Exploring the murky underworld of the ball python trade
52-minute documentary for broadcast, 20-minute campaign film, press articles
Pythons and the Exotic Pet Trade
They might not be cute and cuddly, but ball pythons are one of the world's most popular exotic pets. Our documentary takes an in-depth look at how the snakes made it from the forests of West Africa to the homes of nearly one million Americans. And in doing so it raises some important issues, such as how snakes are bred, traded and kept.
Suffering in Silence
We partnered with World Animal Protection to document the trade of ball pythons for a documentary: ‘Suffering in Silence’. Our journey took us across three continents: from reptile expos in America and voodoo temples in West Africa, to breeders in the Czech Republic. They might make for unusual pets, but at what cost to the animal?
A Designer Pet
Over the last 45 years, more than three million ball pythons have been exported from Benin, Ghana and Togo. They are now one of the most popular exotic pets on Earth.
Breeders across Europe and the US often keep the pythons in unacceptable conditions, experimenting and selectively breeding in order to encourage dazzling colours and patterns. As a result, the snakes face genetic disorders and deformities.
