snake bite death in Fl.

[Eastern D]

Did anyone else read this sad story? I found it at www.staugustine.com. The Putnam Co. Fire Marshal responded to a call from a friend about a 5' Eastern diamond back in her yard. After being shot multipal times, the animal tried to crawl under the woman's shed, at which time the man apparently TRIED TO GRAB IT. He was of course bitten on the hand. This was Oct 1st. After appearing to be recovering he died on Fri. This is of course a tragic story. I can only imagine the pain his family and friends must be suffering, and my deepest sympathy goes out to them. It does, however bring up some other issues. Why must the first human response to potentially dangerous animals be the use of deadly force? Groups such as Snakegetters etc. work very hard to educate the public, train emergency response personell and even remove the animal if there are no other options. Yet we still go in with guns blazing. To then attempt to bare handle an animal that has been blinded with fear and pain...what could he have been thinking? I can only hope that this might make people think twice about automatically killing these animals but i fear it will only give weight to the notion that "the only good snake is a dead snake.

[Bringerofdoom]

Cops and people in authority tend to always overuse their guns...... I knew a person who's alaskan husky was shot over 6 times by the police all because it broke it's chain and got loose. The owner eventually sued the police deparment over it. As the dog never rushed them it just was a very large dog. They never bothered calling animal control either. Just seen the dog and withdrew their guns and started to fire on it as if it was a rabid wolf....

[Snakes Incorporated]

On average 60% of snakebites are caused when people try to kill the animal and it strikes back out of self-defence.
I personally think it is a sad story for the snake but for the Fire Marshal, he got what he deserved.
Sorry for his family but every action has a consequence

[Silver]

I certainly appreciate the love and compassion for our reptile friends, but I have to disagree with you Snakes Incorporated. He DID NOT deserve to die. He was trying to help, although in an uneducated way. Deserved to be bitten, maybe. But to die, never.

[Rebel Dragons]

Grabbing at a venomous snake even if you think it is dead is a dumb move. He certainly found out that ignorance to a situation can get you killed.

[Junkyard]

Maybe what he was thinking was since it was shot than it was no longer a danger, there is no way it would be able to turn and strike. Ignorance is not always the reason for bad judgment, sometime it is the occasional brain farts that get in the way. Who knows, he may have even thought that since it was shot it was no longer poisonous. This is something we will never know.

I love the story of a guy who runs over a rattlesnake with his motorcycle in the desert, 4 inches from head to neck was cut off. The guy thought it would be a cool souvenir, he grabbed the snakes body and it twisted around and sunk its teeth into the guy's hand.

People honestly believe that since a snake is mangled or injured it is dead or so badly hurt it is not a danger. People often forget that animals fight back when hurt, not accept help like humans do.

[Rattlesnake]

I agree with Silver, it turned out to be a bad situation for all concerned. But if he was a fire marshall, you would think he would have a little more sense than the normal person, trying to handle the reptile after shooting it was a sad and serious mistake. The key to this whole situation is "EDUCATION". Which, unfortunately, most people don't pay attention to.

[Snakes Incorporated]

Maybe you are right Silver. I think the neighbour, Joe Guidry, who grabbed his gun, and shot the snake, should have got what the fire Marshall got instead.