It is not absurd. Automobile accidents are a realistic cause of death. I know lots of people in the reptile industry who keep or have kept venomous reptiles. All of them are still alive some of them have had close calls but they are still here.
I cannot say the same for automobile accidents I have had several good friends over the years who have been killed in automobile accidents.
What is absurd is bringing up the scenario of someone's pet cobra escaping and biting an innocent bystander and killing them. It's certainly possible it's just not probable.
I am not sure about the actual number of venomous snakebites in the U.S. annually but I do know that annual average number of deaths is 9 people. I also know that the majority of venomous bites involve intoxicated males between the ages of 18 and 40 who were hassling the snakes that bit them. That particular statistic was either in an issue of the vivarium or Reptiles you would have to dig deeper to find it. The point is the majority of venomous snake bites are the result of people hassling them and when all is said and done they only kill about 9 people a year.
More people than that win the lotto in the state of Fl. alone and I have heard the lotto called a tax on stupidity due to the unlikelihood of ever winning it.

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