Man Who Went Viral After Taking His Pet Snake Surfing Fined $1,500

A man who gained notoriety for surfing with his pet snake around his neck has been fined after local government officials spotted his videos online.

Higor Fiuza went viral earlier this month after clips of him and his 3-year-old Bredl's carpet python Shiva surfing together off the coast of Australia were shared across social media.

Thanks to his newfound fame, however, Fiuza is facing a fine of $2,322 AUD—$1,495 USD—for not possessing the correct permit, Queensland's Department of Environment and Science states.

"The man was brought to our attention when he appeared in local media taking his python into the surf," Queensland's Department of Environment and Science senior wildlife officer Jonathan McDonald said in a statement.

"Our investigation found the man had a permit to keep native animals, but he was issued with a Penalty Infringement Notice for the breaching section 88a of the Nature Conservation Act."

This law states that pets like Bredl's carpet pythons cannot be removed from their licensed premises, except for in specific scenarios like going to the vet or selling the animal.

Bredl's carpet pythons are non-venomous pythons native to the Northern Territory of Australia.

"To take an animal out in public or display it requires a separate permit from the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries," McDonald said. "We do not want permit holders to be displaying their native animals in public unless it is done for a specific approved purpose and in a way that best provides for the welfare of the animal, the safety of the public and complies with the relevant codes."

There was also fear that taking the snake out in public may stress it out, and possibly cause the spread of disease.

"Taking native pets out in public can cause the animals unnecessary stress, and they can behave in an unpredictable way when they are removed from their enclosures," McDonald said.

He also expressed concern about the snake's welfare, considering that the reptile is cold-blooded and therefore can get cold a lot faster than humans.

"Snakes are ectotherms, so obviously that can cause the snake a lot of stress, being out in that cold, salty water," Tim Hudson, from Hudson Snake Catching Gold Coast and Hinterland, told local news 7NEWS in early September.

"Snakes are very fragile in their environment and how they interact with their environment, having them out in the cold, salty surf would definitely cause that animal a considerable amount of stress."

Fiuza is adamant that Shiva enjoys surfing, however.

"I always took her to the beach and she loved to be in the water swimming. So one day I decided to take her out for a surf and she loved it," he told local news ABC Australia when he first went viral. "Usually when she doesn't like something she starts hissing but she doesn't hiss [in the water], she is always chill."

"She is such an amazing snake," he said.

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