National Committee on Ecology and Climate Change of the Republic of Uzbekistan

For reference: The Central Asian cobra and the Tartar Sand Boa are listed in the Red Book of Uzbekistan as species close to vulnerable status with fragmented ranges and are also included in Appendix II of the CITES Convention. According to the Red  Book, the Central Asian cobra has completely disappeared in several regions and is extremely rare in others. The exact population of the eastern boa in the wild remains unknown.

The snakes had been confiscated by inspectors of the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change during enforcement raids, where their illegal keeping by private individuals was documented. They were temporarily placed in the Tashkent Zoo. Following a scientific assessment by the Institute of Zoology, the snakes were released into the Kampirtepa, Sherjon and Sholkon areas of the Surkhan State Nature Reserve.

For reference: Earlier, during a separate raid conducted jointly with the Tashkent Regional Department of Ecology, the General Prosecutor’s Office, the Regional Department of Internal Affairs and the National Guard, a case of illegal snake keeping at a private residence had also been identified.