Mustard the python sleeps it off at zoo

MUSTARD, a Burmese python at the Emperor Valley Zoo, has always been a docile animal, zoo sources said on Friday.

On Thursday, Mustard bit zookeeper Walter Bunyon while he was being fed. A video shared on social media showed Bunyon open the door to Mustard’s enclosure and drop a rabbit close to him.

Seconds later, Mustard turned and bit Bunyon in the torso.

Bunyon, who was one of the zookeepers who raised Mustard from when he was little. suffered no serious injury and was on the job yesterday. One source said as a public officer, Bunyon cannot speak to the media without permission from the relevant ministry.

Sources attributed Mustard's action to his being hungry and sensing movement, and the only movement behind him was Bunyon.

As an animal used in the petting zoo, Mustard is not normally put on display. In the petting zoo, Mustard is stretched out to his full length and people have interacted with him without any problem.

But feeding and mating periods were identified as times when snakes react differently.

The video also showed people tapping the glass of the enclosure before Mustard bit Bunyon. The reptile house of the zoo has several signs telling visitors not to tap the glass.

Two enclosures away from Mustard, there is a female Burmese python named Bullet. Checks are being made as to whether Bullet may have been in heat before the incident and Mustard sensed it.

When Newsday went to the zoo, Mustard was curled up in a tray in the middle of his enclosure. Sources said he had eaten earlier in the day and was resting. A zookeeper went into his enclosure and prodded him gently with a rod. Mustard did not respond. Sources said he would sleep for the next four days while he digests his food.

The Burmese python is one of the five largest species of snakes in the world and is native to a large area of tropical south and southeast Asia. Checks on various nature websites said pythons pose little threat to people and rarely attack them without being provoked. Burmese pythons are generally considered docile compared to other large snakes.

From the zoo's Facebook page it appears Mustard is one of its favourite residents. There is also a photo of children petting him.

In a release on Thursday, the Zoological Society confirmed the video was authentic. The Emperor Valley Zoo sought to assure there was no danger to the public and said a full investigation was under way. The Zoological Association of America, of which the society is a member, has been notified and will also review the incident.