As several cities within the state of Florida have required the use of facemasks in public in order to mitigate the spread of coronavirus, a shop owner has crafted facial coverings made from the skin of Burmese Pythons to cater to customers who are looking to make a fashion statement while remaining safe from COVID-19.
All American Gator Products owner, Brian Wood, has made several designs of face masks made from different leather which includes the skin of pythons, alligators, and lizards which he sells in his store at Dania Beach, Florida.
In a statement he made in Sun Herald, Wood said that since people need to cover their faced to protect themselves and others around them amidst this unfortunate situation which has lasted longer than everyone expected, there are people who want to stay in style and make the said face coverings a fashion statement, thus, he wanted to give people that option.
In addition, Wood also said that since leather do not provide enough protection for the virus, his masks have filters or linings which adds more protection. He also added that he wanted to take advantage of the available supply of skin from reptiles in the state. Wood said that he could harvest enough skin to make 10 masks from a 10-foot long snake.
On top of this, the store owner said that people have been contacting him to buy 5 to 12 pieces of his masks, prompting him to buy more snakes from local hunters.
Snake hunting is legal in Florida
In Florida, hunting pythons and snakes is permitted by the state as long as it is done in private lands with the permission of the landowner. As a matter of fact, the activity is even encouraged by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) as long as it is done in humane ways without using traps and firearms.
According to the FCW and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the reason that hunters are being encouraged to hunt these snakes is that the particular species are invasive and was introduced in the US via exotic pet trades. These snakes then compete with native species for food and have now spread throughout South Florida. The largest drops in the fauna of the state have also been associated with places with a high population of these snakes.
This month, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued recommendations which said that people are advised to wear facemasks while in public. The advise encouraged people to wear facial coverings especally in places where social distancing might be a challenge. They have also released guidelines on how to make DIY masks using t-shirts and bandana.
Some states in the U.S. have already taken steps in imposing these suggestions bt introducing mandatory policies of wearing facemasks in public.
As the demand for masks arises, business owners have been coming up with their own gimmick in order to get customers. Aside from Wood, luxury fashion such as Prada and Ralph Lauren have also diverted their production line to making these masks.
