Earlier last year, the NSPCA received a complaint about a viral video doing the rounds on social media. In the video, a young man is seen displaying a jar containing a live snake. On closer inspection, one can see a thin tube protruding from the lid of the jar, as well as what appears to be a rolled cigarette. The man then proceeds to tease the snake before lighting the cigarette and inhaling the smoke that has accumulated in the jar. Throughout the remainder of the video, the jar, still containing the live snake, remains full of smoke. It is believed the man was smoking cannabis and exposing the snake to the psychoactive substance.
Immediately upon receipt of the complaint, our Wildlife Protection Unit started to investigate the individual responsible for this deplorable act of cruelty. It is inconceivable that someone would expose any living animal to this type of behaviour and our Inspectors were adamant that the man in the video would be identified and prosecuted for contravening various sections of the Animals Protection Act 71 of 1962.
After investigating a series of leads, National Senior Inspector Duán Matthee successfully located the person responsible for the video and identified him as Dirk de Jager from the town of Modjadjiskloof in Limpopo. Thereafter, Inspector Matthee went on to lay charges against de Jager, who was successfully arrested in August 2024. On 29 October 2024, de Jager pleaded guilty and was sentenced at the Kgapane Magistrate’s Court. The plea resulted in a fine of R2,000 or 30 days’ imprisonment, suspended for 12 months on condition that the accused is not found guilty of the same offence committed during the period of suspension.
The NSPCA is absolutely appalled by de Jager’s abhorrent actions and finds it reprehensible that anyone could participate in behaviour such as this, let alone video the event and circulate it on social media, although this allowed us to find him and prosecute him for animal abuse. While we are disappointed in the leniency of the sentence, we are grateful that he is facing repercussions for his actions, including a criminal record.
The NSPCA is committed to tracking and prosecuting those responsible for any form of cruelty to animals. We sincerely hope that de Jager’s case will deter others from engaging in these sorts of appalling activities.
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