Posted by:
Carmichael
at Thu Jun 9 15:37:23 2005 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Carmichael ]
Jim and Kirsten said it well that when you get awaken at 3am to respond to a venomous snake/snake bite call, you tend to form opinions based on these types of experiences (I have had more than my share of 2am wake up calls). We can primarily blame the many irresponsible owners out there; just look at the forums, classifieds, heck, the press, etc. they fester with irresponsible and incapable people who have no business keeping venomous herps. Go to the trade shows where just about anyone can go to a table and purchase a cute little black mamba in a flimsy little deli cup; ludicrous. Yes, there are also many extremely intelligent, professional and expert private venomous herp owners and I would strongly propose a permit system to allow these folks to continue to do what they do (and do it responsibly). Unfortunately, most state DNR's don't have the resources to manage a permit system so I honestly dont' know how we protect the responsible owners. Our own apathy in not getting involved and coming together as a herp community has not helped our case either. I am very fortunate in that I have a wildlife operation that falls under a city government that allows me to work with many venomous herps; that wouldn't be possible as a private individual. Looks like a lot of us are going to have to move to Texas!
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL
>>any rights/priviliges that we have in this country to own our animals is pretty much shot. You can see it happening state by state. We all know the problem. The bigger problem is that there aren't enough of us to stand up and fix it. All of us talk, but yet only 20% of us walk. The rest sit back and chat on the forums.
>>
>>States are not willing to implement a husbandry/training course for handling our animals because they dont want us to have them anyways. Some of us dont even want to see permit systems in place, they think that whatever people want to own they should be able to do so without consequence. We can't even get our own fellow hobbyists to agree on a reasonable proposal, to take to the states. Each state is falling more and more.
>>
>>I dont see why any of us continue to sit in here and talk about it anymore. Seriously, there is nothing that a single one of us is going to be able to do in order to save our rights/privileges to keep our animals. The states simply dont care.
>>
>>As Jim Harrison pointed out below, Ohio has had 2 snake bite deaths recently. He is correct that most likely my state will be next on the S**t list. I of course will be doing everything that I can, but I doubt very seriously that I get much help. Any help that I and anyone else does get, will still not be enough to stop the inevitable. The state could care less about private citizens feelings on this subject.
>>
>>As long as these animals are made available to the public, we will have morons that will screw up and make it harder on everyone.
>>
>>Sorry for the rant, just getting irritated reading about all these new laws/regs. It's just simply getting ridiculous.
>>
>>chris
-----
Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL
[ Hide Replies ]
|
RE: It's done...it's inevitable.... - Carmichael, Thu Jun 9 15:37:23 2005