Close Call with a King Cobra

[bronxzoofrank]

Hello all,

I'm re-posting an earlier comment of mine below, for folks who may have missed - re private vs professional keepers; Concerning arrogance - I'm correcting misinformation and dangerous assumptions, based on a lifetime in the field, on the private side and as a herpetologist and, re the legalities of all, as an attorney (the deadliest creatures I've dealt with have been as an attorney in NYC!). It is not arrogant to offer to provide career advice; I have done so for decades, with some very rewarding results. That a reader does not wish to believe what I say does not render the offer arrogant. The comment below, posted earlier, sums up my thoughts re private keepers and includes some comments on the impossibility, in all cases of which I'm aware (basically, all reported bites that occurred here in the US, and many abroad, over a 20+ year period) of a private person being able to assure safety in the event of a snake bite. I won't begin (obviously!) to touch upon related matters - treating an ill snake, cage/home security, and all). Again re arrogance - I mention "my books" below - I have written books (popular) papers (peer reviewed) and so on...it's part of the job, and I enjoy such and have been fortunate and lucky in having had the opportunity to do so...apologies to those who might take the words "my books" as arrogant!

Re deleted comments - in an email notice, I saw one that used crude language; not an obscenity, but not the words of anyone I care to communicate with; I logged on, planning to report the post, but it had not been allowed through or was deleted already.

Earlier Post:
In every related article, and in the forward sections of each of my books, I stress that I started out and remain a private animal keeper, as do all good zoologists. I have always been involved in programs that include private folks, from rescuing 10,000+ turtles confiscated in HK to reintroducing a variety of creatures on privately owned land, and so on. Much of this work could not have been done w/o private participation. I continue to acknowledge the strides made in the husbandry of many species by private keepers, many of whom can devote more resources to specific creatures than do zoos, and who work with animals that are not kept in zoos. Here in the US, I'm in close contact with a number of talented and quite wealthy individuals who spend far more, in time and money, on the animals they work with than do most institutions.

However, the training, history, resources available etc in well-funded, well run zoos is indeed far greater than that available to most private folks. As regards venomous snakes, dangerous creatures, etc, that makes all the difference in the world. Please see my earlier comments, re the protocols that must be followed in zoos, the expenses involved, and the time factors that come into play after a bite. And, again, this is something I've been involved in, on both sides and with the best and least known people in the field, for decades...hands on, personally and professionally responsible for consequences, and so on.

Whether or not you choose to believe that training and all makes a difference, the bottom line is that, when bitten, a private keeper will be in much, much greater danger than will someone working in a well-run zoo. No way around that. Believing that someone is too careful, skilled etc to be bitten is unrealistic.

Please, this is just how things are, no need to take it personally,. Professionals are fortunate in being able to follow their passions, no doubt - but in most cases they also sacrifice a great deal (i.e. zoo/museum salaries, even at the highest levels, are unrealistic given the cost of living, in NYC). It is a small field, but there are options for many who wish to pursue such careers.
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Old 12-10-12, 07:32 PM