The only good snake is a live snake!

Aggressive: adjective - characterized by or tending toward unprovoked offensives, attacks, invasions, or the like; militantly forward or menacing (Dictionary.com).

I do not know who this person is and, as such, I do not mean him any disrespect. But if you are going to perpetuate untruths in the media, then you open yourself up to criticism. He is described, in an article in the Sunday Times, as a 'veteran' snake handler; self-taught. I appreciate that he has probably saved a great many snakes. However, when you wantantly perpetuate myth to increase hype you are effectively doing more harm than good.

In the Perth Now video (Disgusting display of snake relocation) he can be seen manipulating this large dugite (see photo) like an absolute novice. The level of  his ineptitude for the task is astounding. Releasing the animal from a bag, he then proceeds to joust at it with a metal rake, of all things. At one point he slams the rake down on the animal before rolling the rake and trying to flick the snake away. I speculate that, given the girth of the snake and the width between the teeth of the rake, he may well of caused the snake significant injury.

What is more astounding still is that this person features so prominently in the weekend paper as an authority on Perth's venomous herpetofauna. I suspect, though I cannot know for sure, that he does not even hold the appropriate licence to relocate venomous snakes as 99.9% of people willing to invest time and money into a snake relocation training course will immediately go out and purchase the appropriate tools to undertake the task.

This snake has become so agitated at the point of release from the bag that it turns defensively on the person releasing it - Mr Smartt. Why? Simply because he has been thrust out into the open with no immediate refuge under which to hide. A menacing aggressor is thrusting at him from behind. Of course this snake is going to about-face and initiate a defensive display to ward off this threat. It is that split second choice of flight or fight; when there is no where to hide, of course the snake is going to try and defend itself. 

But please don't, for one second that this snake is aggressive. It is not - it is scared and it is trying to defend itself. Mr Smartt has no place calling it aggressive. The unfortunate consequence of this article is another giant leap backwards for this fauna group. Already unloved, feared and loathed an article like this, to 'Joe' public just validates the mantra that 'the only good snake is a dead snake'.