To the editor:

Burmese pythons didn’t ask to be taken from their native homes in Southeast Asia, imported into the U.S. by exotic “pet” dealers, purchased on a whim and then dumped outside when the novelty wore off or when they grew too big for their owners’ liking.

If the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission insists on holding a trophy hunt for Burmese pythons in the Everglades, it is the commission’s duty to ensure that the animals are killed by the least cruel methods possible. Snakes whose heads are chopped off can suffer for hours before finally dying if their brains are not destroyed immediately, so PETA is urging officials to restrict approved killing methods to bolt guns or firearms to kill the animals instantly.

These animals have ended up in the Everglades through no fault of their own, and they don’t deserve to suffer needlessly.

Michelle Kretzer

The PETA Foundation

Norfolk, Va.