A food delivery website with a reputation for organizing games to charm its customers and drum up business has recently launched a new game for which the winning prize is a python snake, riling up environmentalists and animal rights activists.
The newest game devised by the website is the world-famous “Snakes and Ladders”, and its prize is an actual snake, Mehr News Agency reported.
The marketing campaign, which openly promotes a python snake as the “grand prix” of the game, has been met with anger and opposition from environmental and animal rights activists.
Initially, the Department of Environment said it had not issued permits for the campaign, with Ali Teymouri, head of the Hunting and Fishing Office at the DOE, claiming he was “unaware of such a scheme, but it’s illegal.”
However, after further probing, he revised his statement, saying that the business owners had failed to provide the necessary information on their website, but did so later “once the DOE followed up the issue.”
“The website will purchase the snake from a firm that has all the legal permits,” he explained. “The python was not poached in the wild and was raised in captivity.”
He also emphasized that there are specific protocols for trading and owning exotic animals, and even the prize winner is obliged to obtain a separate permit from the department in order to keep it.
The marketing manager of the company also said the website has disclosed all information regarding where and how the snake will be purchased.
“We have provided contact information of our (snake) provider on the website, and explained the process,” said Mahrad Abdolrazzaq. “The snake has not been smuggled and was raised in captivity,” he stressed, echoing Teymouri’s stance.
He explained that the winner will be provided with a letter certifying that the snake was not taken from its natural habitat and was raised specifically for sale. He said the case is “no different from selling fish raised in aquariums.”
“We like to attract customers with new and innovative ways to show them online purchase has the advantage of convenience as well as other benefits,” Abdolrazzaq said.
