Killing Snakes

[natrix]

I just went camping for 3 days at Seal Rocks (near Forster on the East Coast) , it's a great spot
& I've been there a few times & always seen quite a few herps--mostly RBB's & Lacies.

There's a guy at that camping ground that does the rounds , makes sure you've paid to be
there , not lit fires on fire-ban days etc.
I asked him if he saw many Diamonds , to whiuch he replied " A snake's a snake to me mate",
He then went on to say that he had to kill them all the time because campers would come to him complaining about a snake near their tent.
This really bothered me because I've seen RBB's , Green tree snakes , a Diamond & a death adder on my four trips there. So half of what he kills is probably completely harmless.
It's a tricky situation because there are lots of kids around & he's gotta do something.
I suggested he do a snake identification & handling course.
It also makes me wonder about the hundreds of other camp-sites & if the same thing goes on at them too.

[Kyro]

Who pays him to be there?

[herpsrule]

thats illegal (as you may already know) do the 5 yo thing and dob on him! i would after trying to convince him its not the right way, and he doesnt listen.

[JasonL]

Was that at Myall Lakes NP?

[bjbk18]

I live near there, my parents manage a caravan park and if we ever get a snake or a python i go down to the van its near pick it up, put it in a bin and release it in the bush at the back. Even when its a brown snake we wont kill it last time we just scared it back into the bush as there wasnt many people the other time we called a guy in to remove it as there are to many little children around and he relases them at possum brush.

[natrix]

Kyro ---I don't know if he even get's paid . He kinda lives at the camp site , does odd jobs ,
keeps rowdy campers under control , etc.

Herps rule
I did think about the 'dob-in' factor ; but think about it . it's a camp-site that families go to,
what do they do when a person comes to the managers & says 'there's a snake around my
tent" -----I suppose he could tell 'em to go to club Med , but that ain't going to happen.

I forgot to mention in my first post that I did tell him it was illegal.

[natrix]

Originally Posted by JasonL

Was that at Myall Lakes NP?

No , 'Camp Treachery' , near Seal Rocks.

[natrix]

Originally Posted by bjbk18

I live near there, my parents manage a caravan park and if we ever get a snake or a python i go down to the van its near pick it up, put it in a bin and release it in the bush at the back. Even when its a brown snake we wont kill it last time we just scared it back into the bush as there wasnt many people the other time we called a guy in to remove it as there are to many little children around and he relases them at possum brush.

That's great , maybe you could make your services available to 'Camp Treachery' for a small fee.

[$NaKe PiMp]

get the authorities to nail his redneck ***
all snakes are protected species
we got to look after them no one else will

[cris]

What he is doing isnt actually illegal, its wrong IMO but legal. He sees them "all the same" therefore dosnt know what is or isnt harmless, its perfectly legal to kill snakes to protect yourself or others. Still you would think its pretty easy to tell a carpet python from a elapid but i guess thats easy for us to say since we have an interest in them.

IMO it makes more sense to kill(or keep if legal) a deadly snake rather than to relocate it where it dosnt belong although you may get a warm fuzzy feeling moving snakes long distances isnt a good thing at all(not directed at anyone just something to consider). Preferably they should be moved as little as possible or simply left alone whenever possible. Education is the best solution, but it can be hard when ppl dont want to be educated.

bjbk18, i would be very careful scaring brown snakes off, one day you might get more than you bargined for.

[snakeman 93]

Yeah but not in that case. It's illegal to kill any native animal without permission.

[natrix]

Originally Posted by snakeman 93

Yeah but not in that case. It's illegal to kill any native animal without permission.

yea , that's my understanding of it too.

[MoreliaMatt]

if people dont like snakes around their tents then why are they camping there?!!! that would be like me going to stay at a mates place and me not liking his parents and having a whinge and getting someone to knock them off!

its the snakes home!!! leave them be and the people should move if they dont like it!

[Jonno from ERD]

Whilst it IS illegal, and he is comfortable in his ignorance, there are loopholes written into the law that allow people to get away with it. Dobbing him in will get you nowhere. What you need to do is offer assistance and guidance, explain to the camp ground owner that having this guy killing native wildlife isn't exactly the best PR for a business that relies on people who enjoy seeing reptiles in the wild. Maybe donate an identification book so he can tell the difference between a Diamond and a Brown? Taking the aggressive approach will only make him act the same way out of spite...

Cheers

[Renee]

I'm sorry guys... but this has to be said...

Would any of you hesitate to kill a death adder or brown snake that bit and killed your child???
I live out on a property, and any brown snake that ventures near the house, better hope that it dosent get hit over the head by a shovel.

I'm sorry to say it, but, with toddlers running around, its just a risk that cant be taken. Weigh it up... the life of a snake, vs. the life of your child/sister/brother/nephew. Snakes are DANGEROUS! Just becasue some of us keep them as pets, it does not make them cute/cuddly, or less dangerous. They are a wild animal that has evolved over millons of years to KILL. That doesnt mean we kill every snake that crosses our path, we just need to keep them away from areas (like our homes), where we live, and our children play.

And yes, they do live in australia's campimg grounds and parks... but so do we. Is the life of a million snakes worth the life of one of your children?