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Re: Where's the jaw tape? ....


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ The Alligator and Crocodilian Forum ]

Posted by Mokele on April 10, 2003 at 00:02:18:

In Reply to: Re: Where's the jaw tape? .... posted by Ravenspirit on April 09, 2003 at 08:34:42:

:Ive heard that, and may have even used it myself in the past with various animals - I disagree in this situation, with this animal, that that is a worry for me, or her - Read the below post to bill - I am a carefull, observant individual, and would not "take the risk" if I thought there was one -

BS. there is always a risk. anything with a mouth can bite.

think of it like this: she's nice and docile in your home, in her cage. in a controled environment, with limited variables coming into play. now drag her out into the big wide world, an uncontrolled environment with LOTS of variables. you cannot possibly predict what will happen in all circumstances in that situation, and that goes double for complex and inteligent animals like crocs.

to furnish another example: i know of a guy who was almost choked by his totally tame female boa constictor. why? he was handling her outside, drapped over his shoulders as usual, when a jet flew overhead at low altitude. the noise freaked her out, she grabbed onto his neck for safety, and he passed out.

the point: the difference between a safe situation and a dangerous one is as little as one uncontrolled factor.

:Then why should anyone even be aloud to own one of these animals, if they are simply ticking time bombs, that are going to rip apart thier keepers one day ? If they are untrainable, inherently dangerous creatures - I have a different view of crocodilians, maybe it is "wrong" but, I give them alot more credit then being meat eating/killing robots -

they are more than just killing machines, but they have instincts like any other animal. piss them off, scare them, get mistaken for food, and you'll get bitten. it's a natural reaction.

they aren't monsters, but they are very powerful animals that deserve a great deal of respect due to the damage they can dish out.

try this analogy: handguns. now, they're nice and safe if you've just got them in a holster. but, even and especially when holstered, the safety is kept on. why? because sh1t happens, and you never know when it'll get snagged on a branch that accidentally pulls the trigger.

:Im not trying to "fluffy buny-ize" them, in any way, but I think that through an understanding of thier behavior, one can begin to pice together how you would go about understanding how to work and train an animal like this.

yes. beleive me, i've seen firsthand what they've done at Gatorland with training, it's amazing. they're smart, and can be trained.

however, you are lacking understanding in one big part of their psychology: these are wild animals, with instincts. if i pet your gator while my hand smells strongly of rats, i'm gonna get bitten. it's instinct, something you can never train an animal out of.

:I think takeing osceola out, and teaching people about her, and these animals, in the fashion that I do, is no more irresponsable then keeping her locked away in a pen, untrained and hidden from the public, for whatever private means I may want an animal like that for -

i agree. take her out, teach people. but put jaw tape on her. I mean, it's not like it's hard to do, or detrimental to the animal. so why not do it?

an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

this isn't about taking them out or not. it's about a basic, simple, easy safety protocol. there's no logical reason NOT to tape, especially when you consider that you gain nothing by not doing it, but could lose a great deal.

another analogy: coral snakes are wonderful, docile, sweet-tempered animals. hot keepers (at least responsible ones) still use snakehooks when dealing with them. why? because no matter how sweet they are, accidents happen, and because of their venom the consequences of such an accident could be lethal.

these animals are very powerful, and can inflict great damage. basic safety precautions are the ONLY responsible course of action when they're interacting with the public.

Mokele, standing firm on this.


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[ Follow Ups ] [ The Alligator and Crocodilian Forum ]