Anna’s New Home

We at the World Bird Sanctuary are very excited about the new home for Anna our beautiful Green Tree Python.

As many of you know Anna has resided in a rather small enclosure for many years. This seemed to work out well for Anna, since Green Tree Pythons spend the greatest part of their lives curled around a tree branch in their native rain forests and don’t move around much.  In fact, the only time they come to the ground is when they need to move to a different tree to hunt.  Since Anna is given “room service” by our staff, even this minimal movement is not necessary and snakes, like most wild animals, are all about conserving energy.  

Anna's amazing new home (photo: Gay Schroer)

However, WBS employees Katrina Whitener and Jeff Meshach felt that Anna deserved a more natural looking and larger environment. Joe Dolezal, member of WBS’s volunteer group of craftsmen (affectionately know at WBS as the Tuesday Crew) took it upon himself to make the idea happen.  He proceeded to design a new home with a more upscale look for Anna.  Many of the Tuesday Crew helped with various phases, but Joe spent a lot of extra time and his own money to add some incredible features. 

Tuesday Crew member Joe Dolezal puts finishing touches on Anna's new enclosure (photo: Melissa Moore)

The project took on a life of its own, and the end result is a luxuriant new home for Anna that imitates her species’ native rainforest.  It includes humidity and temperature controls that are all important to this species well being, as well as branches and ledges for her to navigate at will.  Anna even has a small pool for bathing if she is so inclined. 

Executive Director Walter Crawford, the Tuesday Crew, and Naturalist Paige Davis (photo: Melissa Moore)

Ask any of our staff who is the most popular reptile at WBS and they will answer “Anna” without a moment’s hesitation.  Children frequently request her for their Birdday parties, and she is a rock star at many of the programs and special events in which she appears. 

Anna seems quite content in her new home (photo: Gay Schroer)

For her part Anna seems to have made herself right at home in her new palace.

Submitted by World Bird Sanctuary Volunteer/Photographer Gay Schroer