A python used by a South African fortuneteller to
control the progress of teams in the World Cup has been seized by
animal welfare inspectors, a spokeswoman said Monday.
The 2.8-metre (nine-foot) long Burmese Rock Python was being
used by a sangoma in a Cape Town township to communicate with the
ancestors, to ask them to intercede in World Cup matches, said
Sarah Scarth, spokeswoman for the Society for Prevention of Cruelty
to Animals.
SPCA wildlife inspectors were alerted to the snake on June 30,
she said.
"They found the snake was being kept in a shack and in back of a
car, and was being used allegedly by the sangoma to speak to the
ancestors," she said.
"People were paying the sangomas to ask the ancestors to help
their chosen teams advance in the tournament."
But the inspectors found the reptile had pneumonia and mouthrot,
and was underweight and dehydrated. The snake was confiscated and
was responding well to medical treatment, Scarth said.
