Handling Snake Standards
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 17 November 2011 00:00
As bad as their bite?
Whistle blower has been given information from a variety of persons regarding concerns for the safety of those being trained as well as the welfare of the animals being used at WIRES reptile handling courses.
Native venomous wild snakes are caught for use in training and are continuously chased and handled by amateur course participants over a long period of time. This has to be distressing and stressful for the animals.
It has been reported that the same snakes were used for training at each of the courses during the entire season in 2010. In 2011 there will be 6 training courses over 2 months.
It has been observed that the regard for the welfare of snakes at these training courses is poor. On one occasion a number of snakes died due to heat exhaustion and dehydration. It is also alleged that many others are injured during the training and require months of rehabilitation before release.
ReformWIRES has been notified that last weekend at a reptile handling course held at Mitchell Park in western Sydney an Eastern Brown snake from Dubbo escaped and could not be found despite an extensive search! A worrying situation for the snake and local residents; a troubling incident also because some of these courses are run in the grounds of primary schools on occasions. Has it happened before? Can it happen again?
Is it standard practice for the reptile management team trainers to bring pet snakes and lizards to training sessions? Is it true that some of the snakes brought to the courses are illegal in Australia? Is it appropriate to kiss and cuddle these pets in front of the participants as has been reported to reformWIRES?
Were the reptiles kept in a hot van while not being used?
Concerns were also expressed for the trainer who had problems moving about and was obviously a lot slower than the snakes. Some reports making their way to reformWIRES claim the new van driver was bitten by a brown snake but an ambulance was not called for her. Others claim she was simply exhausted but had complained of symptoms similar to invenomation, and as a precaution she was taken to hospital. Did a trainer actually get bitten or did the trainer have a health problem?
These are some of the questions raised.
Is it time to find a better way to train snake handlers, or is it simply poor practice that is the problem? Are the standards currently used good enough?
Write the minister
What is reformwires?
Comments
Everyone is missing the real point here - which makes their snake handling course standards a non issue anyway..
WIRES ARE NOT LICENCED TO REMOVE PERFECTLY HEALTHY REPTILES FROM PEOPLES BACKYARDS OR INDEED EVEN FROM INSIDE A HOUSE/BUSINESSES.
WIRES PERMIT ALLOWS FOR "RESCUE AND REHABILITATION OF *INJURED* WILDLIFE"
A perfectly healthy snake in someone's backyard is a snake being a snake - removal of that snake is a personal choice of the property resident that does not come under the definitions of an injured animal requiring rehabilitation and it is no different to say, possum removal from a private home being requested by a resident who just doesn't like possums in their roof - doing what possums do.
The point is, there is a special permit issued to specially trained and evaluated people which allows them to remove '' 'unwanted' snakes from houses And yards. The permit they hold is solely for addressing this requirement.
The same way a 'Catch and Release Reptiles' permit holder may not remove possums or rehabilitate injured wildlife (snakes included technically!), wires are not permitted to interfere with a perfectly healthy snake - period.
Injured snake yes, uninjured snake, no.
Simple as that.
This is really old to reply to but thought I would now, since reading this reply to my post.
I can't speak for what handlers do outside a course unless I am with them. I know a lot of what I read is not true and can only speak from my own experience at courses. I don't know exactly how other courses go but I have always been aware that reptiles are cared for at and inbetween courses in a safe and humane way.
I don't know if other WIRES members on the reptile team have completed training elsewhere. It is possible but as you know not all courses outside WIRES are accepted or seen as an accredited course.
THere is room for improvement in most things and the team is always trying to improve things. I just hope there are enough courses on offer this season for those interested.
Happy to answer any questions.
WHich procedures aren't people following? Do you mean rescuers in general or the Team members?
Thanks
Carla
Not only are they not returned to the area they came from, they don’t even know where they did come from so how can they take it back. They don’t know because they don’t keep the records in most instances and if they do have records they don’t refer to them. This is mainly because they simply don’t care. You are also correct about the poor conditions and lack of care/feeding they are given.
It costs a fortune to buy rats and mice and that is something that is paid for by the person holding the animal. You need a couple of jobs to pay for the costs by the time you’ve added in the cost of the electricity and housing.
This course is not only taught to WIRES members but also to outside authorities should the course be certified by any external independant body and is this even able to be done; access the trainers, OH&S, animal handling and standards and the course itself, this would provide confidence to participants, government the public and edify the trainers involved?
Is there any other snake handling course taught in NSW?
WIRES reptile handling is fairly basic but for what it is being used for - catch and release, its probably all thats needed. Some people will come away with enough confidence to go out and do it but most do not and many never do their first rescue, most drop off fairly quickly for snake rescues. Caring for injured venomous species is a more advanced activity and more advanced courses are required.
I’m mortified about this website to be honest. I actually mentioned it in passing to some people there, on this exact course and now this appears! Mortified, totally mortified.
The snaked were treated VERY well. At the first sign of stress the snakes were taken away. They were constantly checked for dehydration and were not handled for long periods of time.
I’m now convinced that you are here just to stir things up.
no one even knows the facts about any issue here. they just keep talking like they do know
I was there when the poor trainer got bitten!!!
it was a female (time for a change you have no idea!!) the bite did NOT go into the skin thankfully
she did NOT strip off (EDIT). she was looked at assested and then taken to hospital for 2 days for Observation!!!
the dr wanted to take the bandages off that night, so maybe this is what we need to be aware of. NEVER let the dr or anyone take the bandages off for 24 hours!!!!!!
this was AFTER all the traning and most people had gone. I personally cant think that a piece of rope is going to train me to handle snakes. they were checked and always assesing the snakes for stress. everyone needs to stop trying to cause trouble and look after what we are meant to
THE ANIMALS!!!!!!
The reptile team seem to be a law under themselves. They seem to enjoy telling people how they have been bitten before and act like it is a badge of honour. I would be happy if I never had to do another ven course, but I want to help mops in my area, and therefore I must.
Whomever is posting this crap has no idea what really happens and listens to unfounded gossip amongst people who have nothing better to do.
If we did not use live animals, there would not be any new trained reptile rescuers in WIRES or other groups, and more anmals would be killed because we don’t have the members to go out and rescue them.
NPWS is not only aware, they send their own people along for training as well.
The van driver was NOT bitten by anything, she was simply heat stressed from running around helping people.
The van is NOT HOT it is air-conditioned and always parked in the shade and the animals are also kept in the shade.
The postee for this thread needs to come to a course and see for herself what is happening instead of listing to idle gossip from others.
As a participant of the training day in question I would like some clarification on the whereabouts and use of the temperature gun you mentioned. As I did not once see a trainer use anything other than his/her hands to determine temperature I cannot help but wonder if the gun was lost by the same trainers who lost the brown snake? Or perhaps it was in the care of the organiser who due to her health issues needed to sit down inside all day?
Maybe it was with the 85 year old trainer who, while selling his goods out of the van, was half warching the snake bags and half napping? Or it might have been with the [unfit] full time van driver who had to be taken to hospital due to heat exhaustion? If not it might have been in the care of the older gentleman who constantly smoked and dropped his butts on the ground ... In a national park? It could have also been with the wires general manager who attended [EDIT] her mandatory refresher in shorts and sandals, or her boyfriend? Not sure really as during my refresher, not once had I seen a temp gun or any sort of concern for the animals. It is true that NPWS sent along maintenance personal to be trained for snake encounters. However same as in mostorganisations, the maintenance crew does not also cover licensing and audits.
Wonder if National Parks agrees with these methods and why they are never looked at.
All venomous snakes at courses are wild caught rescues awaiting relocation. They are well cared for and assessed throughout the course and released after a course or several courses, depending if needed and how long they have been in care. They are released back to the wild near where they came from or to a safer suitable location of the same habitat if necessary. It is important we use wild snakes to train people correctly so they can understand their behaviour as each species behaves in its own way. It is unfortunate that some have a poor view of dedicated and passionate people who go to great lengths a number of times each year and travel long distances to provide necessary and important training at the request of members of WIRES and other organisations. I encourage all of you to come along to a course and I will be more than happy to talk to you about your concerns. Negativity does not solve issues but positive feedback and opinions do. Reptile Team Trainer