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[HerpDoc]

Mayo I can add that it is considered unethical to remove venom glands in snakes. It is akin to de-clawing cats. The fact is venomous reptiles are dangerous animals and if they cannot be handled safely without risk to either the animal or the handler then they should not be kept. Simple as that. I would further like to add that here at the Sanctuary or when I worked at Melbourne Zoo we did not regularly head pin snakes (only when performing oral procedures such as stomach tubing) but rather we use clear tubes that we place their head into and they tolerate this very well. The point I am making is that their are alternatives to handling dangerous animals rather than resorting to mutilation to make things easier for an incompetant individual.
To argue that people want to see vens "free-handled" and up close during snakes shows and thus animals should be operated on is ludicrous, I'm sure people also want to get in a pat the tigers etc but does that mean we should let them?