Just have to vent

[BlindSnake]

yeah but what sort of person actually wastes their time writing letters to newspapers?
whingers and people with too much time on their hands..
who cares what those bleeding hearts say?

parents kill more kids than snakes.
cars kill more children than snakes.
diseases kills more children than snakes.
drugs kill more children than snakes.
etc

Spot on mate, beat me to it.
I bet its the same people that call up talk back (have a winge) radio.

 

[Slytherin]

This is why I don't like people. Give me an animal for company over a human any day.

I agree.

 

[Norm]

Think back to how many kids are mauled (sometimes killed ) by the family dog.

 

[derekm]

Unfortunately, we are up against two inconvenient facts. Fact 1 - An instinctive (unlearned or primal) fear of snakes is a survival trait has served humans and many other mammals very well for millions of years and still serves most non-urban humans very well. Fact 2 - The commercial media exists to profit by the sale of advertising and stirring up controversy increases circulation which has a significant effect on the price of advertising.

Because our curiosity, our desire to understand, our love of the natural world or whatever, has driven us to subdue or control this fear is a good reason for us to be quietly pleased with ourselves, but no reason to vent at people have no need or desire to share our pleasure. The best we can do is steadily and patiently educate some of them to a neutral or positive position if we're lucky.

Writing this started me thinking about the people who first awakened my interest in keeping snakes - John Cann and his brother when they had the snake show at La Perouse in the 70's. Thanks John and all of the other educators who are taking snakes to the general public and helping people rethink their fears and prejudices. IMO, legal approval for our hobby owes a lot to them.

 

[Andrais]

They clearly don't know what they are missing out on
These people have no idea wht there talking about, they base there opinion on that story. If a dog got killed instead of a child, they would be complaining about other pets been eaten by reptiles. People like that arn't getting the full story, there basing all snakes on the burmese python. Don't take there word seriously, casue they have no idea wht there saying
About that one person how said that theres something wrong with people likeing snakes? Well i think there's something really wrong with people opening there fat pie holes, talking *** ****** about people and animals that they don't even know about, hows that???
Im guessing she's one of those old farts who hate reptiles?? i wish they had straight jackets in nurseing homes

 

[Andrais]

As much as I hate to say it, there are a lot of people out there with these thoughts and ideas about snakes, and there's probably not much we can do to change that. I have two snakes plus other critters at home including to medium to large dogs. But my fiance who is not a fan of my unusual pets is more worried about the snakes hurting or killing our future kids that anything else.

As much as i try to educate him he's not a fan and I accept that, but if I can't change the perception of snakes to someone I live with, there's not much hope of changing the minds of total strangers. I just hope that with time he will eventually understand them better and not be so affraid of them.

There is something we can do to change it, and where doing it now. By keeping our reptiles, we are changing how people think about them. Not dramatically, but one person at a time. As each person becomes captivated by these animals, thats a new person we've changed. And that new person will hopefully pass done the captivation to there childern, and then the chain keeps going. I change peoples opinions on reptiles everday. Wether its at the shopping centre, on the bus or at the beach, as we get talking to people we tell them a little about ourselves. When the topic finally arrives at our pets, we say reptiles. These new people are sometimes frighten by our unuseal tastes, but as we explain to them about oour humble reptiles, there vision broadens, and suddenly the pet snake isn't such a worry anymore. If we all put in an effort to do this to as many people as we can, hopefully the image of snakes a reptiles will turn around, hopefully making a bright future for the hobby of keeping reptiles. This isn't the end, in fact 20yrs ago we didn't even start, everday we start again, learning more about these animals, and teaching people about them. Everday we have knock backs like this one, but we have till the end of time to turn this around.

 

[Reptile City]

Hasent there only been 1 person killed in Australia by a pet python?
That was a scrubby & was a silly mistake. RIP poor fella!

I here so much crap in my shop from uneducated people about pythons!
We sell 300 pythons a year & they tell there friends & so on.
So there is more educated people every year.
Not to mention hundreds of people just looking & walking away with a good experiance.
We have a 17 yo girl feed our pythons every Saturday at 12 noon & alot of people come to watch.
Some people see that they are not like the general hype that is in the comunity.

Jason

 

[Norm]

About 20 years ago I got my first python and I`m not proud to say it was wild caught, but I was a teen and knew nothing about where to get one and how to care for it. All these years later when I decided to have another go I am amazed at how much this hobby/lifestyle has grown and become accepted. Be patient, peoples attitudes will change but it takes time. In the meantime just keep enjoying your hobby because as long as you are happy with what you do thats all that matters.

 

[Andrais]

Hasent there only been 1 person killed in Australia by a pet python?
That was a scrubby & was a silly mistake. RIP poor fella!

I here so much crap in my shop from uneducated people about pythons!
We sell 300 pythons a year & they tell there friends & so on.
So there is more educated people every year.
Not to mention hundreds of people just looking & walking away with a good experiance.
We have a 17 yo girl feed our pythons every Saturday at 12 noon & alot of people come to watch.
Some people see that they are not like the general hype that is in the comunity.

Jason

I didn't know u had feeding days jason i'll sure be there 2morro to watch

 

[whcasual79]

As much as I hate to say it, there are a lot of people out there with these thoughts and ideas about snakes, and there's probably not much we can do to change that. I have two snakes plus other critters at home including to medium to large dogs. But my fiance who is not a fan of my unusual pets is more worried about the snakes hurting or killing our future kids that anything else.

As much as i try to educate him he's not a fan and I accept that, but if I can't change the perception of snakes to someone I live with, there's not much hope of changing the minds of total strangers. I just hope that with time he will eventually understand them better and not be so affraid of them.

tell him bout the mozzies that carry the deadly dengue fever... far worse than a harmless python!

 

[Reptile City]

Hi AussieBlueTongue
You are welcome to watch!
If you want you can even have a go at feeding 1 if you want.
Jason

 

[Andrais]

OMG! thanks Jason!
ahhh!!!! i am so exited!!!
I'll walk to u if my parents won't drive me, lol

 

[Reptile_Boy]

and the sad part about all of this is ppl are so ready to believe everything they here on the news or read in the paper....

the media talks so much garbage. from the graffiti gangs recently to the bikie wars to the python in florida. they just want to make every one happy jut for there pocket but the way that they potraiy every thing it makes it look a million times worse than what it realy is.

as for peoples responses in the paper there just f'n idiots so to speak. they make every body pist cause they have no fun in there lives. they only know what they know from the media and they believe every little bit of it.

 

[Reptile_Boy]

A younge child is more likley to die due to second hand smoke than a python. australian species dont grow as big as any oversees species and are naturaly more placid

 

[Southern_Forest_Drag]

"I hate snakes and anyone that keeps them has serious problems"

i laughed at that, how old are they? 9?

 

[Jackrabbit]

I think people like Steve Irwin (RIP) and that South African guy have a hand in the public's poor perception of snakes and reptiles in general. Don't get me wrong I loved watching their shows and think they did great work but all they ever did was show the exciting 'dangerous' animals and spoke of how bad it would be to get bitten by them and that they were taking incredible risks just being soo close.

Perhaps more shows like Adrian's Reptile World showing what great animals they are to have and that not all snakes and reptiles are dangerous.

While they can have a slight danger factor, if you are not carfeul, what animal doesn't, (ever been scratched by a cat or bitten by a dog because you were being careless or annoying?). Shows that demonstrate that with careful and considerate attention these animals make great and interesting pets and with the right attitude pose no real danger to anyone but the stupid.

 

[derekm]

I think people like Steve Irwin (RIP) and that South African guy have a hand in the public's poor perception of snakes and reptiles in general. Don't get me wrong I loved watching their shows and think they did great work but all they ever did was show the exciting 'dangerous' animals and spoke of how bad it would be to get bitten by them and that they were taking incredible risks just being soo close.

I'm not qualified to comment on how Steve Irwin handled crocodiles but much of what I saw of his interactions with snakes disturbed me. Maybe the reptile exhibitors or rescuers on this forum can comment, but Irwin's snake handling, at least on TV, looked way short of 'world's best practice' IMO.

 

[bigi]

not really worth commenting on except for the ignorence and stupidity of some people and so called journalists

 

[-Matt-]

i laughed at that, how old are they? 9?

Actually the picture that accompanied the quote showed the guy to be at least 50 years old.

 

[Kirby]

im pretty sure dogs kill or harm more kids then snakes.