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!

[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.

[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.

[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/

[djansen]

thats crazy lol

[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.

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.....