Act.
“The snake was allegedly released. However we can’t say that with absolute certainty.”
On 29 October, De Jager pleaded guilty and was sentenced in the Kgapane magistrate’s court. The guilty plea resulted in a fine of R2 000 or 30 days in jail, suspended for 12 months on condition that De Jager is not found guilty of the same offence committed during the period of suspension.
The NSPCA said it was appalled by De Jager’s actions.
It was “reprehensible that anyone could participate in behaviour such as this, let alone video the event and circulate it on social media, although this allowed us to find him and prosecute him for animal abuse”.
“While we are disappointed in the leniency of the sentence, we are grateful that he is facing repercussions for his actions, including a criminal record … We sincerely hope that De Jager’s case will deter others from engaging in these sorts of appalling activities,” it added.