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Virginia picks up SC snake on plane story
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by tigers9 on May 16, 2009
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I am so tired of media having nothing better to do than complain about people doing legal stuff. Just because you don’t like something and it is legal (OMG, how horrible not having everything illegal) doesn’t mean it is wrong, or it doesn’t mean everybody wants to do it.
There i s nothing really ( if I really wanted to do it) preventing me or anybody form jumping off the deep cliff, or going in the wrong direction on the country road, but just because I can doesn’t mean I will.
Just because snakes on planes are legal doesn’t mean every member of the population has a deep desire to own a cobra.
Z
http://www.nbc12.com/Global/story.asp?S=10371542
Deadly cargo: Buying venomous snake online
Posted: May 15, 2009 02:47 PM PDT
Updated: May 15, 2009 08:30 PM PDT
By Curt Autry - bio | email
Posted by Terry Alexander - email
RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - You can buy just about anything online these days, even dangerous animals.
The Gaboon Viper is one of the world's most venomous snakes. They have the largest fangs of any snake, and are some of the most venomous.
But the scary part is how easy you can get one. All you have to do is go online. One website gives you access to dozens of venomous snakes for sale around the world.
Our sister station in Myrtle Beach decided to see how easy it would be to buy one. They picked a snake, agreed on a price of $120, gave a credit card and that was it. No one asked the age of the buyer or if he had experience handling venomous snakes.
A few weeks later the snake was delivered to the Myrtle Beach International Airport and with hidden cameras rolling, the news crew found out the snake, packaged in a box, was actually shipped on a passenger plane inside a cargo area. Airline workers say that's normal.
The news crew wasn't about to open the box. They met with a local snake expert to do the honors.
"How dangerous is this snake?"
"A Gaboon can kill a person, potentially fatal. Way more dangerous than our Copperheads or Cotton Mouths. It's not an animal you want to get bit by and end up in the hospital with," said Ken Alfier.
Ken Alfier is a herpetologist and is trained to handle these types of snakes.
"What do you think about the fact that I was able to just get this so easy?"
"I'm sad that they didn't ask your age. That should be a requirement. Getting it this easy most people know what they're getting into and know what they're dealing with. It's certainly not for the beginner or novice. You hope it doesn't end up in the wrong hands."
According to a study by the University of Florida there are 7,000 venomous snake bites a year here in the U.S. and 15 deaths.
"If you look across the country, in the U.S., nobody's ever been hurt by somebody else's venomous snake. It's never happened in the keeping of the whole trade."
"911"
"Yes I have an emergency. My friend has a snake for a pet and I think he just strangled him."
We got a hold of this 911 call. An Ohio man was found dead by his girlfriend after his pet Boa Constrictor wrapped around his head. He was strangled to death.
The federal government leaves it up to individual states and cities to decide if you can buy and keep an exotic animal as a pet.
It's legal in South Carolina, where this snake was purchased.
NBC12 Legal Analyst Steve Benjamin says there is no prohibition in Virginia code against ownership or the importing of poisonous snakes. But he says each city or county in the state, might have its own local ordinance banning poisonous snakes.
In case you're wondering what happened to the snake. She was donated to alligator adventure in Myrtle Beach.
(c) 2009. WWBT, Inc. All rights reserved
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RE: Virginia picks up SC snake on plane story
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by viandy on May 16, 2009
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One of the Richmond stations tried to take it farther a year or so ago. Someone I know asked me if I would like a free rhino viper. I wanted more info, they told me that a local station was ordering one to show how easy it was to get such a dangerous beast. Thinking fast, I said only if it was healthy, did they know who it was coming from? Someone in Florida, the name is diamond something? I told them sure thing, let me know, then called Diamond right away, left a phone message and sent an email too explaining the situation. I've seen Mitch at shows but don't know him, doubt that he'd recognize me. I did talk to him a bit later, he thought the order must be one he wasn't going to fill. The person calling him said the snake was for someone else, Mitch said he needed to talk to the person getting the snake to ask about experience, they never called back. The next time I talked to the person who knew to ask me about it the tv station had told them they didn't have anyone who would open the crate for them so they didn't order it. I didn't say anything to them about contacting Mitch.
This is a perfect example of how reporters and stations think. It is perfectly legal where the station is to own venomous, no laws would be broken. They just wanted to conjure up a "news" story to inform people about this lurid and exciting danger. Who did they ask to aid them? A person who they'd be stabbing in the back, someone who responsibly does what they wanted to portray as evil and dangerous!! Do they see that as unethical or hypocritical? Not at all, it's their job to ~inform~ the public, even if they have to create the unsafe scenario themselves!
I believe this also shows why talking to the media can be tricky. No matter how factual and reasonable you are they can take what is said, change the context and the questions, then you seem like a lunatic the public needs to be protected from.
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I left this comment following the news story
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by viandy on May 16, 2009
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What is the intent of this story? Is it to sensationalize a practice that can be done in a responsible manner? It certainly seems so. Reptile keeping is an established hobby, and venomous keeping is part of it. Are there regulations? Yes, for example, the snake was double bagged (in a container inside another container) and placed into a styrofoam container that is inside a wooden crate. Venomous reptiles must be packed like that to be shipped by an airline. The crate has to be clearly labeled with the information that a live venomous reptile is inside. So when "the news crew found out the snake, packaged in a box, was actually shipped on a passenger plane inside a cargo area" is fully explained in this manner it doesn't sound so dangerous and exciting, does it? But that would defeat the purpose of creating this news story.
I don't remember any news stories about someone going to a restaurant and having a drink with dinner and then lingering over dessert and coffee to be sure they are able to drive safely. That does happen, that's how it is supposed to be done, it just isn't "news". That's really what happened with this gaboon viper. It was ordered by an adult, shipped safely and legally, and upon arrival an experienced individual took the snake out and then placed it into a secure cage. No one was bitten, there was no high speed race to the hospital, no one had a miraculous recovery.
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RE: I left this comment following the news story
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by MoccasinMan on May 16, 2009
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Negatives can be turned to positives... USARK is deep and strong within SC and VA... things aren't always as bad as they may seem!
AW
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RE: I left this comment following the news story
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by Cro on May 16, 2009
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Mitch is a very responsible reptile dealer.
I do not think he would ship a venomous snake to anyone, even in a state where it is legal, if he was not 100 % convinced that the person recieving the snake was a responsible keeper who knew what they were doing with that animal.
If all venomous reptile dealers were like that, we whould not have a problem at all.
Best Regards
John Z
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