---re: One example close to everyone's heart here: Snakes are kept to produce venom, which is then injected into horses and other animals to produce antivenom, which saves thousands of human lives. If the snakes and livestock are not kept captive, then human (and animal) lives will be lost.---



yes you have a point, but the fact remains as such: these are done in actual, professional bio-labs by people who are trained and properly equipped to do this for antivenom production and real scientific research - not private individuals keeping scores of potentially lethal venomous species in cramped containers within residential areas for what is really nothing more than his/her own entertainment and amusement.

i'm sure the mamba ripped from the tree, or the large viper pulled from the jungle floor, thrown into a bag, then to a wire/plywood holding box with a gazillion others until some are grabbed out and again stuffed into yet another bag, into a cheap crowded crate, flown for how many hours on planes to some importer, into a fishtank or worse a rubbermaid, and then shipped out yet again to some guy who will then put it in yet another probably undersized enclosure for the rest of its life - doesn't feel too good about this. for what? so you can simply sit and watch it (or breed it and flood the market with yet more snakes for more insecure people)?

federal-level laws in numerous countries are being currently being drawn, and will only be a matter of time before these are implemented. idiots allowing escapes and bites will only hasten this process, and believe me - they are very aware of the extent of this private venomous keeeper issue. there's only so much antivenom to go around you know.

remember, votes count when making laws - and keepers of potentially dangerous reptiles will ALWAYS be outnumbered by joe public. deal with it.

enjoy them while you can.

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