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Snake didn't chase him, he released it in the open without cover then proceeded to take photos. The snake has nowhere to go so it becomes defensive. It eventually backs up to a mound where it feels trapped and by that time is exhausted.
As to elapidae1's observation about the snake being agitated in the bag it is blatantly wrong as can be seen by how the snake is tipped from the bag and doesn't move straight away.

Its a photo shoot, dont make it more than it is by making subjective assumptions. Tony Harrison seems to be fully on top of the situation and in charge.
 
I agree with Peter. It was entirely self-defense. I've caught plenty of browns, done shoots like that with them and never been 'chased'. What business does an animal 2" tall have chasing a 5 or 6 foot human? On two occasions my boss has had eastern browns whip back towards him, and when he's stood still they've gone straight between his legs and down a hole. The snake wants to escape its predator (you) and when confronted in an open area if it feels it can't escape it will defend itself vigorously in an attempt to scare you off. Not attack. Another thing is the term 'aggressive'. I'm not keen on that word, the snake is not the aggressor. Just ask Metallica, they'll tell you the same thing :) I describe browns and taipans as 'volatile' or 'reactive' but never aggressive.
 
Snake didn't chase him, he released it in the open without cover then proceeded to take photos. The snake has nowhere to go so it becomes defensive. It eventually backs up to a mound where it feels trapped and by that time is exhausted.
As to elapidae1's observation about the snake being agitated in the bag it is blatantly wrong as can be seen by how the snake is tipped from the bag and doesn't move straight away.

Its a photo shoot, dont make it more than it is by making subjective assumptions. Tony Harrison seems to be fully on top of the situation and in charge.

I agree that my comment regarding the snake being agitated in the bag was wrong, Tony stated that they were hot from being in the car and this is what I was eluding to. Poor choice of word.
I stand by my comment that the snake "chased him, albeit briefly" the word is subjective and the snakes defensive behaviour can still be described as an attempt to chase Tony off.

Saying that He seems to be on top of the situation and in charge could be considered as a little assumptive too. Many might take the fact it managed to chew on his shoe as pushing the boundaries a little to far.

Camdejong I never said it wasn't self defense nor did I say it attacked or was aggressive.

I had 3 people tampering with my car and snooping around my house. Fearfull of them breaking in and or damaging, stealing my property or worse attempting to harm my family I decided to defend us, I grabbed a bat and ran out the house at them yelling, I was **** scared my actions were all bluff but I still managed to chase them off as was my intention, after all what business did I have chasing 3 grown men that were threatening me.

So like I said in my opinion as a defense strategie it did try to chase him if only briefly.
 
"Snake didn't chase him, he released it in the open without cover then proceeded to take photos. The snake has nowhere to go so it becomes defensive. It eventually backs up to a mound where it feels trapped and by that time is exhausted."

Agreed but I cant help but think this was more as a photo opportunity than any kind of release I would do. Looks like the sort of self glorifying interference with critters the stingrays tried to end.
 
"Snake didn't chase him, he released it in the open without cover then proceeded to take photos. The snake has nowhere to go so it becomes defensive. It eventually backs up to a mound where it feels trapped and by that time is exhausted."

Agreed but I cant help but think this was more as a photo opportunity than any kind of release I would do. Looks like the sort of self glorifying interference with critters the stingrays tried to end.

I agree, that snake was terrified had only only one option , to attack to try to drive off it's tormentor. Terrorising an animal in order to get some video/photo opportunities is OFF IN A BIG WAY IMO.

I kinda wish the snake had actually tagged him.

I've had encounters with brown snakes, even had one crawl across my legs once when I was fishing.
That's as close an encounter as I ever want to have with a brown snake, fortunately it was only curious and was only intent on checking the strange creature who was sitting there (me) and when it took a look it went on it's way, and I could breath again. (Yes I was scared it might bite me,and it might have had I tried to get up and away quickly).

Brown snakes are very beautiful creatures, best admired quietly from a safe distance and best not interferred with. With all that expensive photp gear (he must have spent a fortune to get set up like that) I wonder why he has to capture the snakes, take them to a barren field (away from their territory) where they have no cover and torture them to get photos, when he can get much better images using telephoto lens without the need to interfer with or torture them.

At least he isnt trying to hand feed it meal worms................
No - he isn't, he is tormenting and terrorising those snakes and capturing them and taking to somewhere away from their territory - all in order to make out he is getting natural behaviour for his own ego.
Nor am doing anything to stress the lizards I am interacting with though my befriending them and offering them treats and shelter. They are free to come and go and interact with me ON THEIR OWN TERMS.

If you can't see the difference then that says more about you than it does about me.
 
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The snake had quite a few goes at him but looked pretty tired, even from the start.

As others have said it had nowhere to go, and with a photographer jumping around in front of it of course it feels threatened and is going to try and defend itself.

As for the photos being in focus, I would like to see some of the images, pretty hard for an autofocus camera to work under those conditions. The little gopro video cameras are great cameras as the image is in focus between about 30cms and infinity because they are such wide angles.

Here's one I did a few years ago which is a bit more of a chase....although I think it clearly shows that the snake just wants to go on it's way but will readily defend itself when approached too closely and it feels threatened.

I've yet to see a snake chase someone unprovoked, and even then any "chase" is only over a few metres!!

Don't chase Brown Snakes (Pseudonaja nuchalis) - YouTube
 

how is he an idiot, did he harm the snake? Hes doing what he likes so good on him, ...
why dont you do a little bit of research before posting a stupid post like that, EB's are very aggressive snakes, its not like he made it serisouly pissed off.
and also, how else do you think you are supposed to get them in a defensive position which is always the best photo?


i think it was a great video and shows how aggressive they can be, and i cant wait to see the pics!
 
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EB's are very aggressive snakes,
i think it was a great video and shows how aggressive they can be, and i cant wait to see the pics!

Aggressive : -ready or likely to attack or confront


If he stepped away from it, it would'nt have a go at him so it's hardly aggressive. Most snakes, browns included disappear before you even see them.....heaven help us if they really were aggressive!
 
I agree with Saratoga that the photos most likely will not be in focus there is no way he could be focusing at that speed the best chance is that he sets it to focus at a certain distance and hopes one of the shots is precisely at that distance.
 
I'm sure when you've got a lot of movement going on it will be hard to get a good shot. But I reckon there would be a few good ones in there. It sounds like the camera is a Canon 7D which has a pretty good AF Servo mode.

At the end of the day all you need is one great shot to make it worth while.
 
how is he an idiot, did he harm the snake? Hes doing what he likes so good on him, ...
why dont you do a little bit of research before posting a stupid post like that, EB's are very aggressive snakes, its not like he made it serisouly pissed off.
and also, how else do you think you are supposed to get them in a defensive position which is always the best photo?


i think it was a great video and shows how aggressive they can be, and i cant wait to see the pics!

^^^
Thats the main problem with photographers and so called experts nowadays
They want a shot to show how aggressive and dangerous a not very aggressive animal is
So they handle it and provoke until it defends itself because it cannot escape

That gives them great shots that they would never have been able to take under normal circumstances

Shots of an animal doing its own thing are ok
But shots of a snake attacking??
They sell and reinforce the general publics opinion on the danger of snakes in general
Even if they are stage managed and in complete contrast to the normal behaviour of any species of snake
 
Kind of his job...
I seriously doubt harassing and terrorising the snakes in order to provoke them to attack him in defense in order to get some video and photos to post online is part of his JD. I wonder what the authorities would think of his disgusting behaviour.
 
It's not like it took much for that brown to go at him but, he walked towards it once it was out of the bag and it was on basically. I wouldn't be so quick to criticise Tony, he knows his stuff and has no doubt saved more snakes than the vast majority of us.
 
^^^
Thats the main problem with photographers and so called experts nowadays
They want a shot to show how aggressive and dangerous a not very aggressive animal is
So they handle it and provoke until it defends itself because it cannot escape

That gives them great shots that they would never have been able to take under normal circumstances

Shots of an animal doing its own thing are ok
But shots of a snake attacking??
They sell and reinforce the general publics opinion on the danger of snakes in general
Even if they are stage managed and in complete contrast to the normal behaviour of any species of snake

I agree.

I think there is nothing wrong with getting photos of a snake who doing it's own thing and has not been provoked on purpose. They are beautiful animals who are generally extremely shy and timid and should not be terrorised like that and just enjoyed for what they are (at a safe distance for you and the snake).
 
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