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Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake trade
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by tigers9 on July 11, 2008
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http://www.kentucky.com/471/story/458605.html
Posted on Fri, Jul. 11, 2008
Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake trade
By ROGER ALFORD
Associated Press Writer
Wildlife officers have arrested 10 Kentucky serpent traders and confiscated more than 100 rattlesnakes, copperheads, water moccasins and cobras.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Director of Law Enforcement Col. Bob Milligan said it was unclear whether the snakes were intended for Appalachian churches where handling serpents is a religious rite or whether they were destined to become exotic pets in homes.
"It is disturbing to me that individuals would keep such dangerous wildlife in their homes and in neighborhoods where they put their families, visitors and neighbors as such high risk," Milligan said.
Wildlife officers made the arrests on Thursday, concluding a nearly two-year undercover investigation into Kentucky's snake trade. Those arrested were charged with illegally possessing, importing, buying or selling reptiles.
Milligan said the snakes, plus one alligator, were turned over to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo at Slade.
Jim Harrison, director of the nonprofit zoo, said the reptiles would most likely have become exotic pets if they had not been seized by wildlife officers. Some, he said, may have ended up in the hands of religious snake handlers.
Undercover officers purchased more than 200 illegal reptiles during the investigation, some of which were advertised for sale on Web sites. One such Web site lists copperheads for $50 each. Cobras for $450.
"You can purchase anything off the Internet except common sense," Harrison said. "A venomous snake isn't a pet. You don't play with it. If you do, you're an idiot."
Harrison said most of the confiscated snakes that were sent to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo appeared to have been captured from the wild. Some had been imported from Asia and Africa.
Most of the people arrested were in Appalachian counties. They were dealing in a variety of snakes, including the gaboon viper and puff adder, both highly venomous. Officers confiscated 200 reptiles, including 125 snakes.
Harrison said sales of poisonous snakes aren't new.
"There's been a large trade in exotics for years," he said. "Some people are just fascinated with them."
Harrison said most of the people who keep snakes are obtaining the proper permits, purchasing appropriate holding tanks, and keeping anti-venom on hand.
"I think it's a bad idea to keep the venomous snakes if you don't have your own anti-venom," Harrison said.
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RE: Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake t
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by Rob_Carmichael on July 12, 2008
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Jim couldn't have said it any better...I think he was being too kind to the private community as I personally feel that most owners do NOT have their own a/v but I appreciate him watching the private sector's back on that and we all know there are some fantastic private hot keepers out there - many on this site and many around the U.S. that we probably don't even know. This kind of crap (the story line) makes it difficult to fight the good fight when we have so many bad apples out there.
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RE: Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake t
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by tigers9 on July 12, 2008
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Well, the way exotic animal (or just any non animal) legislative session is going, we already have or soon will have so many laws, that we will all be outlaws
Z
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RE: Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake t
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by tigers9 on July 12, 2008
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http://www.kentucky.com/254/story/459181.html
Posted on Sat, Jul. 12, 2008
reprint or license print email
Digg it del.icio.us AIM
Sting nets scores of venomous snakes
By Jack Brammer
jbrammer@herald-leader.com
David Stephenson | Staff
Jim Harrison, director of the Kentucky Reptile Zoo, held a canebrake, or timber, rattlesnake, Friday, one of 125 venomous snakes and other reptiles being held at the zoo in Slade. They were seized after a nearly two-year undercover investigation by Kentucky's Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. Photo by David Stephenson | Staff
Video; Snakes seized
FRANKFORT ¡ª State conservation officers seized more than 125 venomous snakes, arrested 10 people and cited one other Thursday after a nearly two-year undercover investigation of those who allegedly illegally possessed, imported and trafficked the deadly reptiles.
Forty-four officers with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife confiscated the snakes and other reptiles, including an alligator, in the investigation, and are expected to issue more than 700 charges.
Animals seized include western diamondback rattlesnakes, timber rattlesnakes, cottonmouth water moccasins, northern and southern copperheads, cobras, great basin rattlesnakes, a gaboon viper, a puff adder and a 2-foot-long alligator.
Undercover officers bought more than 200 illegal reptiles during the investigation, code named ¡±Twice Shy.¡° Some were purchased through the Internet.
Arrest warrants have been served in Bell, Harlan, Madison, Letcher and Boone counties.
Officers have already levied 416 charges, and are expected to issue at least 300 more charges as the investigation continues.
¡±This was a well-conducted and well-documented investigation that has put those who would engage in the illegal selling and buying of any wildlife in Kentucky on notice that they are subject to arrest and prosecution,¡° Bob Milligan, law enforcement director for the state fish and wildlife department, said in a statement.
¡±It is disturbing to me that individuals would keep such dangerous wildlife in their homes and in neighborhoods where they put their families, visitors and neighbors at such high risk,¡° he said.
Department spokesman Mark Marraccini said Internet sales ¡±clued us in¡° to the investigation.
People obtain the animals for various reasons, he said, ranging from the desire for an exotic pet to collection of valuable venom to religious purposes. Handling snakes is practiced in a few churches based on the interpretation of Bible verses saying true believers can take up serpents without being harmed.
Marraccini said the department has done other undercover investigations but this is the first to focus on reptiles.
The seized animals were taken to the Kentucky Reptile Zoo at Slade near Natural Bridge. The alligator was left where it was found, Marraccini said.
Jim Harrison, director of the non-profit institution in Powell County, said his facility will hold them for evidence.
Harrison said the animals are in a variety of conditions, ranging from good to poor. They will remain in quarantine, unavailable for public viewing, for six months.
Those that survive will go to an accredited institution such as a zoo or educational facility, Harrison said.
¡±Anybody who takes and poaches any wildlife is taking away our natural resources,¡° he said.
For example, Harrison said, the timber rattlesnake takes eight to 10 years to achieve sexual maturity. ¡±Something like this could wipe them out,¡° he said.
In general, Kentuckians with a permit may remove only five snakes from the wild, said Kristen Wiley, curator for the Kentucky Reptile Zoo. But a person who possesses such animals can only sell the captive offspring, not those taken from the wild, she said.
There are two types of state permits required to own such animals. One is for ownership and the other is for commercial license to sell offspring, Wiley said.
The state released information about the following arrested individuals, all of whom face misdemeanor charges of illegally buying, selling and possessing wildlife that carry a maximum penalty of a year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
¡ö Gregory James Coots, 36, of Middlesboro, faces more than 150 charges. The Associated Press reported that Coots is pastor of the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name in Middlesboro, where a Tennessee woman died after being bitten by a rattlesnake during a service in 1995.
Coots was charged Thursday with buying, selling and possessing illegal reptiles.
Officers seized 74 snakes from his home, including 42 copperheads, 11 timber rattlesnakes, three cottonmouth water moccasins, a western diamond rattlesnake, two cobras and a puff adder.
¡ö Zechariah Johnson, 21, of Evarts in Harlan County, faces at least 24 charges.
His father, Ricky Johnson, 55, of Evarts, faces at least 59 charges.
Officers seized 24 timber rattlesnakes and copperheads from the residence.
¡ö Verlin Ray Short, 36, of Mayking in Letcher County, faces at least 78 charges.
Officers seized 34 venomous snakes, including a western diamond rattlesnake, a great basin rattlesnake, timber rattlesnakes and northern and southern copperheads.
¡ö Roger Leo Day, 33, of Harlan, faces six charges.
¡ö Jerrod Allen, 21, of Berea, faces at least nine charges.
¡ö Brian Fryer, 30, of Berea, faces at least 46 charges.
¡ö Michael Peterson, 39, of Florence, faces at least 21 charges.
Officers seized an albino cobra and the frozen remains of a gaboon viper and copperheads.
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RE: Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake t
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by tigers9 on July 12, 2008
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<<Shady practices are the impetus for legislation>>
Than why is being a politician still legal?;-)
Z
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RE: Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake t
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by Cro on July 12, 2008
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"Than why is being a politician still legal?;-)"
Probably because politicians write the laws !
Best Regards John Z
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RE: Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake t
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by EK on July 13, 2008
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"Shady practices are the impetus for legislation"
I agree, but legislation can also be the impetus for shady practices.
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RE: Wildlife officers take bite out of Ky. snake t
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by tigers9 on July 22, 2008
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These AR freaks use anything to make press releases. Gee, it was already illegal, this means there were laws already in place, and how does this bust show these animals shouldn’t be in private hands???
Z
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http://www.hsus.org/press_and_publications/press_releases/hsus_commends_kdfwr_for_enforcing_reptile_trade_ban_071808.html
The HSUS Commends Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife for Combating Illegal Reptile Trade
July 18, 2008
The Humane Society of the United States commends the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources for seizing more than 100 venomous snakes and arresting ten people for illegal wildlife sale and transport last week.
"The Humane Society of the United States applauds the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife for enforcing the state's common-sense laws on exotic animals," said Pam Rogers, Kentucky state director for The HSUS. "This investigation is a striking reminder that private possession of wild animals is both dangerous to the public and harmful to the animals."
In a two-year investigation, undercover KDFWR officers found venomous snakes available for sale illegally — even over the Internet. The snakes included species native to Kentucky, such as timber rattlesnakes and copperheads, as well as exotic species including cobras and a puff adder. Some of the confiscated reptiles were reportedly in poor health, and the frozen remains of dead snakes were seized from one suspect.
The reptiles will be cared for and held as evidence at the Kentucky Reptile Zoo in Slade, Ky. Some of the animals may eventually be moved to zoos or educational facilities.
Facts:
• In 2005, KDFWR adopted comprehensive regulations prohibiting private possession of dangerous, non-native wildlife including venomous snakes such as adders, cobras and vipers.
• Regarding native species, Kentucky law allows a limited number of snakes to be removed from the wild with a permit, but it is illegal to sell snakes taken from the wild.
• Penalties for illegally buying, selling and possessing wildlife are a maximum of one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
• Caring for wild animals safely and humanely requires specialized training. In 2006, a Kentucky woman died after being bitten when handling snakes as part of a religious service. In Ohio, venomous snakes kept as pets killed a woman in 2004 and a man in 2003.
-30-
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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