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The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After Woma
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by tigers9 on October 26, 2008
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http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_calls_for_stricter_snake_regulations_102408.html
The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After Woman Is Killed by Pet Python
October 24, 2008
The Humane Society of the United States calls for stricter regulations on the importation and ownership of large constrictor snakes following the death of a Virginia Beach woman who was reportedly asphyxiated by a pet reticulated python Tuesday.
Tragedies like this can be avoided with common-sense regulations at the local, state and federal levels, said Beth Preiss, director of the exotic pets campaign for The HSUS. To protect public health and safety, animal welfare and the environment, large constrictor snakes should not be pets.
At least 11 people have been killed by pet pythons in the United States since 1980, including men in Ohio and Indiana who were killed by their pet pythons in 2006. Reptiles also carry Salmonella, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends keeping reptiles out of homes with children under five and people with weakened immune systems, who are most susceptible.
People get these snakes when they are small and when they become too large and difficult to handle they may be turned loose. Snakes released and escaped from the pet trade have established breeding populations in the wild, such as the Burmese pythons in the Everglades, posing risks to people, pets and native wildlife.
Virginia prohibits certain reptiles such as alligators as pets, but pythons are allowed unless the locality has a stricter rule. The HSUS calls on Virginia Beach and the state to prohibit future acquisitions and sales of large constrictor snakes and other dangerous wild animals.
At the federal level, The HSUS also supports the Nonnative Wildlife Invasion Prevention Act (H.R. 6311) introduced by Rep. Bordallo (D-Guam), which would require species to be evaluated for various risks before they could be imported.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service accepted public comments on a notice of inquiry regarding declaring pythons, anacondas and boa constrictors as injurious, the first step in a separate process that could prohibit importation and interstate transportation of these snakes for the pet trade.
Facts:
Eleven known cases of people killed by pet pythons in the United States since 1980
2008 (Virginia): A woman was killed by a 13-foot pet reticulated python
2006 (Ohio): A man died at the hospital after being strangled by his pet python.
2006 (Indiana): A 23-year-old man was killed by his 14-foot pet reticulated python.
2002 (Colorado): A man died after his pet Burmese python, who was wrapped loosely around his neck, suddenly constricted.
2001 (Pennsylvania): An 8-year-old girl was home alone when she was apparently strangled by her father's pet Burmese python.
1999 (Illinois): A couple's 7.5-foot African rock python escaped from an enclosure and killed their 3-year-old son.
1996 (New York): A 19-year-old was killed by his 13-foot pet python.
1993 (Colorado): A 15-year-old was killed by his brother's 11-foot pet python.
1983 (Missouri): A man was crushed to death by his 16-foot pet Burmese python.
1982 (Nevada): An 8-foot python escaped from his cage and killed a 21-month-old boy in his crib. The snake belonged to an unrelated man who lived in the house.
1980 (Texas): A 7-month-old girl was killed by her father's 8-foot pet reticulated python. The snake had forced his way out of a covered aquarium.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty On the web at humanesociety.org.
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RE: The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After
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by tigers9 on October 26, 2008
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Are any herp groups planning to do tjeir own press release about this issue? One paper already picked up HSU$ press and made an article out of it
Z
http://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-local_snakedeath_1025oct25,0,7735638.story
Calls for controls on pythons as pets after death of woman
By DAVID MACAULAY
247-7838
3:49 PM EDT, October 24, 2008
VIRGINIA BEACH
The Humane Society of the United States has called for stricter regulations on the importation and ownership of large constrictor snakes following the death of a Virginia Beach woman who is thought to have been asphyxiated by a python Tuesday.
Amanda Ruth Black, 25, was found dead in her home on Maracas Arch around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday. Her husband called police and said he found her lying in front of the pet snake's large cage, which was empty. Police spokesman Adam Bernstein said the medical examiner's preliminary report found that the woman died from "asphyxiation caused by neck compression.""Tragedies like this can be avoided with common-sense regulations at the local, state and federal levels," said Beth Preiss, director of the exotic pets campaign for The HSUS. "To protect public health and safety, animal welfare and the environment, large constrictor snakes should not be pets."
At least 11 people have been killed by pet pythons in the United States since 1980, including men in Ohio and Indiana who were killed by their pet pythons in 2006.
The HSUS said reptiles also carry salmonella, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends keeping reptiles out of homes with children under five and people with weakened immune systems, who are most susceptible.
Virginia prohibits certain reptiles such as alligators as pets, but pythons are allowed unless the locality has a stricter rule. The HSUS has called on Virginia Beach and the state to prohibit future acquisitions and sales of large constrictor snakes and other dangerous wild animals.
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RE: The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After
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by atrox56 on October 26, 2008
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Here we are again folks! I have been working and handeling snakes for over 38 years now. In the past 12 years, it has gone from bad to absolutely rediculous. What are these people thinking? having a 13 foot Reticulated Python in the home? My lab is attached to my house and it is extremely well secured and I house some fairly potent snakes but I would not even think of having a 13 foot Retic. that close to my wife or my grand kids when they come over. Those idiots thought they can tame this animal. It would become thier friend! NOT SO!!.
I am the last guy to want more regulations placed upon him, but something has to be done before we all loose our animals. At this point I am in favor of having to have X amount of hours working with a profesional prior to obtaining any constrictor that has the capasity of reaching 12 foot or more. I would much rather go face to face with a Taipan, bare handed, then a 15 foot angry Reticulated python. These animals are not ment to be lap pets. As these adult victoms found out. As for the children They were the victoms of fools who thought they could control an animal with this kind of power.
Those who know me, must reaolize how sickening stories such as this make me, that I of all people would think of tighter restrictions on ownership! but it has come to that point I'm sad to say.
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RE: The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After
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by tigers9 on October 26, 2008
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Atrox, u r missing the AR agenda in this.HSU$ is not about human safety, they just want NO animals in captivity, and the safety is just the 'excuse' they/AR use to ask for bans. If safety was the issue, we shoudl ban horses long before we ban exotics. As for experience, check out big cat related fatalities
http://www.rexano.org/Statistics/Captive_big_cat_fatality.pdf
Out of 19 dead people since 1990, 17 were federally licensed USDA facilities, only 2 occured in non USDA legal pet tiger homes.Also studying latest reptile fatalities, most were experienced keepers with many years of experience, not some yahoo that just got his 1st viper a week earlier and got bit.
Z
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RE: The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After
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by atrox56 on October 26, 2008
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I understand what you are saying however my point is BAD press. I have never been written up for the free exotic shows I put on for kids and the elderly, not once. Let me screw up once and the press goes wild simply because it is a snake. I do feel that if fewer non experienced wana-bees found it a tad harder to obtain large constrictors the press would have less fuel for the fire.
I bet I am going to catch hell for my next comment but every one is entitled to his or her own openion. As a kid I saw Marlin Perkins wrestle large Anacondas in Brazil and I thought that was great and I wanted to do the same thing but that program was on mabye twice a year and in time I forgot about wrestling big snakes.
Today however we have a different mentality and the boob tube caters to young morons. On the National Geographic channel and the Animal channel you can view idiots free handeling Russels vipers, Egyptian cobras,, Eastern diamondbacks and the list goes on and on.
Young males (especially) see this going on and they see all the fans these idiots have and the places they travel and it becomes very tempting. Two years ago in Oconee county South Carolina a kid was showing off a cane brake ( I think )that he had bought, beer was involved also. One of the idiots friends saw a guy on TV kiss a cobra on the back of the head and dared this kid to do the same. The snake reacted by tagging the kid on the face. Today the kid has to have someone change his diaper and feed him three times a day. This might not have happened if the other kid had not seen this stupid stunt inacted on TV. The beer did not help much either.
These guys on TV are no hero's of mine! and I am convinced they cause far more harm then good. I preach SAFETY and do my free handeling in private. We are probibly going to be the last generation of herpers who have animals within thier homes and offices. Our only hope is to teach what we have been taught, safety and common sence. There is not ONE day that goes by that I do not come into direct contact with a venomous snake and in my 38 years of herping, I have recieved ( I think ) 8 bites, I think that is a fairly good track record. I volunteer as a first responder in my community, I take all snake calls for the local police departments and HS. I give talks when ever and where ever I can get an audience who will listen. I always have a booth at the 4-H shows and there is still more that I could do to promote the hobby. It does get frusterating when I here of these needless accidents.
Anyway I'm a bit tired and somewhat dissapointed over the bad press so forgive me if I have offended anyone, it was not my intention. For the past few years most of you folks have realy been kind to me so I'll close and wish you all the best of luck.
Joel
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RE: The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After
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by tigers9 on October 26, 2008
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<,FREE HANDLING IN PRIVATE TELL ME THATS A F&&&img joke! >>
NO it is not a joke, I had few venomous keepers confide to me privately ( I will NOT name them to respect their privacy and keep their trust in me).Many do it, few admit to it in public, because they are scared of being judged plus they r are scared some idiot will get hurt if he thinks he knows more than he really does and gets overconfident.
Look at me, I am very hands on stuff with my big cats, but I put disclaimers all over videos we do...it gets tiring though, so I too am at the point i will just not show it to the world (because i hate half page disclaimers...) how relatively safe these animals can be in trained hands and enough experience......
Number of people killed by exotics is so statistically insignoficant, that CDC doesnt even have special category, exotics are usually lumped with 'other animal accidents' or just OTHER
Z
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RE: The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After
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by pictigaster1 on October 26, 2008
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I myself worked with tigers even sleeping in there cage with them at times ,I also had bob cats as house cats.but thats a far cry from free handling a viper.At 14 Iwas pinned down by a 18 month old male lion that could not decide If I was food or not.I love big cats.I belive they are a little more hands on than a venomous snake.
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RE: The HSUS Calls for Stricter Regulations After
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by tigers9 on October 26, 2008
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18 month old lion is still a needy inseure baby, but honeslty, no idea what is worse, big cat or venom snake, at times i have to deal with both at the same tiem, like removing a rattlesnake from my big cat cages, since i am stil alive....calll HSUS$, tell them hwo wrong they really are;-)
It is not exotics, it is bad movies they should worry about;-)
Seriously, this year, living in the desert we/I had more nasty expereinces (requiring medical attention)with wild instect bites than wild snake bites.
Z
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