So I found this story on a local herp show forum about a friend of mine and his albino burm....
Python Snake killed at St Bernadette festival
For approximately 10 years the employees and clients of All Creatures Animal Hospital have enjoyed an ever-growing petting zoo at the St. Bernadette festival. The purpose of the petting zoo is to raise awareness for the proper pet care by answering husbandry and veterinary questions for the general public, as well as providing an opportunity for people to handle exotic pets. The reception has always been positive and the Amelia community now eagerly anticipates the annual event. Usually there are a variety of different animals – including lots of reptiles, skunks, ferrets, rabbits, and goats – all screened to be docile creatures (except the snapping turtle and alligator).
For the past 4 years, Scott Braunstein from the House of Reptiles in Dry Ridge, Ky. has been assisting All Creatures in providing a large variety of snakes, lizards, and even an alligator for visitors to handle and observe. Scott’s whole business is to educate people on reptiles. His goal is for people to learn to appreciate and not fear the reptiles that share this planet with us. He discusses what reptiles make the best pets and which ones should be kept wild. Scott spends most of his time trying to convince people not to be afraid of snakes and reptiles, but to appreciate their unique design and beauty. He tries hard to train young people not to grow up believing reptiles are slimy or should be killed indiscriminately. All of Scott’s reptiles have very mild, predictable personalities, and they get handled very frequently. One 10-foot, 2-year-old albino Burmese python named “Popcorn” was particularly docile. Popcorn layed around most of Sunday afternoon in the lawn at St Bernadette while kids gathered around and petted the impressive individual. Adult spectators, while waiting in line for the chicken dinner, laughed and pointed at the snake – stretched out in the grass enjoying the mid afternoon sun. Towards the end of “Popcorn’s” lazy 8 hours at the petting zoo, Scott noticed that a young boy came up to the head of the snake and raised his foot. Scott asked the boy to back off and the boy replied, “I hate snakes.” Scott said that was fine and to just leave the snake alone, he wasn’t bothering anybody, and he told the boy to back off and go somewhere else. Then, without warning, the boy sneaked up on the big snake, and stomped his foot on the snake’s head. The snake’s spine was severed at the base of his skull from the force of the boy’s stomp, and the snake rolled and convulsed before expiring his last breath. His father who, obviously embarrassed, grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him back into the festival crowd accompanied the boy. The only words said by the boys father were - “that’s why I can’t take you anywhere.” The father and his son were not seen anywhere near the petting zoo and never once appeared concerned that they had just killed this large beautiful reptile. Scott shook his head is disgust, loaded his deceased snake into a box and packed up his remaining reptiles for the long drive back to Dry Ridge.
Its seems ironic that Scott’s and The House of Reptiles’ volunteer weekend of educating the public about the myths of snakes and benefits of reptiles, had ended with a child’s determination to kill something he knew nothing about. To this boy snakes seemed only to be something that should be killed, a belief the boy had to have learned from somebody. The child may not ever know what was wrong with what he did other than it embarrassed his father. The father may have felt guilty or bad about his son’s behavior - but it seemed odd he did not have the decency to offer condolences, restitution, or even an apology for the senseless death of a harmless reptile. It disturbs me that before Scott even had an opportunity to educate this boy on why this animal should not be feared – the boy’s close minded, conditioned response was to kill the snake, despite fifteen or twenty other people being around, clearly enjoying this beautiful creature. What was the point? What was the child thinking?
Hundreds of individuals who were at the festival Friday, Saturday or Sunday may remember handling or touching Popcorn. May his death be a testimonial for an animal that gave his life for no other reason than trying to educate the ignorant? The truth is reptiles are a beautiful, unique, and interesting group of animals, and they do serve a very important purpose in the circle of life. They have occupied our planet for longer than any mammal, so they evolved incredibly unique adoptions for survival. They have continued to survive despite our population increases in the last 100 years. Many have been driven to near extinction, even in Ohio. Threatened by habitat destruction and population explosion. Species like the Kirtland’s water snake, native to the hills of Clifton, and the Massasuaga rattlesnake in the bogs of central Ohio – are being serious threatened to extinction. In less developed countries, less protection exists for reptiles so extinction is a huge problem. Some species will now exist only in zoos and private collections; others have been wiped out completely. The same is true of many wild animals, but reptiles have it the worst because man has always been afraid of them, having been portrayed as the creatures to be feared in the bible, folklore and myths from around the world, and some simply because of their uniqueness. And a few venomous species always seem to get the most attention.
I don’t know what kind trouble I would have gotten into as a child if I didn’t have reptiles to occupy my boyish energy. I collected snakes, studied them at the zoo and in my basement, and was always intrigued by how perfectly designed they are for what they do. I have always met other reptile lovers and we formed the Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society (GCHS) whose purpose was to promote public education on reptiles and to protect them. The main goal is to educate, and to stop people from killing them in our own backyard.
In the balance of nature and humans occupying a finite planet, man continually doesn’t behave by the natural laws of balance and will take much more than we need. While in Africa I witnessed prides of lions relaxing as the zebra, and gazelles grazed around them. The herbivores knew that the lions would not be hungry for at least three days, and they were safe as there was fresh kill on the ground. Man does not seem to understand the rules of nature and we break them as we seek to satisfy our selfish personal needs. Perhaps we have not evolved enough as a species to understand the balances that other species, who have been on the planet longer, seem to know – like reptiles. Senseless killing of wildlife really disturbs me, and I have only seen it Homo sapiens. I have witnessed people drive out of their way to run over a live snake on the road. I have heard sick people describe the funny “popping” sound they hear when they run their car purposely over box turtles crossing our highways. May you think real hard before you tell your kids clichés like, “the only good snake is a dead snake,” or “mean as a snake”. Instead take them to the zoo, or the House of Reptiles and educate them on the beauty of wildlife, and the purpose that all God’s animals have on this planet. Attend a Greater Cincinnati Herpetological Society meeting and become absorbed in this variable and unequalled group of animals. Don’t cut all of your grass, leave some high; this gives critters a place to hide. Teach your children to appreciate the beauty in nature, because they are all a part of it. Reptiles were the first creatures to occupy land and now we have destroyed the habitats of wildlife.
All wild animals and especially reptiles deserve our respect. We need to protect them and educate our children about them. Now only “Popcorn’s” skin will be used for future reptile educational seminars with the House of Reptiles. And one less live albino python snake in the world may not make a big difference in future generations of reptiles. But maybe the readers of this story will think of “Popcorn” and be an example to a child the next time they see a snake on the road and stop their car and let it pass. Maybe someone who held “Popcorn” and witnessed no aggression will stop someone before they reach for the hoe to kill a defenseless garter snake in their garden. Perhaps a child, who admired Popcorns beauty, will pass on to other children or students the importance of protecting reptiles from needless harm. Reptiles need our help to survive for our future generations to enjoy and see God’s nature through their beauty.
Dr Dan Meakin - All Creatures Animal Hospital, Amelia
All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.
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