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Contact: Edie Smith, Spokesperson
Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife
284 State Street
41 State House Station
Augusta, ME 04333


Telephone: work (207) 592-4348

Fax: (207) 287-6395

March 23, 2010

Old Orchard Beach Man Faces Two State Charges In Gaboon Viper Incident

Augusta, Maine - An Old Orchard Beach man was issued two summonses last week in connection with the discovery of a Gaboon Viper behind a movie theater complex in Saco on Monday, March 8.

Karl Ramsdell, 35, of Old Orchard Beach was summonsed on state charges of keeping illegal wildlife in captivity, a civil violation, and failure to have an importation permit for wildlife, a Class E criminal violation, as a result of a 10-day investigation by the Maine Warden Service, according to Game Warden Rick LaFlamme.

If found guilty of the civil violation, Mr. Ramsdell faces a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500.

If found guilty of the Class E criminal violation, the minimum penalty is a $50 fine and the maximum is up to one year in jail and up to a $1,000 fine.

The venomous 5-foot-long Gaboon Viper was found on a rock by a woman who was walking her dog on a trail behind the Cinemagie and IMAX Theater on Route 1 in Saco.

In 2004, Mr. Ramsdell was guilty of a violation of a Commissioner’s Rule on illegal snakes and fined $350.

The Gaboon Viper is considered one of the most deadly of all snakes, even when it’s dead. It is armed with the longest fangs of any snake in the world, and when it grabs hold of its prey it does not let go while it releases heavy doses of venom.

The Maine Warden Service is vigilant in its enforcement efforts to prevent the illegal importation of fish and wildlife into the state. The Commissioner of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife determines what species of fish and wildlife are permissible and those that are not allowed into the state at all.

The list of unrestricted species can be found on our website at:

http://www.maine.gov/ifw/wildlife/species/unrestricted_species.htm.

A Wildlife or Fish Importation Permit is required from the Commissioner before any species not listed as “unrestricted” is transported or brought into the State of Maine. This includes any invertebrate not listed as “unrestricted” (e.g., exotic ladybugs for garden pest control, southern dragonfly species for mosquito control, farm-raised butterflies for wedding releases, etc.).

In addition, a Wildlife or Fish Possession Permit is required from the Commissioner before any fish or wildlife species regulated by the State, and not listed as “unrestricted,” is taken, possessed, or held in captivity. “Wildlife” means any species of the animal kingdom, except fish, that is wild by nature, whether or not bred or reared in captivity.