# Site General > General Herp > Herp Broadcast >  Animal Planet - Promoting snake abuse?

## Eventide

I apologize if this has been talked about already; I haven't been on much lately, so I could only do a cursory glance at the recent posts, and I didn't see any threads about it....

Has anyone heard about the guy from "Wild Recon" on Animal Planet locking himself in a glass room with 100 snakes for 10 days?  

Here's one article about it.

100 snakes in a completely-glass room, with no place to hide, and amongst some snakes that only eat other snakes in the wild.  How is that, by itself, not animal abuse?

Additionally, I have evidence of an even worse fate for the snakes.  The article says that "some" of the snakes were donated to a scientific organization and would be given "good homes."  Yes, this is third-party information, but a friend of mine works in the life sciences department; her advisor is a herpetologist, and he said he managed to rescue one of the venomous snakes from this ordeal, while most of the rest were killed.  He took the snake to the vet where my friend works, and she says the snake was extremely stressed and sick, and it is not certain if it will survive.

Now, believe the third-party information or not; I completely trust these sources, however--they have no reason to lie whatsoever.  But even if you don't believe my sources, how in the WORLD is this even REMOTELY humane?  What kind of crap is this?  And it was done by a guy from ANIMAL PLANET.  If Animal Planet actually cares about animals, how could they let this happen or--at the bare minimum--NOT condemn it afterward?

I am posting this because I think this story needs to get out.  We need to hold people like this responsible for their vile actions.  Hearing about this publicity stunt made my blood boil with fury.  Can you imagine the public whiplash if he'd put ocelots, lions, tigers, leopards, housecats, jaguars, pumas, etc. all in a glass box for ten days without food, shelter, or protection from the other animals?

Sorry.  This just really HONKS ME OFF.

If anyone has any additional information about this, please post it here for us!

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## Eventide

Another round of info on this....

I found some YouTube videos from both Animal Planet and other sources interviewing the guy in the box.  (Do a search; they're easy to find.)  They do have two small, fake plants in there for the arboreal snakes, but that's it.  It doesn't look like there are any other places for the snakes to hide except for maybe the guy's bed (found an Afrock in there one day), and there is still no evidence that these snakes were either fed or watered during this time.

Indeed, on one of the days, the guy said it was particularly hot and the glass box acted like a greenhouse and got pretty toasty.  I'm sure that was GREAT for those snakes....  Not to mention that these snakes are from completely different climates....

I'm going to try to get physical evidence of what happened to the snakes afterward and/or the one snake that my friend's advisor got.

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## olstyn

Obviously you bring up some good points, especially regarding what may have happened to the snakes afterward, but I actually watched some of the broadcast (morbid curiosity), and they did at least one small segment where they fed the snakes, so you can at least stop worrying about that item.

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## Hulihzack

I'm 99% certain no snakes were harmed during the show...  If you watched it at all, it wasn't that bad.  His goal was to help show people that these snakes aren't all evil.  I think you're over reacting a bit.

You can watch some videos here http://animal.discovery.com/videos/v...-vegas-videos/

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_jjmitchell_ (03-06-2010),_sg1trogdor_ (03-06-2010)

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## djansen

thats crazy lol

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## steveboos

Yeah the room was heated to the mid 80's, there were several hide boxes, cat trees, fake plants, and camera equipment for the snakes to either hide or climb on. They all got fed even though it wasn't all filmed.

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## mpkeelee

ive watched that several times and they do have multiple hides on the floor in the corners and such. the room was heated and the humidity was controlled. they also had vets on sight that did come in and check out the snakes time to time. also the guy inside is a herpotologist so i think he knows what hes doing. im not saying its ok, but i think the point of y he was doing this was worth the stress to the snakes. hes on our side and does not want any bans on snakes.

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## panthercz

> His goal was to help show people that these snakes aren't all evil.  I think you're over reacting a bit.


+1
It was a rare attempt at putting snakes in a positive light.  Which in this day and age I'll take any thing we can get.

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## herpdaily

After viewing it, I agree with most of the replies here that the show was indeed positive and the outcome should be beneficial to the community  :Smile:

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## dembonez

omg i wanna watch the show the guy was on jason ellis yesterday on 28 on sirius and ellis got bit by an anaconda xD and Tully got bit by a blood python was so funny xD but the guy sounds like a nut he was talking about his show and hunting venomous snake.....

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## Aeries

The conditions can't have been ideal for all the animals, but I think they did make an effort, and people are right, the fact that he sat in there with 100 snakes including venomous ones and large constrictors and came out of there unscratched is good publicity for the community. That's what this community needs, especially right now.

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## Eventide

Okay, so they were fed.  That makes me feel a little better.  Did they get any water?

However, so what it was climate controlled?  So...you guys think it's okay to put a green tree python, an African Rock python, a green mamba, a Gaboon viper, and a rattlesnake all in the same climate/humidity for ten days?  So many people on here get all upset because some people take their snakes to pet stores, saying it stresses the snake out too much.  How about dumping a snake in a completely new environment (probably not the right environment) for ten days?  What would you people say if someone on here put their ball python in an 80-degree tank with 80% humidity for ten days?  I'm not saying this is exactly what the temp/humidity were, but there is no way they could climate control different areas of a one-room glass box to fit the needs of all of those snakes.

And I'm sorry, but this is not the way to educate people about snakes.  It smacks of publicity stunt and "look how macho I am."  What did that teach people?  Yes, it might teach people that snakes don't come after people on purpose and they won't just attack without provocation, which is a good thing, but I don't think we need to be teaching people that venomous snakes are "not dangerous."  They are quite dangerous.  The vast majority of rattlesnake bites out here are from people harassing the snakes and generally being stupid around them.  If you treat them with respect and don't threaten them, yes, they're fine to be around.  But in one of the videos, he grabbed a Gaboon viper by the tail.  This is a huge NO-NO for handling venomous snakes!!  Quite frankly, it's stupid.  What is that teaching people?  And this guy claims to be a herpetologist...and yet he doesn't know that grabbing a venomous snake by the tail is dumb?

No, there are much better ways to teach people about snakes than to pull a publicity stunt just to make yourself look like a macho man.

And like I said, I will try to either get some paperwork from the vet showing the snake's condition, where the snake came from, what happened to the others, etc.  I can't guarantee it, of course, but I think it's just as important what happened to the snakes afterward as during the show.

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## Chocolate1

I don't like this stunt at all.  I doubt very many people walked away thinking that snakes weren't so bad after all.  This guy was going for the shock value to get people's attention and get them to watch his show.  That's it.  This is not a responsible way to act around venomous snakes.  I have seen and participated in venomous reptile demonstrations (put on by professional organizations and zoos) and it is great to show people how snakes aren't out to kill people and what amazing and interesting creatures they are, but you also have to emphasize that they should be treated with respect, handled safely by professionals only, and given their distance.  Tailing venomous snakes is very much frowned upon by all professional venomous reptile handlers.  It is dangerous and sets a bad example.  You get people to respect theses animals by talking about their unique biology and behaviors, and exhibiting them in controlled, calm, and safe conditions.  

Also, no matter what, it is never healthy to put that many different species of snakes in one room.  They are from all different parts of the world and carry different pathogens which could be transferred among them.  These days in zoos snakes must be quarantined for at least several months before they are even allowed in the same room with other species, and then you must wash your hands and clean your instruments between all animals  they should never be directly exposed to one another.   Also, many zoos test snakes for dangerous viral infections serologically before releasing them from quarantine.  These sorts of practices put the snakes health first.   Also, all these snakes have different temperature and humidity requirements and there is no way they could have met that for all of them.

I agree that this was a stressful environment for the snakes and if your goal is to make people less fearful and more respectful of snakes, I can think of a thousand better ways to do it.  The snakes best interest was not in mind, the guy cares about his show and wants people to watch his show.

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## Chocolate1

> The conditions can't have been ideal for all the animals, but I think they did make an effort, and people are right, the fact that he sat in there with 100 snakes including venomous ones and large constrictors and came out of there unscratched is good publicity for the community. That's what this community needs, especially right now.


Yes Aeries, but there are better ways to do it where the snakes are put first!  Many zoos have reptile demonstrations to educate the public that snakes are not evil animals and they do it while keeping the snakes in happy, pristine condition.  Why should we be willing to compromise the snakes' health when there are win/win ways to educate and give the snakes the best care possible.  There are alternatives to shock value!

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## mpkeelee

if there are better ways to do it and its so easy then go out and do something. hes doing more for our community than a lot of people on here are so stop complaning. and yes the snakes did get water. they show them soaking the snakes and vets checking them out. they condensed 10 days into a one hour episode. so how much care and cleaning and exams do u think they cut out. prolly a lot. oh ya, and also did u see them eating. it looks like the snakes were ready for food to me. and did u see the rooms with the racks. those snakes looked pretty comfy

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## Fat_Luke

your quick on the guns tiger did you not watch the show he pulled a few snakes out of black boxed hides that where around the room so there was hides available for the snakes i told you that they mailed all the snakes to me and i choped em up and ate them would you believe me

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## photoman100169

[QUOTE=Chocolate1;1283045]  This guy was going for the shock value to get people's attention and get them to watch his show.  That's it. QUOTE]

Of course he is going for the shock value. Its TV they have to get that shock value in there in order to make people watch. How many people do you think would have watched that show if he would have locked himself in a room with 4 rattle snakes who were curled up in the corner and never moved. NONE. Sure he handled the snakes in a dangerous manner and sure the temp was probably not right for each and every snake there, but again how many people would have watched a 3 hour show of some guy standing there with a viper on the end of a snake hook telling us how dangerous they were. once again NONE.

They really do have to use the shock value to lure people in and then I think he did a pretty good job of telling people the truth about them. that you need to respect them and keep your distance, but these animals are NOT out to kill you.

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## SNIKTTIME

Wow, I am very surprised that anyone on this site would be against what Donald Schultz tried to and did accomplish during that program.  He goes through great lengths to bring attention to reptiles in a good way, and gets samples of venom from numerous animals, not just snakes for hospital and pharmaceutical research.  All 100 snakes were accounted for and had plenty of areas to hide for the time of the program. Someone with the background he has, would never put himself in a situation where he is locked up with pissed off animals for that long.

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## angllady2

I agree he might not have gone about this in the best way, but all things considered, he did the best job he could given the circumstances.

Yes it was shock value, this is after all television, but I have watched this show several times, and he did quite a bit of good as well.  Granted the conditions might not have been ideal, but how many snakes are kept as pets in much worse conditions for months or even years?

This was, plain and simple, a way to grab peoples attention and prove snakes aren't maneaters.  General media have people believing being in the same zip code with a snake means death.  This guy proved you can be in close quarters with way more snake than most people will ever see in a lifetime, and nothing happens.

People are much more likely to watch a show featuring some lunatic locked in a box with 100 snakes than they are some boring documentary on how harmless snakes are. And if even a few people come away from it thinking that maybe snakes aren't so bad after all, that's more than mainstream media ever accomplished.

Gale

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## Tim Mead

We watched or endured it and really did not find it entertaining or educational..We're also not real impressed by the newbie host either..
Maybe one day there will be real compassion and education on TV but it wasn't there..IMO..

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## Elise.m

Can't please everyone.

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## Eventide

> if there are better ways to do it and its so easy then go out and do something. hes doing more for our community than a lot of people on here are so stop complaning. and yes the snakes did get water. they show them soaking the snakes and vets checking them out. they condensed 10 days into a one hour episode. so how much care and cleaning and exams do u think they cut out. prolly a lot. oh ya, and also did u see them eating. it looks like the snakes were ready for food to me. and did u see the rooms with the racks. those snakes looked pretty comfy


What makes you think those against the cruelty of this particular episode aren't doing anything to change people's opinions of snakes?

I, for one, have turned quite a few people from, "Ew, snake, I don't want to be in the same room with it!" to people who now respect them, realize how interesting they are and how personable they are, and all but one of those people will freely touch or hold the snakes.  I also recently went to an elementary school with some of my snakes (along with other reptile enthusiasts) to introduce them to the kids and help educate them about all types of reptiles.

I hope they did get water.  I know that when I take my Brazilian rainbow boa out for even a couple hours, when I put her back in, she beelines it to her water bowl and drinks for several minutes.  (And I keep her tank at 70 to 80% humidity.)




> your quick on the guns tiger did you not watch the show he pulled a few snakes out of black boxed hides that where around the room so there was hides available for the snakes i told you that they mailed all the snakes to me and i choped em up and ate them would you believe me


Did you actually see the poor excuse for hides those boxes were?  They were only closed on the inside; they were fully open to the outside.  You realize snakes like _dark_ and tight spaces, right?  Plus, in the little "tour" of the room, there were only two of these small "hides," a filing cabinet they could hide under, steps so the guy could get to his bed, and a pile of bags.  From the size of the room and the "hides," it looks like they had somewhere around 16 square feet (4 sq ft for each hide, and that's being generous) for 100 snakes.  The tubs I keep my ball pythons in are each about 4 square feet.  So...yeah, they had enough hide space for maybe four or five snakes--perhaps more if they all crammed themselves in there together.

Also, the host himself admitted that not all the snakes were fed:  [link].

And another point:  You think people were learning from this?  Watch the videos and listen to what people outside the box were saying.  "That guy is crazy!"  "I'd rather be thrown in the ocean with 100 sharks then be in there!"  "I'm scared!"  "No way I'd ever do that!" "I have nightmares about them strangling me and sucking at me!" "C'mon, let's go, this is freaking me out."  Yep, people sure learned a lot about how to not fear snakes....

I'm downright flabbergasted that you guys think this stunt was worth the snakes' health.  I really don't quite know what to think about that....

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## m00kfu

> Also, the host himself admitted that not all the snakes were fed:  [link].


You do realize that most, if not all, snakes don't eat every week in the wild?  That's a schedule forced on them by keepers.  Not being fed for 10 days is not in the least bit cruel.  I've got some here that only get fed once a month.

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## WingedWolfPsion

It was only 10 days.  Yes, it was most likely a stressful time for the animals--but they had warmth, I honestly have no doubt that they had water available, and some of them even got a meal.  If I was going to subject one of my ball pythons to something stressful, I wouldn't try to feed it until after the stressful period was over, either.  10 days is nothing, many adult snakes that aren't breeding only eat every 14 days.  (A few species eat even less often).

You should know that many of our ball pythons regularly volunteer to go 4 months without food--or longer.

I think most healthy snakes can handle 10 days of stressful conditions, when all else is ok.  It's a stunt, yes.  It's not in the best interests of those particular snakes--but it's not likely to result in any serious problems for those snakes, either.

The vast majority of snakes species are not so fragile that they can't handle 10 days without a hide box.

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## mpkeelee

> I, for one, have turned quite a few people from, "Ew, snake, I don't want to be in the same room with it!" to people who now respect them, realize how interesting they are and how personable they are, and all but one of those people will freely touch or hold the snakes.  I also recently went to an elementary school with some of my snakes (along with other reptile enthusiasts) to introduce them to the kids and help educate them about all types of reptiles.


good, and i thank u for that. i as well have done some similar things. but mine has been with people in the army here who hated reptiles. now many of them own BP's or beardies. im not entirely disagreeing with you. but i think that what hes trying to do for the reptile community was worth 10 days of stress for these snakes. yes it probably could have been done a little better for the snakes and our community and less for his show but looking at the big picture i think it wasnt a complete disaster.

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